Apocalypto
Tonight I went to see Mel Gibson's new film, "Apocalypto". I've been a fan of his ever since I was a child, so despite all of the controversy surrounding his July arrest, I still went out to see his film. I posted my review under the cut so I can save room on everyone's Friends Page, but I promise there are no plot spoilers.
APOCALYPTO
Directed by: Mel Gibson
Starring: Rudy Youngblood, Delia Hernandez and Raoul Trujillo
Forget acting, Mel Gibson should really stick to directing, as it seems to be his real gift. He made one of my all-time favourite films ("Braveheart") and continues to make quality movies. He never promises historical accuracy, which is not usually what an audience asks for anyway. As a history major at university who specializes in British history, I spotted many errors of truth in "Braveheart", yet it never bothered me as it was clearly not Gibson's intention to make a documentary on William Wallace. Therefore, going into his new film "Apocalypto", I was not looking for the truth behind the fall of the ancient Mayan civilization. I was there purely as a film fan seeking a form of escape.
The plot is simple enough as it focuses on a Mayan tribe and the horror the people went through at the hands of a rival tribe, seeking captives to sacrifice to their gods. At the centre of it all is Jaguar Paw, a powerful young man who single-handedly takes out his enemies and escapes their pursuit as he struggles to get back to the cave where he hid his pregnant wife and young son while their village was being attacked.
With only a few lines of dialogue, actor Rudy Youngblood, who plays Jaguar Paw, must rely on his presence and facial expressions to convey the emotions he's going through. The role is underwritten. As an audience we are expected to root for this young Mayan warrior without knowing much about him other than he is a young, loyal husband and father. Given to just any actor, this role would not have succeeded in being more than a sketch, yet Rudy Youngblood is able to breathe life into his character through the force of his facial reactions. He is handsome and has a commanding presence, allowing the audience to find his character likable despite not knowing a whole lot about him. As Jaguar Paw's main enemy, Raoul Trujillo is the frightening Zero Wolf, who will stop at nothing to make sure the young warrior dies a gruesome death. Trujillo doesn't have much to do other than scowl at the camera with a face full of paint and piercings, but he does so effectively. Delia Hernandez plays Seven, the pretty wife of Jaguar Paw, and she succeeds at becoming a highly likable character through her interaction with the young boy who plays her son. Their moments together feel genuinely sweet and maternal.
This film is visually stunning, as are all of Gibson's films. He has such an cinematic eye that you could watch one of his films a dozen times and still find new things on the screen to marvel at. The location, the costumes, the vivid colours and the realistic feel of the Mayan civilization is a feast for the eyes. If this film doesn't win a cinematography Oscar this year, than I can't think of another one that would be anywhere near as deserving. The film is also violent, probably moreso than his past films. Do you want to see a heart torn out of a man's chest? Or a man's head smashed against rocks? Or someones face ripped off by a leopard? Gibson doesn't not shy away from the grotesque, instead finding it necessary and even essential to the story he's trying to tell. I don't have weak stomache, so I could handle all of the gore. In fact I found most of it relevant to the frightening time period of this ancient world. It just goes to prove that, no matter the time period, brutal violence always existed in every culture, only the methods have changed over time. We no longer cut out our enemies hearts and eat them, instead we shoot them or have them thrown in jail. We cannot call the ancient Mayan's "savages" when in fact we are just as bad in our treatment of others, albeit in a different manner.
My only issue with the film is the lack of character development, as I mentioned earlier. Gibson also lacked this in "The Passion of the Christ" where he tended to focus more on the story and the violence without creating the personalities of the people onscreen. Had he given a bit more screentime to Jaguar Paw and his family before the massacre of their village, it may have proved beneficial.
But, overall I found the film highly engrossing and edge-of-your-seat thrilling. It's a unique action film as it does not feature guns or car chases. Instead it portrays the courage of one man to return to his family with death hanging right over his shoulder. I dare anyone to find a more exhilerating chase scene in a film this year than the one where Jaguar Paw, alone in the wild, must outwit six enemy attackers on his own.
