My father saw Apocalypto, bought the movie, and demanded I watch it. So on Christmas Eve, my brother, my father, and I gathered around to watch a heartwarming family movie about human sacrifice.
I knew a lot more about Aztec and Mayan culture than my relatives, so much of what happened (or was about to happen) took on special significance for me. When Jaguar Paw's (Rudy Youngblood) tribe is attacked by the Aztecs and carried off instead of killed, we know it's not to live a life of slaves. It's something much worse.
Jaguar Paw's pregnant wife and young child manage to evade capture by lowering themselves into a well, but they're trapped there. If it rains, they drown. If the Aztecs find them, they're sacrificed. And thus we have a race against time, as Jaguar Paw must both escape captivity and pursuit, all in an effort to save his young family from certain doom.
Apocalypto encompasses everything you ever wanted to know about Aztecs. It's all here: black panthers, Aztec martial prowess, steaming jungles, ziggurats, and a twist ending that ties it all neatly in a historical bow. If the movie wasn't so violent, high school teachers every would be showing this movie as a snapshot of history.
The violence is actually not that bad. A scene where an Aztec is mauled by a panther is more graphic than the heart sacrifices performed atop the grisly temples. Much more exciting are the thrilling chase and combat sequences, some of the best on foot.
Given that this is a film about a time before modern convention, it's amazing how Gibson fits in movie conventions usually associated with car chases. There are twists in Jaguar Paw's escape and his hunt by the Aztecs that are worthy of any action movie.
Did I mention that this entire movie is subtitled? The movie's so enthralling that you stop noticing it a few seconds in. Apocalypto's that good. Sure, it's a blood-drenched action thriller in another language. But what did you expect from Mel Gibson?
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