
The story of a relationship between a teacher and his troubled pupil. Justin McLeod is a former teacher who lives as a recluse on the edge of town. His face is disfigured from an automobile accident and fire ten years before in which a boy was incinerated and for which he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. He is also suspected of being a pedophile. He is befriended by Chuck, igniting the town's suspicion and hostility. McLeod instills in his protégé a love of justic... (Full plot summary below)
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The story of a relationship between a teacher and his troubled pupil. Justin McLeod is a former teacher who lives as a recluse on the edge of town. His face is disfigured from an automobile accident and fire ten years before in which a boy was incinerated and for which he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. He is also suspected of being a pedophile. He is befriended by Chuck, igniting the town's suspicion and hostility. McLeod instills in his protégé a love of justice and freedom from prejudice which sustains Chuck beyond the end of the film.
Leave your thoughts about The Man Without a Face.
| Boston GlobeJay CarrThe best that can be said about Mr. Gibson as a director -- and this is no mean achievement -- is that it's often possible to forget he was the man behind the camera. Most of this film has a crisp, picturesque look and a believable manner. |
| NewsweekDavid AnsenThe Man Without a Face is such a noble, well-intentioned little film that one feels like an ogre picking on it. Alternately poky and melodramatic--and occasionally witty and insightful--the uneven screenplay too often strains credibility. |
| Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasGibson, as director, doesn't give himself a soppy speech explaining why he doesn't say them. He lets us figure it out. That is the essence of the story and, we eventually realize, the essence of teaching, too. |
| Washington PostRichard HarringtonIn The Man Without a Face, Mel Gibson reminds us that he doesn't need one-liners and explosive special effects to warrant our attention. Gibson, as actor and first-time director, is not only self-assured in these dual roles, but he seems relieved to let the drama carry him, rather than the reverse. The result is a movie that's both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. |
| San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleGibson stages the movie episodically, as a series of quiet actors' moments; his direction is scrupulous, tasteful, and, I'm afraid, rather sodden. By the end, he wrings a tear or two, but more from the story's sentimental outline than from anything he does to fill it in. |
| Deseret News (Salt Lake City)Chris HicksMel Gibson does himself proud with the imperfect but noble, and ultimately satisfying Man Without a Face. |
| Chicago TribuneGene SiskelThe Man Without a Face marks a solidly crafted directorial debut for actor Mel Gibson, who approaches his melodramatic story with commendable restraint. |
| MovieholeClint MorrisOne of the best movies of Gibson's career |
| ReelViewsJames BerardinelliThose who love to cry at movies will doubtless get their money's worth from The Man Without a Face. Others, I imagine, will discover in this movie what I did: a curious mixture of scenes that work and situations that seem hopelessly contrived or overly-sentimental. I didn't hate the film, and after the jarring first half-hour, it kept my attention, but The Man Without a Face never strays far from familiar territory. |
| Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam ArnoldMel Gibson miscasts himself in this fairly dull unoriginal movie. |