How accurate is the movie Apocalypto?

I have not seen it. I hope it doesn't portray the Mayans as "blood thirsty savages" I heard it is pretty violent.

The wardrobe and set does look amazing though.

Has anyone seen it yet?

Beautiful movie. Please judge for yourself. It reveals nothing that leave a sour taste in your mouth. From what I heard the director (gibson) meticulously researched this time piece. From my seat I saw an amazing story of persverence in the name of destiny. It cast a counter-productive light on modernization that resonates perfectly.

If you are strictly going to watch it for visuals then you will be extremely impressed. One of my favorite movies in recent memory.

Check it out.

AAC

Check out my comments in the BelowTopSecret's Movie section. I was wondering if my comments would have had more replys if it were in the Ancient & Lost Civilizations forum here at ATS. I thought the discussion had to stay in BTS because it's about a movie. Anyway here's a link to my comments:


Replica of the ruins of Tikal?

www.archaeology.org...

What I saw was much worse than this. The thrill of hearing melodic Yucatec Maya spoken by familiar faces (although the five lead actors are not Yucatec Maya but other talented Native American actors) during the first ten minutes of the movie is swiftly and brutally replaced with stomach churning panic at the graphic Maya-on-Maya violence depicted in a village raid scene of nearly 15 minutes. From then on the entire movie never ceases to utilize every possible excuse to depict more violence. It is unrelenting. Our hero, Jaguar Paw, played by the charismatic Cree actor Rudy Youngblood, has one hellavuh bad couple of days. Captured for sacrifice, forced to march to the putrid city nearby, he endures every tropical jungle attack conceivable and that is after he escapes the relentless brutality of the elites. I am told this part of the movie is completely derivative of the 1966 film "The Naked Prey." Pure action flick, with one ridiculous encounter after another, filmed beautifully in the way that only Hollywood blockbusters can afford, this is the part of the movie that will draw in audiences and demonstrates Gibson's skill as a cinematic storyteller.

But I find the visual appeal of the film one of the most disturbing aspects of "Apocalypto." The jungles of Veracruz and Costa Rica have never looked better, the masked priests on the temple jump right off a Classic Maya vase, and the people are gorgeous. The fact that this film was made in Mexico and filmed in the Yucatec Maya language coupled with its visual appeal makes it all the more dangerous. It looks authentic; viewers will be captivated by the crazy, exotic mess of the city and the howler monkeys in the jungle. And who really cares that the Maya were not living in cities when the Spanish arrived? Yes, Gibson includes the arrival of clearly Christian missionaries (these guys are too clean to be conquistadors) in the last five minutes of the story (in the real world the Spanish arrived 300 years after the last Maya city was abandoned). It is one of the few calm moments in an otherwise aggressively paced film. The message? The end is near and the savior has come. Gibson's efforts at authenticity of location and language might, for some viewers, mask his blatantly colonial message that the Maya needed saving because they were rotten at the core. Using the decline of Classic urbanism as his backdrop, Gibson communicates that there was absolutely nothing redeemable about Maya culture, especially elite culture which is depicted as a disgusting feast of blood and excess.

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Replaced 'Quote" with 'ex' tags

[edit on 13/12/06 by masqua]

Originally posted by Marduk
www.archaeology.org...

The message? The end is near and the savior has come. Gibson's efforts at authenticity of location and language might, for some viewers, mask his blatantly colonial message that the Maya needed saving because they were rotten at the core. Using the decline of Classic urbanism as his backdrop, Gibson communicates that there was absolutely nothing redeemable about Maya culture, especially elite culture which is depicted as a disgusting feast of blood and excess.

This illustrates exactly what I suspected this film was about.

Another bit of disinformation portraying the good Christian conquistadors as saviours of the evil pagan cultures.

Once bitten (The Passion), twice shy...

I'll not watch this movie because Mel has an agenda to re-write history in order to promote his religious tendencies.

(...) Maya... The Maya are responsible for all the wars in the world." Gibson then asked the deputy, "Are you a Maya?"

