These two little moments add a whole new perspective to the scene. Teenage daughters, even royal ones, were probably not drastically different from those of today, nor were pre-pubescent sons. It’s a very human moment in the middle of such an epic scene, and it is things like this that lift Apocalypto above other like movies with a decent but not phenomenal script (moments like that are also partly why The Fellowship of the Ring was better than parts two and three of that trilogy).
Another notable aspect of Apocalypto is Mel Gibson’s frankness in dealing with the subject. In an age when some ideologies seek to belittle other cultures while others bristle at the mere possibility of a concept like cultural superiority, Mr. Gibson approaches the theme with a brutal honesty about who the Mayans were (at least to the extent that we know them) and what they did. He never condescends, but neither does he excuse. Even when he paints the Mayans at their most brutal he does not make them caricatures or stereotypes. The murdering Mayan warriors are given their human side, too.
There is one surprising downside to the movie – a downside which I am quite at a loss to explain – and it has to do with the ending. I’ll say no more but any individual reasonably well educated in the Classical Period of the Mayans - for we have been led to understand that the movie occurs near the end of this period - is going to raise his eyebrows. Indeed, I am still not sure what exactly was going on there, but I’ll leave that for the viewer to discover on his own. Suffice it to say that it does very little to detract from an otherwise impeccable movie and a great experience in the theater. This year might not be a lost cause after all.
Release Date: December 8, 2006
Final Grade: A-
Matthew Alexander is a Senior Critic for Film School Rejects.
Article comments
1 - FDCener
Gibson is brutal alright, but leave out the honest part, please. You have him and his production so wrong it is painful. The film is mediocre and the ending is not smart, not even close to this very common story. Stupid ending. Wait for video or pass.