Apocalypto (2006) Reviews

• Pure exploration of primal fear. Brutal chase/survival flick.

  Fella_shibby2016-08-28

  I was lucky to see this film in a theatre in 2006. What an experience man. Went into without watching the trailer or reading any reviews. This is one of the best survival films ever made. Everything is good bah this flick. An awesome visual treat. The best adventure story with a lot of brutal action. An adrenaline filled chase movie. The last 45 minutes beats all parkour n survival films put together. Thank you Mad Gibson for a wonderful cinematic experience. Its a masterpiece. This movie held me on the edge of my seat from its beginning til the end credits. The waterfall sequence is just breathtaking. It beats the scene from Predator n US Marshals. Those cameramen really deserves credit for the chase scenes. The movie has an amazing n breathtaking visuals and landscapes.

• A rare cinematic treat, a film that takes us to another world

  ThreeSadTigers2008-07-11

  Without wishing to fall into the trap of critical hyperbole, I can honestly say that this is the most original and impressive American film that I've seen this decade, more so than the highly acclaimed likes of The Departed (2006) or No Country for Old Men (2007). Whatever problems you might have with Gibson, from his personal politics to his previous work, there is no denying the determination of his vision, or the sheer sense of daring and imagination in attempting to pull off a project of this size and pitch; taking elements of an already well-documented real life civilisation and abstracting it for the purposes of dramatic tension, to create a once-in-a-lifetime cinematic experience that genuinely takes us to a world that we've never before experienced on film. In my opinion, it is the very essence of cinema; developing a story and reducing it to the most simple and iconic of images, placing the emphasis on family and a race for survival, and all captured with a skillful combination of design, editing, music, performance, choreography, photography and character. Admittedly, you could always argue that the narrative is secondary to the atmosphere that Gibson and his crew so skilfully create, and yet, it is no less affecting or exciting as we come to know and respect these characters through the film's rich and amusing opening sequences - filled with a great sense of character and warmth - as well as a fairly pointed visual metaphor in the killing of an animal that will come to prefigure the subsequent actions of the final film. To counter some of the criticisms levelled against Gibson by historians and scholars alike, it is worth taking into consideration the subtle way in which the director plays with the notions of myths and legends; creating a heightened atmosphere of continual stylisation that stresses the influence of a film like Apocalypse Now (1979) or Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972), with the fevered madness of the jungle giving way to an unforgettable depiction of the Maya civilisation as an infernal hell on earth. The film can also be read as a story-within-a-story construct, in which the film we see becomes an extension of the folktales being told by the tribe's elder as the men sit quietly around the campfire in the scenes directly preceding the carnage. If we think about this particular interpretation, we can see the that the film is working on a level of fantasy, in which the more recognisable themes of the film create a parable related very much to the idea of becoming a man; illustrated by the journey that our central protagonist Jaguar Paw undertakes in order to prove himself to his wife and young family. More fascinating than even that, however, is the notion of the film as a prolonged nightmare; with the scene of the initial massacre beginning immediately after Jaguar Paw awakes from a particularly frightening dream, rife with subtle allusions and a sub-textual foreshadowing to certain themes further developed throughout the rest of the film. For me, this interpretation makes a great deal of sense, with the opening sequences laying the foundation for Jaguar Paw's dream - as we are introduced to the ideas of family, loyalty, honour, death, fear and survival - and all represented by the image of the neighbouring villagers fleeing their homes and moving through the jungle as if escaping some foreboding evil; perhaps a foreshadowing to the plague subtext that will appear later? Regardless, the prolonged journey that our heroes take from their own village to the bustling metropolitan world of the Mayan civilisation, with their temples and sacrifices - and the staggering use of music, movement, sound and colour - all mark this out as one of the most richly fascinating and genuinely otherworldly experiences that I can currently recall in a contemporary film. Gibson's direction is faultless here; extending on the visual landscape and hyper-real approach to time and presentation that was developed in his previous film, the flawed though no less memorable The Passion of the Christ (2004), and continuing the idea of developing and exploring an entirely believable cinematic netherworld with roots in actual, documented fact. Here, the controversial approach to accuracy and truth should be overlooked; after all, the film isn't attempting documentary realism, as anyone who has experienced the film will know. Instead, Gibson creates an adrenaline fuelled thriller that advances on the well-worn codes and conventions of Hollywood survival dramas such as Deliverance (1974) and Southern Comfort (1980), with an added depth created by the choice of characters and the location, and again, the use of the fireside folktales as a sort of implied framing-device. However, regardless of these notions, Apocalypto (2006) is a masterpiece, purely for its visceral impact and creation of a full-formed world that overloads the senses with its vivid, fever-dream-like atmosphere and truly unforgettable design.

