Apocalypto

As a filmmaker, Mel Gibson likes to take risks. Much like The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto is filmed entirely in an ancient language, features no prominent stars, and is financed primarily by Gibson himself. Although Braveheart still remains his best film to date, there is no shortage of talent on display in Apocalypto, which features some of the best camerawork and editing of any film this year. The story is set in the latter days of the Mayan Empire, where a young man named Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) finds his village raided by warriors in search of people to offer as human sacrifices. Our hero is able to hide his son and pregnant wife down a well before getting captured with several other tribesmen. Eventually Jaguar Paw reaches the sacrificial altar, but a series of incredibly fortunate circumstances allows him to escape, with several warriors hot on his heels. From this moment, the movie becomes one extended chase sequence that is filmed with such velocity and high tension that it will be impossible for you to leave the edge of your seat. Despite all of this, there are a number of aspects that lessen the film’s quality. For instance, a series of poorly-conceived comic relief moments (particularly in the first half) tend to pull you out of the picture and grossly detract from its authenticity. Also, the subtitled dialogue is less than poetic and feels jarring when spoken by such visually realistic characters. On top of this, the Mayas, who in reality had quite an advanced civilization—being leaders in architecture, mathematics and astronomy among other things—are portrayed as being rather primitive. They are erroneously shown as enforcers of slavery and mass sacrifice, which was common of the Aztec culture but was never true with the Mayas. One wonders why Gibson went to such great lengths to ensure that his actors and his sets looked authentic if the script was not so in the first place. In the end, however, Apocalypto should be judged for what it is, and that is a “chase film.” In this regard, it’s quite a thrilling ride.

Directed by Mel Gibson.
Written by Mel Gibson and Farhad Safinia.
Starring Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernandez, Israel Contreras, Jonathan Brewer and Carlos Emilio Baez.

Rated R for sequences of graphic violence and disturbing images. 140 min.

***½ so says The Fish