As he says in the film's PR, "any of the things that happened right before the fall of the Mayan civilization are occurring in our society now." (I can already hear the pro-life crowd comparing abortion to blood offerings atop the Temple of the Sun.) And lurking behind the foliage, along with the tree frogs and the snakes, is the history lesson Gibson wants to teach. But in the ways that count, Apocalypto is told from a European, rather than a native, point of view.īecause, see, Gibson wants to make something more than a mere actioner. Much has been made of the movie's largely native cast, and the fact that its dialogue is in Yucatec Maya (with subtitles). As a result, Mayan culture seems befuddling both to Jaguar Paw and to us. Throughout Jaguar Paw's odyssey, Gibson's camera jumps from mystifying barbarism to mystifying barbarism, playing up the alien aspect of each. And along the way, they will see the cruelties of empire: deforested jungle, emaciated slaves, and of course the money shot of a Mesoamerican history flick: the bloody sacrificial rite, complete with still-beating hearts and heads bouncing down the stairs. It's perhaps hard to believe they'd be ignorant of their own centuries-old cultural practices, but their dawning horror does add dramatic tension. The captured villagers, meanwhile, only gradually realize where they're headed. And though the action relies way too much on lucky breaks, I'll let that slide in exchange for the movie's breathless pacing, and its lush depictions of the Mexican landscape. Jaguar Paw's attempt to escape Zero Wolf is fraught and taut.
#APOCALYPTO SEQUEL HOW TO#
It's about as subtle as a blowjob joke made in the film's exposition.īut I'll say this for Gibson, who directed, produced and co-wrote: He knows how to stage a chase. One of Gibson's camera angles is from the POV of a severed head. Paw have benefited nicely from ancient Mayan dentistry.) As wife and child tremblingly await his return, Jaguar Paw and the other villagers are herded toward a grim fate under the cruel eye of their captor, Zero Wolf (Raoul Trujillo).įair warning: Gibson hasn't lost the subtle touch that brought us Passion of the Christ: You'll see a jaguar tear open a human face, and blood spurt from a head wound like water from a balky faucet. (It's obvious whom we're supposed to root for: Mr. Butchery ensues, but Jaguar Paw hides his pregnant-to-bursting wife (Dalia Hernandez) and son under considerable duress. Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) is taken captive by marauding Mayan warriors, who raze his peaceful village. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.On its face, Apocalypto is a classic chase film, set in Central America at the onset of the European conquest. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Potential SPOILERS for the following films:Ĭopyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. MUSIC: "Together We Will Live Forever" by Clint Mansell My deepest thanks to everyone for the praise and support on the first video! So once again, what can we learn from examining the first and final frames of a film?
The side-by-side comparison can communicate an entire story, but also allows us to develop new theories about a given film. Like the first video, some of the opening shots are strikingly similar to the final shots, while others are vastly different-both serving a purpose in communicating various themes. Part II plays the opening and closing shots of 70 films side-by-side. After numerous requests, I finally decided to create a sequel to "First and Final Frames".
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