Mel Gibson as quoted from a traffic stop that hasn't happened yet
but will



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[edit on 14/12/06 by masqua]

Have any of you watch the film or just happy to bash? Most of what you're saying isn't true. I watch the film and didn't fell that way at all. You just read an artical from some other Gibson hater and swallow that up. Give the rest of the rational world a break and think for yourselves. Disinformation..? All they showed was a boat coming at the end. You all are reading far into it, the wrong direction. It has a peaceful ending with beautiful connotations. From someone who 1). Doen't care about Mel Gibson 2). Watch the movie himself. My interpretation of his message was that modernization is really the downfall of humanity. Which I firmly agree,

AAC

much as i respect your opinion the analysis of the film that I previously posted was from Traci Ardren

Traci Ardren is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Miami, knows the Maya well. She has studied Classic Maya society for over 20 years while living in the modern Maya villages of Yaxuna, Chunchucmil, and Espita in the Mexican state of Yucatan. Her credentials include contributing to and editing Ancient Maya Women (2002) and The Social Experience of Childhood in Ancient Mesoamerica (2006).

so she knows what shes talking about and she went to an advance screening so chances are she saw it before you did

the fact that you accuse others of being Gibson haters is untrue
I love Mel Gibson, I've seen almost every movie he's ever been in and loved them all
but his politics leave a lot to be desired
but then imo politics itself leaves a lot to be desired no matter who's version of it you're contemplating.

what happened to movies that were designed to entertain
I like those ones the best

As far as im concerned the movie is totally inaccurate but my history is ruff lol, but ive always been taught that the Mayan Empire was before the Aztec Empire AND that the Mayans civilization basically disapeared while the Aztec civilization was destroyed by the people from the sea being the (spanish).

Even if the movie was inaccurate I still suggest going to see it because it gives you a good way to visualize what life actually could of been like for the Aztec empire as far as the sacrafices, and ways of life its visually stunning and a great movie to watch.

The movie was as accurate as Mel Gibson wanted it to be......meaning not very much.

Remember the movie Braveheart, with good ol' Mel playing the role of William Wallace? He left out the parts of how much Wallace enjoyed skinning his captives alive, How he wore the skin of his victims as a belt and how he lined the roads that lead to villages he conquered with the men, women and children of the village that he slaughtered.

Gibson never lets the facts get in the way of a good story.

Been Spanish I have to learn the history of our ancestors before the conquistadors.

The Mayan civilization, along with the Aztec and Incas were very advance and at one time very prosperous.

Like any other ancient civilization in the world they did what they did because their believes and their survival.

Yes they were bloody but no more bloody that any other middle eastern or northern Europe ancient tribes or civilizations.

But one thing that it has to be taken into consideration is that in the name of looking for richest, gold and the spreading of the Christian god, the conquistadors where more bloodier and cruel than the heathens that they thought they were converting for their glory and greed.

No, I have not seen the movie and I will be happy to wait until is on DVD.

If any one wants to know for themselves how the ancient civilizations of the new world were is plenty of good historical information in the net.

They movie is nothing more than that. . . a movie to make money.

Growing in a Latin American Country I found it somewhat accurate but I expected worse....I heard tales from my elders (grandpa & grandma) where the priest will pierce his own member (penis) and then after cutting a piece of his own sacred skin, he will then continue with the ritual... I don't know how true this was........So judgement is left to the person reading/searching this.

Links:
en.wikipedia.org...
"For example, a man would pierce his penis and let the blood drip on some paper. The reason for this is because it symbolized human fertility."

I found backup from wikipedia but since wiki is not an official source nowday i would say Waht I heard from family tales is more accurate...

Originally posted by Marduk
(...) Maya... The Maya are responsible for all the wars in the world." Gibson then asked the deputy, "Are you a Maya?"

Mel Gibson as quoted from a traffic stop that hasn't happened yet
but will

another view

www.youtube.com...

from what i have heard from various sites in the blogsphere to general newspaper reviews, the film is not something that i would not want to see, especially as someone who has studied and respected the mayan culture ever since i did an innocent schoolboy report on them in the 4th grade.

of course, this is also coming from someone who would much rather see a fantastical romp such as the science of sleep than any sort of historical drama at all.

i enjoyed the movie...
from what ive heard of how things used to be back then it seemed pretty will covered in the movie..
it wasent no bloodfest er anything
i def. enjoyed it tho

A better movie idea for Apocalypto. Read my comments in BTS.

www.belowtopsecret.com...