Apocalypto

Highly recommended. It's just unbelievable that Apocalypto didn't win a single Academy Award. This movie is so refreshing, original and realistic. For the first time we have a chance to see how the natives of the Americas lived before the Spaniards came. Realistic on every aspect, what a photography, the beautiful natural sceneries and all the details: the wall drawings, the clothes, the use of Jade, the Mayan City. And the set was built just for the movie, it's impressive that Gibson chose not to use computer generated FX!. The "behind the scenes" bonus included in the DVD explains in rich details the hard work required to recreate the Mayan World so faithfully. More authenticity to the movie is given by the use of Yucatec Maya language, still spoken by Mayan descendants in Southern Mexico and Guatemala.Though a little bit exaggerated in the amount of human sacrifices, it was good to have a more realistic idea of how the Mesoamerican natives lived, specially when some modern revisionist have been trying to make us believe that all natives were just some peaceful environmentalists, living in harmony with nature, the famous myth of the noble savage. This movie produces the same reality shock as "Saving Private Ryan" gave us regarding the savage killings on both sides at WWII. So, for me the dose of violence was justified to crack this myth.Obviously a fiction story was required against this realistic historical background (such as in "The Titanic"), but to set the record straight, at least a couple of historical inaccuracies need to be clarified, as well as an astronomical glitch, just to remember that this film is not a history class despite its realism.(1) The Mayan civilization was over before the Spaniards came to America, so the end of the film was just a historical inaccuracy necessary to give closure to the film. The classic Mayan period shown in the movie ended almost 600 years before the Spaniards came to America. The reasons for the decline of this civilization are not well known, but the movie gave us some clues (such as deforestation, hunger and illnesses). By the way, this was a nice way to raise environmental awareness without words.(2) The massive human sacrifices depicted in the movie actually resemble a practice more common of the Aztecs (Central México), rather than Mayan (they did, but not in the "industrial" scale presented in the movie). The sun god Kukulkan did not demand human sacrifice, as presented in the movie.(3) The astronomical glitch has to do with the total eclipse of the sun. Not only an eclipse actually takes much longer to occur (a license acceptable for a time-constrained movie), but also a total eclipse only happens during a new moon (when the moon is invisible to us because the sun is behind, illuminating the dark side of the moon). Therefore, Jaguar Paw's wife could have never been under full moon later on the same day.And finally for those who really enjoy the movie and became interested in our ancient roots, such ruins of a Mayan city do exist. Visit Tikal, the largest existing ruins of a city from the Maya civilization. Plan a nice vacation to Guatemala and flight to Flores, in the Department of El Petén. The Tikal pyramids are located in the middle of a tropical rainforest. Quite a spectacle. If you like Tikal, then Teotihuacan (México) and Machu Pichu (Perú) will be your next stops.

Great movie glad it arrived unbroken and unscratched

A superb movie by Mel Gibson.

First time I've ever left a review, and could simply say DITTO to many of the previous comments left here, but just had to put in my own two cents - because this film is so amazing! Just got around to viewing it last night and how I wish I'd seen it on the Big Screen! But that aside, Mel is a man I've admired and kept in sight since Mad Max and with many of his subsequent directorial projects has proven to put Hollywood to shame. We need filmmakers like him to remind us of the power of images/stories and the emotions and new thought they can inspire in us, that we need not just be moderately entertained or suckered into theatres by previews that end up being a collage of the few best moments. THIS FILM is a work of art and a labor of love, shared by so many from Mel to cinematographers to costumers to weapons designers to actors to editors! It IS mesmerizing from beginning to end. You quickly come to truly care about Jaguar Paw and his people, and share their horror and disbelief at the level of debasement brought by those who attack and overwhelm them. Survival of the 'fittest'? Yet, who among us can altogether avoid the violence of this world? I saw an analogy for today - there's a big difference between aggressive power (which consumes the souls of the aggressors as well) and defense of one's family and way of life. Mel has explored this theme before but it bears repeating - WHAT are you willing to fight (and possibly die) FOR? If 'Hollywood' had made this film, it would have ended with Jaguar Paw (and his pregnant wife and small son) the losers - obliterated and unmourned - the 'obligatory' ending; but instead we are left - not with the Happy Ever After ending - but the realism that they must go on and face yet another possible wave of destroyers. Don't get me wrong, I don't buy into the 'Noble Savage' myth; progress has its good among its bad. This film will have you thinking long afterwards about WHAT and WHO SHOULD survive to live another day.Enrich your mind and your spirit (and choose which side you will take), and see this film!

I heard Joe and Mel talking about this film in the podcast. I had to watch it.