Thursday, December 14, 2006
Movie Review: Apocalypto
At the risk of funding Mel Gibson's dementia, I must admit Apocalypto is a riveting, entertaining and sickeningly-vivid portrait of human struggle. It is not, however, an accurate depiction of Mayan civilization by any means, though meshing fact with fancy and mind-numbing anachronisms doesn’t drain its pure entertainment power.
Apocalypto
"Apocalypto" is a heart stopping mythic action-adventure set against the turbulent end times of the once great Mayan civilization. When his idyllic existence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, a man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life.
Source: Cinema Source
The film centers around a hunter named Jaguar Paw (played by former Texas resident Rudy Youngblood) and his singular battle against an invading Mayan war party which has ravaged his land, slit his father’s throat before his very eyes, and slaughtered his people.
In a classic Hollywood manner ('classic' in the vein of Bruce Willis or Clint Eastwood; not Hitchcock), Jaguar Paw becomes infused with raw, animal rage and seeks his revenge through hailstorms of blood.
Ultimately, Jaguar Paw's rage-filled restitution is the whole focus of the film, and despite the mild political subtext, Apocalypto is one gorey, unnerving, jaw-clenching scene after another. This is why it is definitely worth seeing.
For those craving an explanation of Gibson’s flubs and fabrications, the Angelika at Mockingbird Station hosted a Q&A session with SMU Anthrpologist Dr. David Freidel following a 7:00pm screening of the film. John Meyer attended in an attempt to find out whether or not the Mayans were "bald brown midgets."
