Die Hard with a Vengeance finally redeemed itself by winning the summer box office crown, despite being squeezed between The Rock and Braveheart. It was only because Braveheart didn't perform well in the market that Die Hard with a Vengeance got the chance.
Sophia was curious as to why Braveheart didn't do well at the box office, since she had attended the film and thought it was of good quality. "Why didn't Braveheart perform well? I saw the movie, and it was quite good!" Sophia asked Gilbert.
Gilbert was enjoying the California sunshine in his backyard and answered, "Sophia, you're looking at it with an artistic eye. But this is the summer blockbusters season, and art doesn't make it there. Plus, let's not forget that the North American market is very exclusionary; people don't care about the story from the island across the Atlantic, even though that place shares a lot with America."
Sophia reflected for a moment. "I should have figured that out! No wonder there weren't many people interested in the movie at the theater."
The North American market isn't always exclusionary, but films that succeed here have to either appeal directly to audiences or win over fans based purely on quality.
Braveheart might win over Oscar judges, but it couldn't win over the audience in the summer. Audiences just weren't interested in Scottish independence or the complex love-hate relationships within the British royal family.
Of course, it wasn't an absolute case. If the film had some exciting battle scenes, maybe there would be some fans who enjoyed it. However, Mel Gibson, in pursuit of an Oscar, had to leave out many of the battle scenes, and the long-winded drama left audiences dozing off in theaters.
In the summer, the most popular films are always the fast-paced, thrilling popcorn movies. Idealistic themes come second.
That's why Gilbert's next film, Saving Private Ryan, would do so well. Spielberg knew the market and perfectly balanced commercial and artistic elements.
Braveheart, on the other hand, was unable to strike this balance. Mel Gibson didn't manage it well and released it during the summer, resulting in a movie that audiences considered boring.
Critics, however, loved the film. Kenneth Turan, a critic who had once criticized Gilbert's films, gave it a glowing review.
"Braveheart is a film filled with passion, politics, romance, and morals. Making such a film is a challenge for any director. However, Mel Gibson showcased extraordinary skill in creating a film with deep nationalist and political content."
Epic films were a genre in themselves, and Ben-Hur was also an epic. Interestingly, Ben-Hur performed poorly at the box office, leading to major losses for the film company. But in 1960, it won nearly every major Oscar, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Time passed, and it seemed that Braveheart was following the same path as Ben-Hur.
If it succeeded at the Oscars, Mel Gibson could maintain his place and possibly move forward in his career. But Gilbert wasn't going to give him that chance. Braveheart was showing in theaters, but the audience was cold.
Gibson seemed to be in a hurry, wanting to fight Gilbert but not having the leverage to do so. So, he sent signals of goodwill, trying to patch things up.
But the damage had been done, and it was too late to back out now.
Seeing that Gilbert wasn't responding, Mel Gibson, like Sean Connery, was quick-tempered, but at least he hadn't overused drugs. So, he began to release signals of goodwill, secretly trying to mitigate the situation by spreading the word that he would fix things.
In the meantime, Mel Gibson confided some of the details to Martin Bob, hoping to shift the blame onto Gilbert.
Upon hearing this, Martin Bob immediately understood why Gilbert had attended the premiere, clearly with ulterior motives. The two spent hours discussing how Gilbert would strike next.
"Mel, is there anything else you haven't told me? Who did you get to do the thing at the celebration?" Martin Bob asked.
Mel Gibson hesitated but finally spoke. "I had Sophie Marceau do it."
Martin Bob's eyes widened in shock. "You gave something so risky to an outsider? If you were going to do something like that, you should've found someone more reliable."
Mel Gibson hesitated again before admitting, "I took some photos of Sophie Marceau. I thought she'd comply, but…"
Martin Bob slapped his forehead in frustration. He knew about Mel Gibson's special interests and wasn't surprised. In Hollywood, many big stars, despite having wealth, fame, and status, had strange hobbies. Why couldn't they just be normal?
Nevertheless, Martin Bob knew he still had to think of a way to help Mel Gibson out because he was an important client.
After some thought, Martin Bob asked, "Did you hide the photos well?"
"Yes, they're hidden in different places. Only my closest associates know where they are," Mel Gibson answered.
"Good," Martin Bob replied, feeling a bit relieved. "As long as the photos aren't found, they don't have evidence. Also, pay those women off. Get them to keep quiet."
Such things were an endless pit, and the best solution was to resolve everything at once—though sometimes that meant taking drastic measures.
Martin Bob continued, "You need to increase security. They'll probably hire private detectives to look into it. If the detectives find anything, it could be bad. Gilbert won't reveal Sophie Marceau unless absolutely necessary, and even then, without proof, they can't do anything."
Martin Bob's plan was simple: delay, stall, and keep dragging it out. If he could dig up any dirt on Gilbert, he would, but Gilbert was hard to get anything on. He was like a saint in Hollywood—clean, no scandals. He didn't attend parties, didn't drink or use drugs, and had no family issues. He only liked beautiful blonde women, and his relationships with them were seen as normal.
Gilbert's life seemed so impeccable that it left Martin Bob with no way to strike back.
Realizing that this approach was going nowhere, Martin Bob tried to smooth things over with Gilbert by offering him some concessions—letting him take part in their bundled projects and even allowing him to invest in the upcoming Independence Day directed by Roland Emmerich.
But all of his attempts at appeasement fell on deaf ears, as Gilbert didn't respond at all.
Without any way to reach him, Martin Bob arranged a meeting with his former assistant, Sheena Boone.
Sheena was aloof, adopting a high-and-mighty attitude as she left Martin Bob with one sentence: "Gilbert is on vacation. If you need anything, wait until he returns."
Martin Bob was certain that Sheena knew everything and had insight into Gilbert's plans. Unfortunately, he was no law enforcement officer and couldn't get her to talk.
When he realized he couldn't get anything from Sheena, he knew the situation was dire. Gilbert had set up a perfect trap, and no matter how hard Mel Gibson struggled, the net only tightened.
At this point, there was only one option left.
If someone died, the matter would end, but Gilbert was already in China, and there was no way to get to him.
Gilbert had anticipated this, and after the premiere of Braveheart, he took Sophie Marceau on a vacation to China. Even though it was a personal trip, as a representative of film culture exchange between the U.S. and China, his death would have become a diplomatic issue. No local person would dare take such a risk.
By the time Martin Bob discovered Gilbert's location, it was too late. Everything was already decided.
Meanwhile, Mel Gibson grew more irritable and frustrated, taking out his anger on his assistants and friends.
In Hollywood, there existed a strange group known as "hanger-ons"—people who clung to stars or directors, partying with them and even engaging in their sexual exploits.
Many of Mel Gibson's associates were also involved in his activities and were aware of everything he'd done. They understood that if these things got exposed, Gibson's career would be over, and they were determined to protect him.
However, people's hearts are unpredictable.
Just like a writer doesn't know whether readers will enjoy a particular plot, Mel Gibson's friends didn't know what would happen next, and the situation only worsened.
After a few more angry outbursts, one of his friends started considering the unthinkable: "Why not sell him out for some money and disappear?"
Without hesitation, the friend took the opportunity to call the Super Artist Management Company from a public phone booth and offered crucial information about Gibson for a price.
The deal was set—at least, that's what he thought.
The following day, Sheena Boone's assistant was notified, and the game of secrets and betrayals began to unfold.
The clock was ticking for Mel Gibson. His tangled web was about to collapse.