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Clemenza's Corner
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Apocalypto
Mel Gibson, USA, 2006
Rating: 3.0
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Posted:
December 21,
2006
Let’s get this out of the way now: Mel Gibson is one crazy bastard! But I
love the guy. Say what you will, my boy puts up his own money to make the films
no one else has the nuts to touch. Like me, he has a dream. And unlike me, he
has obscene stockpiles of cash to make those dreams come true. You just can’t
take the wind out of this dude’s sails. He wanted to make a film about the last
days of the Mayan civilization, and just like that, Apocalypto was born!
Okay, maybe it wasn't that simple, but I’m sure it was pretty close.
The film follows the trials of one Jaguar Paw, a husband, father and porcine
testicle-waving practical joker, among other things. We get to see his village
and come to discover that the concerns of the average Mayan were not that far
removed from the concerns of modern man. He has to go get food, take care of the
kids, and be nagged by his judgmental, wizened crone of a mother-in-law. And
hey, who hasn’t been yanked from their homes, marched to a nearby village,
painted blue and sold into slavery? Am I right, people? Uh ... let’s just move
on.
As much as these dudes brag about hunting the forest for generations, they must
have not wandered far, because about five city blocks away is a huge Mayan city
of stone. Its inhabitants have raided Jaguar Paw’s village, killed his pops and
taken the survivors to be sacrifices to the gods. Basically this involves being
marched up a huge pyramid, having your heart cut out and shown to you, getting
decapitated and then having you head tumble down about four hundred stone
stairs. These Mayans don’t play.
Anyway, as Jaguar Paw is ushered off to meet his doom, his son and pregnant wife
are left behind in a pit, where he hopes they will remain undiscovered and safe.
Will Jaguar Paw be able to escape and save his family? Thus begins Apocalypto’s
descent into what I like to call a “car chase movie without cars.” Gone is the
interaction between the villagers, the clash of the “urban” Mayans with their
“jungle” brethren. All that is replaced with chase after chase after chase.
Having said that, Mel Gibson knows how to shoot a scene. Apocalypto is
replete with fantastic cinematography and stunning visuals. They're so powerful,
in fact, that they almost make up for the films lack of substance. Almost.
Let's face it: Making a film about an incredible event does not automatically
yield a great film. Apocalypto comes across as a bit hollow. With that in
mind, everything must be put into perspective. It's one thing to attempt an
ambitious endeavor and fall a bit short, and another to make Meatballs II
and succeed. You feelin' me?
If I could change one thing about the film, it's the ending, which feels, shall
we say, a tad historically inaccurate. In my version, I'd have the characters
chase one another through the jungle and then reach the waters where they find
-- that’s right, the Predators! This wouldn't be a problem because we all
know they helped the Mayans build great temples and pyramids. Now there’s
a little twist that can make a film -- you hear me, Mel? Anyway, suffice it to
say that there’s enough in Apocalypto to hold your interest, if not make
you hold your breath. At the very least, it's a visually compelling work that
shows what one man with a dream (and boatloads of money) can do.
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