• Not Your Typical Mayan Family Drama

  ccrivelli20052007-01-15

  A family drama like no other. Two hours plus that rush at the speed of light. This is cinema. I'm sorry but it is. Don't look for inner meanings. This is the work of one of the greatest artists of our time. Yes, I'm talking about Mel Gibson. And as most of the great artists, he's bound to be controversial, erratic and infuriating sometimes but, thank God he exists. He's always going to surprise us for better or worse in sickness and in health. There are no intellectual under pinnings here. This is an adventure flick that takes us to places we've never been before. It entertains and moves and startles. Masterfully shot at a breathless pace that never, ever, lets go. And then, of course, the acting - if you can call it that. The most remarkable performances by an ensemble cast of unknowns. Gloroious faces that speak louder than words. Well, as you may have guessed. I'm overwhelmed by the experience. Thank you Mel, thank you very much.

• I couldn't believe two hours had gone by that quickly

  socrates992006-12-08

  Having some Mexican-Indian blood in me, I've always been interested in what I could read about the Aztecs and Mayans and others. But never did I achieve as elaborate a vision in my head, try as I might, as Mel Gibson has with the beautiful Apocalypto. Is it accurate? I've more than just strong doubts in at least one case, but like all good fiction, it probably tells more truth, despite its inaccuracies, than a dozen scholarly tomes. The movie is engrossing and, even more difficult, plausible and quite evocative. I would have bet any amount of money that this movie was impossible to make. And though some have complained that the film's ending involves an historical inaccuracy, I think there was more than enough reason to put it in. There's a strong story that reminded me of other Third World folklore I've read, only better. In a lot of ways these people could have been North American Indians, but somehow that's not much of a criticism. And Gibson's recent PR problems only highlighted, for me, how it took an Australian-reared actor to make an exciting film about natives before Columbus. Clearly Hollywood is incapable of even conceiving of such a movie, much less bringing it brilliantly to life. Hollywood has an agenda and very narrow perspectives. It's agenda has no room for illuminating the humanity of non-Westerners, and there's too much relying on the same old set of sensibilities and intuition. I think if Hollywood is up in arms it ought to be because Gibson is making them look inept. But as to this particular subject matter, there's no doubt in my mind that what fascinates most Anglos about the Aztecs and the Maya is the idea of human sacrifice. Gibson depicts the ritual as having an element of frenzy to it, and he may be right, but what is more convincing to me, at least, is his idea of what a village raid must have been like. His point by point reconstruction is pretty compelling, and I'm quite sure he could make some early American military raids on Indian villages so vivid and unforgettable that grown men would cry. I only hope he does, but as to this film, I would have depicted the human sacrifice with a nod toward a notion most Anglos find completely foreign, namely that these people understood that gain often entails pain, and they were willing to pay the price. Was it really so unreasonable that these people thought God might want them to create pain, and not just endure it, to gain His favor given that life entails so much struggle anyway? That willingness to endure pain clearly survives today, not the desire to create it in others, and that's the only point I would have added to this wonderful film.

• The Artist As A Tough/Rough Man

  carlostallman2007-01-16

  One of the roughest, toughest art films I've ever seen. Remarkable, sensational. Non a mean task to put aside all the gossip surrounding the man behind this miracle and look at "Apocalypto" for what it is : a startling piece of art done by one of the most startling artists of our time. But I was able to do exactly that and sit there open mouthed, totally transported to the world Mel Gibson had in store for me. I don't want to get into any spoilers but let me tell you there are, at least, 4 moments - not merely technical but emotional - that are a first for the movies. There is violence in the film yes, but not nearly as much as in "Casino Royale" and definitely more justified. I'll take my wife next time, she stayed home, brainwashed by the avalanche of misinformation claiming it was one of the most violent films ever made. I know my wife well enough to know she will love "Apocalypto"