Review

Review Date: 11-December-06
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy

Apocalypto (2006)

I almost dreaded "Apocalypto" because the trailer suggested something bizarre and I'm not a fan of Mel Gibson (since even before the drunken rant). As a rule I enjoy contemplating bygone cultures, but this flick looked decidedly arcane and possibly didactic. Imagine my happy surprise when I discovered that "Apocalypto" is a traditional action movie in which history and culture aren't the meat but the seasoning. Gibson offers things to think about, to be sure, but above all he has made an absorbing adventure.

Movies in the Mayan language like this are few and far between, but the setup of "Apocalypto" is classic and instantly accessible. (The dialogue is subtitled.) The endearing hero is a young man named Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) who enjoys a life of hunting and raising a family in the days before Europeans arrived in the New World. He appears on track to succeed his father (Morris Birdyellowhead) as tribal chief, but his future takes a sudden turn when his village is attacked and destroyed by unknown warriors. Jaguar Paw manages to hide his son and pregnant wife (Dalia Hernandez) down a well before being taken captive. Then, along with the tribe's lovable galoot (Jonathan Brewer) and other survivors, he begins a forced march away from home towards an uncertain and terrifying future.

On top of leaving his family to possible death while staring down his own, Jaguar Paw's spirit is challenged by the ruthlessness of his captors, including a petulant sadist (Rodolfo Palacios) and his coolly efficient leader (Raoul Trujillo). Following the trusted formula for all good-guy/bad-guy smackdowns, the hero develops a special animosity with these men, particularly after he avoids his intended fate as a human sacrifice. With the gods apparently on his side, he escapes the vile city that must represent his worst nightmare and returns to the forest with the baddies on his heels. He then grapples with wounds, wild animals, and that ever-present enemy, fear, to make it home and save his family. (Meanwhile, his doughty missus is taking care of business as best she can.)

At the beginning, middle, and end of the picture Gibson dangles the notion that a society ready to fall is a decadent and superstitious one, which allows him to indulge his appetite for public torture scenes. But he doesn't devote enough time to philosophizing to have a full-blown thesis. "Apocalypto" is primarily about the yearnings that define a person in any time or place: the desire for home, security, and dignity, as well as the love of a satisfying tale. Viewers may or may not be inspired to learn about the Mayans or the decline of civilizations after they watch this, but they will almost certainly be entertained.

Copyright © 2006 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.