2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Gibson's epic on Mayan civilization is bloody worth it!
Kejal Vyas
Issue date: 12/12/06 Section: Life & Leisure
- Page 1 of 1
It's more than just blood, gore and the barbarism of an unknown ancient culture.
Instead, Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" is an avant-garde piece of filmmaking which is both visually and conceptually mind blowing.
The movie follows Jaguar Paw (played by newcomer Rudy Youngblood), a tribesman in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula during the 16th century. Like many other tribes of the region, his village is ravaged by Mayan slave raiders. Jaguar Paw and his tribe are taken to the capital of the Mayan Empire where they are supposed to be beheaded in front of cheering crowds.
We gather from the movie that mass human sacrificing was the Mayan attempt to satisfy the gods during a time when their once great civilization was declining, affected by economic trouble and disease.
Miraculously Jaguar Paw escapes and is chased through the jungle by the slave raiders on his way back to his village to rescue his pregnant wife.
The plotline is not terribly complicated and no historical context is given in the movie. This requires the viewer to know quite a bit about Mayan history to really grasp the story. And building off of the "Passion of the Christ," Gibson does not spare any blood splatter. Two sacrificial beheadings are graphically shown when one would have done just fine. Scene after scene includes beatings, maims, and sadism. Calling the film violent is a gross understatement.
Nevertheless, I walked out of "Apocalypto" thinking: Finally!
For decades, movies about the indigenous populations of the Americas only focused on their conflicts with conquistadors. It's as if Hollywood has decided that the only period of Mayan or Aztec culture worth dramatizing is when white man arrived on their shores. Although this theme of culture clash is interesting, it became cliché long ago.
Gibson's film is an adventurous step into uncharted territory for many American moviegoers. "Apocalypto" shatters many of these redundant themes and offers a glimpse into the workings of the Mayan empire during its decline without having their story hijacked by European colonialists.
But it's not just the conceptual elements of "Apocalyto" that make it a masterpiece and one of the best movies of the past few years.
The amount of resources that went into getting even the tiniest details correct is simply amazing. From the body tattoos and piercing of each of the characters to the architecture of the Mayan capital, the ambiance and eye candy in the movie alone make it an instant classic.
Gibson also struck gold filming the entire movie in Yucatek Maya, the language of the peninsular Mayans. It may be a pain for people who hate reading subtitles but the level of authenticity it adds to the movie is priceless. Furthermore, the virtually unknown cast lets viewers focus on the movie instead of the usual heartthrob inserted to attract a crowd.
Instead, Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" is an avant-garde piece of filmmaking which is both visually and conceptually mind blowing.
The movie follows Jaguar Paw (played by newcomer Rudy Youngblood), a tribesman in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula during the 16th century. Like many other tribes of the region, his village is ravaged by Mayan slave raiders. Jaguar Paw and his tribe are taken to the capital of the Mayan Empire where they are supposed to be beheaded in front of cheering crowds.
We gather from the movie that mass human sacrificing was the Mayan attempt to satisfy the gods during a time when their once great civilization was declining, affected by economic trouble and disease.
Miraculously Jaguar Paw escapes and is chased through the jungle by the slave raiders on his way back to his village to rescue his pregnant wife.
The plotline is not terribly complicated and no historical context is given in the movie. This requires the viewer to know quite a bit about Mayan history to really grasp the story. And building off of the "Passion of the Christ," Gibson does not spare any blood splatter. Two sacrificial beheadings are graphically shown when one would have done just fine. Scene after scene includes beatings, maims, and sadism. Calling the film violent is a gross understatement.
Nevertheless, I walked out of "Apocalypto" thinking: Finally!
For decades, movies about the indigenous populations of the Americas only focused on their conflicts with conquistadors. It's as if Hollywood has decided that the only period of Mayan or Aztec culture worth dramatizing is when white man arrived on their shores. Although this theme of culture clash is interesting, it became cliché long ago.
Gibson's film is an adventurous step into uncharted territory for many American moviegoers. "Apocalypto" shatters many of these redundant themes and offers a glimpse into the workings of the Mayan empire during its decline without having their story hijacked by European colonialists.
But it's not just the conceptual elements of "Apocalyto" that make it a masterpiece and one of the best movies of the past few years.
The amount of resources that went into getting even the tiniest details correct is simply amazing. From the body tattoos and piercing of each of the characters to the architecture of the Mayan capital, the ambiance and eye candy in the movie alone make it an instant classic.
Gibson also struck gold filming the entire movie in Yucatek Maya, the language of the peninsular Mayans. It may be a pain for people who hate reading subtitles but the level of authenticity it adds to the movie is priceless. Furthermore, the virtually unknown cast lets viewers focus on the movie instead of the usual heartthrob inserted to attract a crowd.
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