Apocalypto

by Erik McClanahan

Mel Gibson’s latest historical epic begins with a quote by historical author Will Durant: "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." This immediately sets the dark, atmospheric tone for the film. The story opens in the pristine, lavish green jungle with a thrilling hunt sequence. Members of a small Mayan village in the jungle are chasing down a wild tapir (similar to a wild boar but with an anteater-like snout). The hunters are successful in their catch, and the audience discovers later in the film why Gibson shows us their method of catching the animal.

The opening is quiet and peaceful - before the hunt begins - when the camera tracks into the forest. The preceding quote gives a sense of ominous dread, and it is to Gibson’s credit as a filmmaker that we know this peace will not last. Of course, it doesn’t last, and the film’s central theme of things coming to an end is instantly effective. "Apocalypto," which in Greek means an unveiling and a new beginning, explains everything we need to know about the film.

The story, filmed on location at Catemaco - in one of the last remaining tracts of rainforests left in Mexico and Veracruz - with a cast made up entirely of indigenous peoples from the Americas, takes place on the cusp of the Mayan civilization’s decline. This is not a straight up history lesson by any means. Gibson, along with co-screenwriter Farhad Safinia, has fashioned a brutal, viscerally violent and relatively straightforward action story constructed around its surroundings. Those hoping for a more textbook look into the Mayan people and their end will have to look elsewhere. This is a thrilling film in almost every sense of the word.

The script is fashioned in a classic three-act structure. The beginning introduces us to the protagonist, Jaguar Paw (played with a quiet intensity by newcomer Rudy Youngblood) and his village. The first act is surprisingly funny (I assumed Gibson had dismissed any sense of humor after "The Passion of the Christ") as we see the villagers living in their peaceful world (the aforementioned hunt, eating, discussing sex and attempts at procreation are all shown with an honest, detailed approach to the storytelling).

The second and third acts concern the plight of Jaguar Paw as he races to escape his sacrificial fate and save his pregnant wife and only son. The village is scoured and destroyed as Mayan soldiers capture many of the villagers for sacrifice to please the gods. Jaguar Paw hides his family in a cave before he is captured. In a somber sequence not unlike Gibson’s masterpiece, Braveheart, Jaguar Paw is forced to witness the death of his father by way of throat-slitting (in place of the main character’s wife is the father here). This scene serves the same purpose it did in Braveheart. The protagonist is changed forever and becomes a vengeful, killing machine with all of the audience’s sympathy behind his actions.

The best parts in Apocalypto come from the details (small and large) that Gibson meticulously weaves into the film. Jaguar’s wife tends to her son’s wound by using biting ants as stitches. The construction, and the amazing scale, of the Mayan temples transport the viewer into that time. The sacrifice scenes are as real and harrowing as they should be. No surprise here, but Gibson shows the brutality of the sacrificial deeds as heads (literally) roll and still-beating hearts are ripped out of chests. Apocalypto is more violent than both Braveheart and The Passion. This certainly isn’t a film for the squeamish. I witnessed several couples walk out of the theater at the free sneak preview once the violence kicked in.

The brutal visuals are contrasted by the elegant though. Even as Jaguar Paw runs for his freedom, and the camera pulls back to reveal a sea of disposed dead bodies (in a sequence that harkens back to Gone With the Wind, with dead bodies in place of wounded Civil War soldiers) he soon returns back to the beautiful browns and greens of the jungle. A scene that plays out like a gladiatorial gauntlet for the villagers to run through as they are speared and stabbed with arrows is followed by a terrific chase through a golden cornfield (reminiscent of the cornfield pursuit in Planet of the Apes). The best shots are those that show the vastness of the jungle and a terrific image of a solar eclipse turning the day into night.

While some of the visuals are astounding, Gibson’s decision to use the Panavision Genesis High Definition camera (the same one used for Superman Returns) is the major flaw of the film. The digital photography is beautiful when the camera is still, able to capture all the colors of the forest and onscreen violence. When in motion, or when the actors onscreen make sudden movements, the images look shoddy and shaky. This camera does not capture movements on close up well. This takes away from the historical aspect of the film, instead reminding me of Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later and Michael Mann’s Collateral (two films that utilized digital video to a far better purpose than Gibson does here).

The last half of the film is one big action sequence after another. It is enthralling to see Jaguar Paw use the elements around him to fight off his pursuers: everything from a swarm of bees, a rattlesnake, a jaguar, and a poisonous frog is used. The waterfall sequence is one of the more jaw dropping set pieces in recent memory. The action is suspenseful, and the main character is totally sympathetic to the audience because we want to see him succeed.

Apocalypto is an epic story told with a B-movie action plot. Gibson is an ambitious filmmaker, and this film only confirms his talent and his madness. His love of onscreen violence is obvious, but he provides touches of humanity that raise the film above its simple storytelling. Like any good historical film, Gibson has made an allegory to our current civilization. One should take heed at his warnings of what happens to a society that thinks it is unstoppable, and becomes hungry for power. In the shocking final ten minutes, the Mayan fate is alluded to by the appearance of Spanish conquistadors. Gibson leaves it up to the viewer whether or not Jaguar Paw’s journey was in vain, and the film is stronger for it.