I have been waiting for the release of this movie and was excited about seeing it. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations.
I was expecting to see a representation of the Mayan culture as a tribute to the advanced culture they must have been based on the ruins left behind. Instead they were shown to be a blood-thirsty, primitive society that were scared of a solar eclipse. This type of people could never have been organized enough to create the fantastic cities found in the Yucatan. The Mayans were quite advanced in astronomy and would have known the eclipse was coming. In addition, the time "spent" with the Mayans was minimal in the realm of things. Since the portrayal of them was incorrect, I am not too upset with the short time spent in the city but the trailers are misleading. This is not really about the end of a civilization - it merely takes place at that time.
Now, if this "movie about the Mayans" intention is to include the tribal people as Mayans, I would then have to question whether the tribes in the forest were Mayans at all. My understanding is the Mayans were the city dwellers of that particular time in history. The people living in the forests were certainly native Mexicans but I question whether calling them Mayans is appropriate.
So I am still wondering how the movie can really be called a movie about the Mayans when it contains so little about them.
Also, Mel does seem to have the Mayans and Aztecs confused in some respects. Some of the scenes were taken right out of the book "Aztec". The sacrifices on the pyramid, the march of the captives to the city to be killed, etc. I agree with those who feel Mel Gibson is confusing the two cultures. Cortez and his group destroyed the Aztec civilization NOT the Mayan. The great Mayan cities were abandoned long before Cortez showed up although the descendants of the city dwellers were the first people Cortez encountered in Mexico. From a historical perspective, this movie just does not work.
I came away from the movie trying to determine the point. I thought the movie was going to speculate on the unfortunate early demise of a glorious and advanced culture and honor that era. Instead I am left with a feeling of "who cares".
I give the movie a 5 because there were some really good scenes and the acting was great given the script. The use of the Mayan language was impressive (assuming it was really the Mayan language - not sure we actually know that). I just think something was lost in the translation.
I was expecting to see a representation of the Mayan culture as a tribute to the advanced culture they must have been based on the ruins left behind. Instead they were shown to be a blood-thirsty, primitive society that were scared of a solar eclipse. This type of people could never have been organized enough to create the fantastic cities found in the Yucatan. The Mayans were quite advanced in astronomy and would have known the eclipse was coming. In addition, the time "spent" with the Mayans was minimal in the realm of things. Since the portrayal of them was incorrect, I am not too upset with the short time spent in the city but the trailers are misleading. This is not really about the end of a civilization - it merely takes place at that time.
Now, if this "movie about the Mayans" intention is to include the tribal people as Mayans, I would then have to question whether the tribes in the forest were Mayans at all. My understanding is the Mayans were the city dwellers of that particular time in history. The people living in the forests were certainly native Mexicans but I question whether calling them Mayans is appropriate.
So I am still wondering how the movie can really be called a movie about the Mayans when it contains so little about them.
Also, Mel does seem to have the Mayans and Aztecs confused in some respects. Some of the scenes were taken right out of the book "Aztec". The sacrifices on the pyramid, the march of the captives to the city to be killed, etc. I agree with those who feel Mel Gibson is confusing the two cultures. Cortez and his group destroyed the Aztec civilization NOT the Mayan. The great Mayan cities were abandoned long before Cortez showed up although the descendants of the city dwellers were the first people Cortez encountered in Mexico. From a historical perspective, this movie just does not work.
I came away from the movie trying to determine the point. I thought the movie was going to speculate on the unfortunate early demise of a glorious and advanced culture and honor that era. Instead I am left with a feeling of "who cares".
I give the movie a 5 because there were some really good scenes and the acting was great given the script. The use of the Mayan language was impressive (assuming it was really the Mayan language - not sure we actually know that). I just think something was lost in the translation.