[Miss Marple]

Well, all I can tell you is that the previews creeped me out. I have always thought the destruction of those South American Indian cultures was a good thing. I see no value in a society that lives on slavery and human sacrifice.

I know Gibson's movies have always been violent. I am, however, begining to feel that he is obsessed with it, and gets his jollies on luring others into watching it.

First he got a bunch of Republicans to watch "The Patriot."

Then he lured a bunch of Christians into watching "The Passion."

Now, apparently, he is luring multi-cultural kumbaya people into watching "Apocolypto."

And all the while he is laughing at all of us, because we are bankrolling his sick fascination with violence.

Count me out.

[justshutupandtakeit]

I don't think that is what he is doing in this new movie though I haven't seen it. If it is at all accurate to the culture it will revel just how evil it was. More likely he did the movie as a kudo to the Catholic conquerers.

[Hildy]

Sick fascination with violence? Sounds like 60% of the directors in Hollywood.

[Dante3]

I agree about the Patriot - the film would have been better if that one scene with his son had been deleted.

"Apocalypto" however showed much of what I learned about the Mayas in my anthropology class. I closed my eyes during some scenes. Overall, it was an engrossing and exciting film and kept me literally on the edge of the seat.

Very well done, but yes a lot of violence, but not a racist film.

[CharacterCounts]

Violence was evident in the Passion. However, given the definition of gratuitous (being without apparent reason, cause, or justification), I don't think it was gratuitous at all. It brought about none of the baser emotion. There was no adrenaline flowing - only a profound understanding of the sacrifice Christ made for us.