I highly recommend this film! You will be entertained.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (out of five)
APOCALYPTO
Directed by: Mel Gibson
Starring: Rudy Youngblood, Delia Hernandez and Raoul Trujillo
Forget acting, Mel Gibson should really stick to directing, as it seems to be his real gift. He made one of my all-time favourite films ("Braveheart") and continues to make quality movies. He never promises historical accuracy, which is not usually what an audience asks for anyway. As a history major at university who specializes in British history, I spotted many errors of truth in "Braveheart", yet it never bothered me as it was clearly not Gibson's intention to make a documentary on William Wallace. Therefore, going into his new film "Apocalypto", I was not looking for the truth behind the fall of the ancient Mayan civilization. I was there purely as a film fan seeking a form of escape.
The plot is simple enough as it focuses on a Mayan tribe and the horror the people went through at the hands of a rival tribe, seeking captives to sacrifice to their gods. At the centre of it all is Jaguar Paw, a powerful young man who single-handedly takes out his enemies and escapes their pursuit as he struggles to get back to the cave where he hid his pregnant wife and young son while their village was being attacked.
With only a few lines of dialogue, actor Rudy Youngblood, who plays Jaguar Paw, must rely on his presence and facial expressions to convey the emotions he's going through. The role is underwritten. As an audience we are expected to root for this young Mayan warrior without knowing much about him other than he is a young, loyal husband and father. Given to just any actor, this role would not have succeeded in being more than a sketch, yet Rudy Youngblood is able to breathe life into his character through the force of his facial reactions. He is handsome and has a commanding presence, allowing the audience to find his character likable despite not knowing a whole lot about him. As Jaguar Paw's main enemy, Raoul Trujillo is the frightening Zero Wolf, who will stop at nothing to make sure the young warrior dies a gruesome death. Trujillo doesn't have much to do other than scowl at the camera with a face full of paint and piercings, but he does so effectively. Delia Hernandez plays Seven, the pretty wife of Jaguar Paw, and she succeeds at becoming a highly likable character through her interaction with the young boy who plays her son. Their moments together feel genuinely sweet and maternal.
This film is visually stunning, as are all of Gibson's films. He has such an cinematic eye that you could watch one of his films a dozen times and still find new things on the screen to marvel at. The location, the costumes, the vivid colours and the realistic feel of the Mayan civilization is a feast for the eyes. If this film doesn't win a cinematography Oscar this year, than I can't think of another one that would be anywhere near as deserving. The film is also violent, probably moreso than his past films. Do you want to see a heart torn out of a man's chest? Or a man's head smashed against rocks? Or someones face ripped off by a leopard? Gibson doesn't not shy away from the grotesque, instead finding it necessary and even essential to the story he's trying to tell. I don't have weak stomache, so I could handle all of the gore. In fact I found most of it relevant to the frightening time period of this ancient world. It just goes to prove that, no matter the time period, brutal violence always existed in every culture, only the methods have changed over time. We no longer cut out our enemies hearts and eat them, instead we shoot them or have them thrown in jail. We cannot call the ancient Mayan's "savages" when in fact we are just as bad in our treatment of others, albeit in a different manner.
My only issue with the film is the lack of character development, as I mentioned earlier. Gibson also lacked this in "The Passion of the Christ" where he tended to focus more on the story and the violence without creating the personalities of the people onscreen. Had he given a bit more screentime to Jaguar Paw and his family before the massacre of their village, it may have proved beneficial.
But, overall I found the film highly engrossing and edge-of-your-seat thrilling. It's a unique action film as it does not feature guns or car chases. Instead it portrays the courage of one man to return to his family with death hanging right over his shoulder. I dare anyone to find a more exhilerating chase scene in a film this year than the one where Jaguar Paw, alone in the wild, must outwit six enemy attackers on his own.
I highly recommend this film! You will be entertained.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (out of five)