Apocalypto
Director: Mel Gibson
Cast: Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernandez, Jonathan Brewer, Raoul Trujillo, Gerardo Taracena
Prior to its completion there was not a lot known about Mel Gibson's latest movie beyond the fact it was about the fall of the Mayan civilisation and it all the dialogue was in Yucatec, the principle language of the Mayan. Replicating the use of ancient and native languages, as he did with the phenomenally successful The Passion of Christ, is somewhat of a brave move on Gibson's part but one that he again pulls off with aplomb. While many will accuse Gibson of artistic indulgence, or worse sins, it is his drive for authenticity that motivates his decision. Despite winning multiple Oscars for Braveheart Gibson received a lot of flak for its historical inaccuracies in the name of making a good film. With so little known about the fall of the Mayans Apocalypto isn't likely to attract so much fervent criticism. Also, it is not really so much a film about the fall of a civilisation, but the survival of one man and his family.
Jaguar Paw is a hunter with a jungle tribe in what is now the Yucatan area of Mexico. As the film opens we follow him and other hunters from the village as they capture a wild boar, before returning to their idyllic village life. Gibson adds a lot of humour into these opening scenes, usually at the expense of Blunted, another member of the hunting party. But this frivolity is a marked contrast for what ensues, as the village is attacked and those who aren't killed are captured. Jaguar Paw manages to hide his pregnant wife and child before he is captured, but this leaves them alone and vulnerable. The men and women of the village are then taken to one of the Mayan cities, painstakingly recreated by Gibson's production team, to be sold into slavery or sacrificed to appease the gods for the drought and disease that is ravaging the country. When Jaguar Paw manages to escape, he is pursued by his captors as he desperately tries to return to his family. And this is where the movie comes into its own.
The themes of decadence, political power struggles and religious fanatacism that herald the demise of the Mayan civilisation, and others that have come before and after, do serve as a timely warning to Western civilisation, but it is not the driving force behind the film.
What at first appears to be an anthropological historical drama is really just a basic chase movie. From its gentle, humorous beginning through a dramatic and often brutal second act it climaxes with an incredibly energetic and thrilling chase through the jungle as Jaguar Paw races home on foot while systematically killing off his pursuers. Fantastic handheld camerawork further enhances the intensity, while the drama is heightened, for the audience, as the movie cuts to shots of Jaguar Paw's family in peril. It may be clichéd but adrenaline rush is an apt description. The sheer athleticism of lead actor Rudy Youngblood is something to behold as he sprints through the jungle and overcomes both human and non-human obstacles. The whole cast, made up of native Americans from all over the continent, do a very convincing job of both the action and the dialogue.
As a director, this is possibly Gibson's least controversial and therefore most accessible film to date. It has the spectacle and action of classics like Ben Hur, but in a simple and engaging story, shot with stunning and intimate cinematography. The subtitled Yucatec dialogue is minimal and does present any more problems for the viewer than watching any other foreign language film. It should be pointed out that the dialogue was originally written in English and then translated, so the subtitles are what the writers wanted to say and any deviations will be in the spoken word.
This is independent cinema made with passion and big budgets. There is no doubting Gibson's ability as a director, or his attention to detail in the design if not historical accuracy, so if you didn't fancy The Passion of Christ then go and see this one. It also makes a great companion film for Darren Aranofsky's The Fountain, which is released later in January.
Apocalypto opens on January 5 2007.
Visit the official web site.
Watch the trailer
Cast: Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernandez, Jonathan Brewer, Raoul Trujillo, Gerardo Taracena
Prior to its completion there was not a lot known about Mel Gibson's latest movie beyond the fact it was about the fall of the Mayan civilisation and it all the dialogue was in Yucatec, the principle language of the Mayan. Replicating the use of ancient and native languages, as he did with the phenomenally successful The Passion of Christ, is somewhat of a brave move on Gibson's part but one that he again pulls off with aplomb. While many will accuse Gibson of artistic indulgence, or worse sins, it is his drive for authenticity that motivates his decision. Despite winning multiple Oscars for Braveheart Gibson received a lot of flak for its historical inaccuracies in the name of making a good film. With so little known about the fall of the Mayans Apocalypto isn't likely to attract so much fervent criticism. Also, it is not really so much a film about the fall of a civilisation, but the survival of one man and his family.
Jaguar Paw is a hunter with a jungle tribe in what is now the Yucatan area of Mexico. As the film opens we follow him and other hunters from the village as they capture a wild boar, before returning to their idyllic village life. Gibson adds a lot of humour into these opening scenes, usually at the expense of Blunted, another member of the hunting party. But this frivolity is a marked contrast for what ensues, as the village is attacked and those who aren't killed are captured. Jaguar Paw manages to hide his pregnant wife and child before he is captured, but this leaves them alone and vulnerable. The men and women of the village are then taken to one of the Mayan cities, painstakingly recreated by Gibson's production team, to be sold into slavery or sacrificed to appease the gods for the drought and disease that is ravaging the country. When Jaguar Paw manages to escape, he is pursued by his captors as he desperately tries to return to his family. And this is where the movie comes into its own.
The themes of decadence, political power struggles and religious fanatacism that herald the demise of the Mayan civilisation, and others that have come before and after, do serve as a timely warning to Western civilisation, but it is not the driving force behind the film.
What at first appears to be an anthropological historical drama is really just a basic chase movie. From its gentle, humorous beginning through a dramatic and often brutal second act it climaxes with an incredibly energetic and thrilling chase through the jungle as Jaguar Paw races home on foot while systematically killing off his pursuers. Fantastic handheld camerawork further enhances the intensity, while the drama is heightened, for the audience, as the movie cuts to shots of Jaguar Paw's family in peril. It may be clichéd but adrenaline rush is an apt description. The sheer athleticism of lead actor Rudy Youngblood is something to behold as he sprints through the jungle and overcomes both human and non-human obstacles. The whole cast, made up of native Americans from all over the continent, do a very convincing job of both the action and the dialogue.
As a director, this is possibly Gibson's least controversial and therefore most accessible film to date. It has the spectacle and action of classics like Ben Hur, but in a simple and engaging story, shot with stunning and intimate cinematography. The subtitled Yucatec dialogue is minimal and does present any more problems for the viewer than watching any other foreign language film. It should be pointed out that the dialogue was originally written in English and then translated, so the subtitles are what the writers wanted to say and any deviations will be in the spoken word.
This is independent cinema made with passion and big budgets. There is no doubting Gibson's ability as a director, or his attention to detail in the design if not historical accuracy, so if you didn't fancy The Passion of Christ then go and see this one. It also makes a great companion film for Darren Aranofsky's The Fountain, which is released later in January.
Apocalypto opens on January 5 2007.
Visit the official web site.
Watch the trailer
posted by Chris Patmore at 2:24 PM
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