Apocalypto - brilliant stuff!

Apocalypto is the kind of movie you want to watch when it is your birthday and you are feeling low. It is the kind of movie that captures your senses and transports you to a different age, a different era. If movies were ever a means of escape from the drudgery of daily existence, then this is it.

When I stepped into the movie hall the other day, I did so with trepidation; with a wariness caused by a "300" hangover. That movie was such a big let down. After months of anticipation one doesn't go to the theater to realize that all the best parts of the movie ended in the trailer itself. The movie though graphically brilliant, failed to touch its viewers. True to its word, it was an authentic adaptation of a comic book - something to be watched over the weekend and disposed till the next issue comes along. My take is that the script was too processed. Come on, it's an adaptation of a comic book that was based on a work derived from legend! The director took his adaptation to comic book funda too seriously and ended up missing the wood for the trees (sic).

On the other hand, Apocalypto is sheer art. Art of the guttural, brutal and unapologetic kind. The movie is a multi-layered master piece that excels in every aspect of movie making. At one level it is a typical underdog story of the struggle of a free willed Mayan to survive against the odds, at the grander level it is an epic tale that depicts the decay of a 1000 year old civilization. It narrates the universal themes of hubris, exploitation and corruption that have weakened the soul of every great society that man kind has built, right from the Mayans, to the Aryans, the Romans and as some would say, the modern day Americans.

Artistically the movie is top notch. The vivid colors, Mayan art, the pyramids, the recreation of the Mayan lifestyle are all stunning. Like in his previous movie, Passion of the Christ, here too Mel Gibson's treatment of the subject is gritty and brutal. There's no room for candy floss and the story is told in your face in an unapologetic manner. For those who can stomach such gore, the blatant violence of the narrative adds to the believability of the story and its setting.

The whole idea of making the movie in Spanish and using sub titles works brilliantly. The dialogue is obviously customized to suit this style of movie making, but nevertheless, it works well, adding a touch of extra authenticity to the proceedings. In conclusion, what really makes the movie special is its message. Weeks, months and years after you've watched this movie, its message will keep returning to you whenever you bear witness to societies involved in self-destruction.


Quotes from the movie

"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." - W. Durant

"I am Jaguaur Paw, I am a hunter. I hunt this forest. I hunted this forest with my father and he did so with his father. My son and his sons, shall hunt here after I am gone. I am Jaguar Paw and I know no fear."