Apocalypto

[oddfellow4870]

It was a real pleasure to watch a movie with no political or symbolic connection to American issues. Western Europeans do not even make an appearence until the end of the film.

This film has been described as a film which illustrates the fall of the Mayan civilization, but the scope is much more micro than macro, following the tragedy of one small tribe of natives being wiped out by another and the heroics of one Mayan man who saves his family.

Tons of gore and misery, but once you see who the hero is, much of what occurs is fairly predictable.

I would rate this film as a few notches below "The Departed" which was the film of the year from the ones I havs seen this year.

The positives include: no stars, great acting and production values.

8/10

 

[Aegis911]

Screw him - he's prejudiced and so is his father. All of the crap he went through following his arrest was just for PR so people will see his movies and provide him with an income.
He's dead as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Ozzy]

You gotta love the way the movie was marketed as MEL GIBSON'S Apocalypto....


Guess they weren't too concerned about attaching Mels name to something so soon after his DWI and bigoted comments.

They said OJ's "how to" book based on pre sale orders was destined to be a best seller.

And apparently Seinfeld DVD's flew off the shelves in the days after the Michael Richards rant.


Just goes to show that the US buying public will support anyone no matter how heinous a scumbag they are.

 

[vermeer]

Its the christ killers who controll the liquor business that are behind mel's problems. is it any coincidenece that the bronfmans who controll segram liquor (mel's favorite) are also in charge of the world zionist conspiracy?

 

[Monk]

It was a real pleasure to watch a movie with no political or symbolic connection to American issues. Western Europeans do not even make an appearence until the end of the film.

I haven't seen the film, but from what I've read about it, didn't you miss the point? Isn't it meant to be a metaphor for the fall of Western civilization? The encroachment on traditional, conservative, righteous values? A warning of the potential coming apocalypse in the 21st Century seen through Gibson's world view which is informed by a particularly right-wing Christian philosophy?

 

[Ozzy]

Its the christ killers who controll the liquor business that are behind mel's problems. is it any coincidenece that the bronfmans who controll segram liquor (mel's favorite) are also in charge of the world zionist conspiracy?

Now if those Christ killers controlled the malt liquor business.... I'd say you might have a good conspiracy going. Keeping the bigots and the black man liquored up so the hebs can conquer the world. I bet there's a few bigoted schmucks on this board you could sell that to.

 

[charlie tuna]

very good movie- thumbs up

 

[paulbunyon]

I bet there's a few bigoted schmucks on this board you could sell that to.

Hahaha.....sad to say Ozzy but so true.

 

[oddfellow4870]

I haven't seen the film, but from what I've read about it, didn't you miss the point? Isn't it meant to be a metaphor for the fall of Western civilization? The encroachment on traditional, conservative, righteous values? A warning of the potential coming apocalypse in the 21st Century seen through Gibson's world view which is informed by a particularly right-wing Christian philosophy?

Metaphor? Ha ha ha .... You were kidding right? This film is loaded with, at first, everyday images (at least for them) of Mayan life at a tribal level: rights of passage, friendly competition, practical jokes, fathers passing values down to their children, sex as a tribal and shared commodity. Then the destruction of that life by another, migrational and ambitious tribe. While there is an implication that Mayan civilization will be destroyed by the arrival of the Western Europeans, it is only suggested.

Sorry, but you'd have to be pretty disconnected from the rapid pace and disturbing imagery to be musing about imaginary metaphors. This was a fairly standard Mel Gibson film, albeit in a VERY foreign setting, which is its strength.