'Apocalypto': Bloody lessons

Toronto Star ^ | Dec. 8, 2006 | GEOFF PEVERE

[ABN 505]

"He should have made it a musical........Apocalypso"......Is Harry Belafonte in it?

[qwertyz]

"The greater the blood, the greater the redemption." That's the key to many of Mel's stories. Apocalypto reminded me of the life- and family-affirming center of The Patriot and Braveheart. It's even stronger here--although the negative critics overlooked it.

"Storge" is the Greek word for the love between family members. "Philia" is the love between good friends. Mel brightly illuminates these virtues against the dark canvas of the Mayan culture of death. Post-modern moral equivalency doesn't want to treat the virtues (love, courage) and the struggle against real evil as serious themes. Mel does, and they ding him for it every time.

This movie won't be well received by the Brahmin caste in the blue states. Well, they'll be eating their heart outs over this incredible artistic (and probable boxoffice) success!

[Biggirl]

....And in a few days, Our Lady of Guadelupe will be celibrated.

[BradyLS]

Good. Almost fun. Kinduva twofer, really. I found the first hour fascinating in a National Geographic Special kind of way. And the last hour as a good, inverted remake of Predator.

[BradyLS]

This article from the BBC is about how people are accusing Gibson of racism in the movie: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6216414.stm. Although he has done some bad things, Gibson went through a lot of effort consulting various Amerindian groups while making the film. He went through a lot of effort so that the movie wouldn't be racist.

This happens every time a movie with ANY sort of buzz hits the theaters. It's gotten to the point that if your movie appears on the radar of these sorts of fringe groups, you can be sure that everyone knows about your movie and that the marketing arm did its job.

[Red Badger]

I thought that would be the ending. Historically, incorrect. The Mayan civilization had "disappeared" centuries before any Spaniard had been born, though the Maya are still alive today. Around 900 AD their civilization just ceased, and historians are not sure just why. War, famine, disease, many possibilities, but nothing concrete.......The Aztecs were who Cortez met, not the Mayas..........

[Red Badger]

The chicken I can vouch for, my grandfather used to chop off the chicken's head and the body would run around and flop all over the place for a minute or so until it finally stopped. Then we'd have to pluck and clean it.............Humans usually go unconscious as soon as blood flow to the brain stops..........

[Red Badger]

Note to self:

Do not accept dinner invitation from SaltyJoe........

[bert]

.......Based on the evidence on screen, it would seem we've already failed the class.......

I would take a contrariand view. The fact is, there has been historical success.

Jesus was crucified and ended the need for human sacrifice.

Mel made a movie making the actual spectacle historically unnecessary.

[SaltyJoe]

Note to self: Do not accept dinner invitation from SaltyJoe........

LOL!

I'm Catholic. Rest assured, the only Human flesh I eat is the Holy Eucharist.

http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/euchmenu.htm

Christ is both Divine and Human. He wrote Himself upon unleven bread and used wine as ink, it's the same value we use with paper currency or when you write a personal check to pay a bill. The appearance of the scrap of paper may not seem like much, but there's full value that the receiver redeems.

Christ provides Redemption, paid in full, for our sins via the Holy Eucharist.