SUVA: 20th February 2006 -- "Of man's first disobedience,
and the Fruit / of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste / brought
death into the world with all our woe / and loss of Eden till one
greater Man / restore us...".
If you know where that line comes from, you win a
week on exclusive Mago (pronounced 'mungo'), island in Fiji, all
expenses paid. Several things might prevent you from claiming
your prize. Firstly, the Brothers at Don Bosco House in Suva will
probably beat you to it. Secondly, Mago island is not the easiest
place in the world to reach, being in the Northern Lau group in the
Fijian archipelago and only occasionally served by ships. And
thirdly, it is a private island, not a resort. Mel Gibson bought
it last year. There are five and a half thousand acres and two
lagoons to the island, making it one of if not the largest of the
private islands in the South Pacific. If you were looking for
anywhere to contemplate the dawn of creation, then Mago would be it.
The international date line takes an eastward bend just to make sure
Mago is on the right side of the dawn! But indications are that
Mel is contemplating creation with a bang.
Mel has decided to set up a bowling alley on the
island. There was one in Suva years ago, owned and run by a
Korean businessman, but it never made any money. Mel has bought
it, and now it is being shipped to Mago. I once read a review of The
Passion of the Christ which compared the appearance of a new and
startling film to a bowling alley: "new films knock down old films as
bowling balls knock down bowling pins in successive frames", the
reviewer said. Mel probably read that review, and may well be
reflecting on the success of his new movie now, a year or two
later.
We already know the title of Mel Gibson's next
movie. It will be called "Apocalypto". The Greek name is
deceptive, since the movie will be based on a Mayan myth and is being
filmed in Mexico. It is a 'Fin de los tiempos' theme, but with a
new beginning to follow. Mayan astronomers had calculated October 21st
2012 as the date of the apocalyptic event when the world will end in
fire but be reborn. The movie will be well completed before then!
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