Just saw Apocalypto last night with a free pass ticket. Surely one of the goriest and most graphic movies ever made. In the wake of "Passion," I think it's safe to opine that Mel Gibson likes to dwell on torture a bit too much, and this is my biggest reservation. Not that "first nation" communities in America all made nice with each other before the Europeans arrived. Of course not. There is clearly a cultural message going on, regarding violence, war, and man's inhumanity to man. I was hoping for at least some vague allusion to the Mayan/Aztec calendar, as the predictions of 2012 in the New Age community are revving up and fascinating -- but that's just my own bugaboo. Otherwise, the film-making of Apocalypto is masterful. The authenticity of the Mesoamerican depictions rivals, if not surpasses, Malick's "New World." The make-up and prosthetics, tattoos, scarification of the cast, as well as the overall look and texture of the movie, make for one of the most vivid and haunting movies you will ever see. Though it contains some earthy humor, this movie is definitely not for the fainthearted. It is a Class A adrenaline churner. Perhaps Gibson will redeem himself in the public eye after this work. Bound to be a blockbuster.
Review of Apocalypto
