Posted on 12/01/2006 3:38:06 AM PST by AmericaUnited
"If 'Apocalypto' was supposed to be about that transitional civilization, where is it?"
Indeed. Compare A. with 'Gladiator' - both feature a protagonist pulled away from his normal life to a place of horrid, public spectacle. But even Gladiator does not sum up Rome as the horrors of the Coliseum - yet Gibson offers no other view of the Maya other than an in-bred elite fixated on moribund rituals. But why oh why are we offered a glimpse of the stoically arriving Spanish - which sheds no light on the internal cultural rot of the Mayan? I can think of no other reason for this jarring climatic juxtaposition between the hellish Maya and cross-bearing Spaniards arrving from their majestic galleons other than Gibson making the latter appear as salvation (indeed their arrival does literally save the protagonist). That's the "feat" that Mel pulls off here - the great agent of destruction of Pre-Columbiuan cultures, primarily the Spaniards, has instead been turned into a fleeting image of salvation. "God save The Church!" Right, Mel?
Consider this re our posts exchanged in this thread, for a moment or three:
I don't think this has anything to do with theology, it has everything to do with POWER. :-)
"a two hour plus torture-fest so violent that women and children will be headed to the doors faster than you can say "duck"
I thought the movie was excellent, but I must say that children should NOT be viewing this movie. There are parts that could demonize young minds.
Milestones, Ch. 12 by Sayid Qutb
The struggle [jihad] between the Believers and their enemies is in essence a struggle of belief, and not in any way of anything else. The enemies are angered only because of their faith, enraged only because of their belief.
This was not a political or an economic or a racial struggle; had it been any of these, its settlement would have been easy, the solution of its difficulties would have been simple. But essentially it was a struggle between beliefs -- either unbelief or faith, either Jahiliyyah or Islam....
Indeed, this was a question of belief and a battle of belief. The Believers ought to be certain of this, whatever be the declaration of their enemies. They are their enemies only because of their belief -- "only because they believe in God, the All-Powerful, the All-Praiseworthy" -- and because they purify for Him alone their obedience and submission.
The enemies of the Believers may wish to change this struggle into an economic or political or racial struggle, so that the Believers become confused concerning the true nature of the struggle and the flame of belief in their hearts becomes extinguished. The Believers must not be deceived, and must understand that this is a trick. The enemy, by changing the nature of the struggle, intends to deprive them of their weapon of true victory, the victory which can take any form, be it the victory of the freedom of spirit as was case of the Believers in the story of the Maker of the Pit, or dominance in the world -- as a consequence of the freedom of spirit -- as happened in the case of the first generation of Muslims.
How is the film doing Down Under?
It only got a 3 star rating. Here is a link to the review from SMH
http://www.smh.com.au/news/film-reviews/apocalypto/2007/01/05/1167777259801.html
But overall it hasn't been a major hit at the box office. Others score the movie 7.5 out of 10.
Here is more favourable review.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/movietime/stories/2007/1821571.htm
The professional reviewers generally do not get what Gibson is saying in the film.
It is an action movie, but it is not "just" an action movie.
Guess I'll have to see it for myself then, to give you a personal & professional review!
I'll keep you posted. :-)
Btw, Mel Gibson is an American! lol, but seriously he is!
He quotes the historian Will Durant: 'A Great civilisation is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.'
I find the above quote extremely true in history of Mideast, in particular.
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