Apocalypto is an ambitious project. Visually stunning, intense, and steeped in mystery. Mel Gibson has made another historical epic. The ending is great, with its haunting implication that a much bigger story, one we already know, is about to begin.
While not as polished or dramatic as Braveheart, it’s every bit as brutal. Gibson thrives on intensity, and this is very much on brand for him. But perhaps he overindulges in the brutality, especially in the depiction of human sacrifice. Not only is it graphic, but many historians argue the depiction is inaccurate. The Maya were not known for the kind of mass ritual sacrifice portrayed here. Would reframing the story with Aztec raiders abducting Mayans ground it more in historical fact? Or could the violence have been toned down for a more nuanced portrayal? If you’re going to show one of history’s darkest human behaviors, I think there’s an ethical responsibility to depict it with accuracy and fairness.
The performances are strong. Rudy Youngblood is a good-looking kid with physical presence and emotional fire, clearly delivering the kind of intensity Gibson demanded. Raoul Max Trujillo has real presence, and Gerardo Taracena is chilling as Middle Eye, with that “dead eyes” stare that any good, psychopathic villain has. Amazing work with the make-up. These actors are not pierced and tatted and bejeweled, but it sure looks real.
Tonally and thematically, the film evokes Black Robe, Last of the Mohicans, and even Avatar. I guess this type of story, with indigenous struggle, cultural clash, personal survival, is a universal one.
Astronomy nitpick: the film features a solar eclipse and then a nearly full moon that night or the next, but that’s not how it works. It would be two weeks after a solar eclipse before we see a full moon.
I'm a
Recent Comments