Mel's Latest: Brilliant Film, Inane Interpretation

Townhall ^ | December 7, 2006 | Michael Medved

[Pharmboy]

Great comment.

[Romulus]

When did we start offering enemy hearts to the Sun God?????

Good point. In our culture, the most common victims are our own children. The Maya and Aztecs were scarcely a patch on us.

[Jo Nuvark]

[...What’s human sacrifice if not sending guys off to Iraq
for no reason?...]

While any dumb culture can go to war "for not reason", how
did Mel miss the point that we sacrifice a million babies to the
altars of baal every year?

[Jo Nuvark]

not = no.

[TexasRepublic]

This movie stands on its own as a cinema masterpiece. Take it at face value and enjoy. It is ridiculous to over-analyze it. It is a shame when real artistry is overshadowed by controversy about the personal viewpoints of whoever created it. If the artists and producers were really smart, they would "just shut up and sing".

[beaversmom]

Well Medved gave it four stars regardless. There are some Hollywood people, when they run their mouths, it turns me off, but I want to see this one--I've enjoyed Mel's work in the past. Steven Speilberg is another one, but not lately, where if something he makes looks interesting, I'll go see it as well.

[macamadamia]

Gibson's film is a pastiche of other films


A very interesting observation. There's much in Gibson's movies that is derivative. Braveheart's battle scenes are clearly influenced by Kurosawa's...and not nearly as great as Kurosawa's. Gibson's use of slow motion in Braveheart and The Passion comes across to me as an anemic imitation of Scorcese.


And just a side note, The Patriot and We Were Soldiers were not directed by Gibson. I've noticed a lot of Freepers, not you, make this mistake. The Patriot was directed by Roland Emmerich. We Were Soldiers...Randall Wallace.

[ArrogantBustard]

When did we start offering enemy hearts to the Sun God?????

1973.

[GSWarrior]

So why would a brilliant artist like Mel Gibson insist on ludicrously describing his masterpiece as a commentary on today’s social, cultural, political problems, when no sane viewer of his picture would note or even suspect those messages?

Because he is full of himself!

Gibson's mug even pops up on the TV trailer where he explains that the movie is a tale of one man's journey to free his family or something. Even the title is telling...Mel Gibson's Apocalypto.

[Oberon]

When did we start offering enemy hearts to the Sun God?????

Hmmm...never. But the enemy offers captives' heads to the Moon God. Does that count?

[Henchster]

The cruel, sadistic, masochistic, deeply demented culture of the Mayas, with its self-destructive emphasis on mutilation and mysticism, slavery and superstition, emerges with conviction and flair on the screen but will cause no one to think, “Oh, wow, that really reminds me of New York and LA!”

Oh really?.....

The cruel, sadistic, masochistic, deeply demented culture of the "Inner City", with its self-destructive emphasis on mutilation and mysticism, slavery and superstition,...

[Dante3]

I respectfully disagree. As many in this country and in Israel have observed, the Iraq war has hurt Israel.

[quiet_reverie]

Mel Gibson is very pro-life (against abortion) and one thing I took from this movie was the very strong anti-abortion message in it, which I wasn't even expecting...

[word_warrior_bob]

I respectfully disagree. As many in this country and in Israel have observed, the Iraq war has hurt Israel.


_____________


I wasn't talking about the effects on Israel, I was saying that Mel is one of those anti-semetic types that thinks any time we're at war in the Middle East it's to protect Israel. So maybe we don't disagree at all.

[word_warrior_bob]

Great post, I thought he was a holocaust denier too but didn't want to add that inflammatory bit without doing a little research, you did the research, thanks.

It looks like the apple didn't fall too far from the tree, I was thinking that when he was interviewed about his fathers views. His recent blowups have confirmed it, unfortunately his fathers views have rubbed off on him, not uncommon, and I lay a lot of the blame for this at his father's door.

[Silly]

I completely agree. Gibson's attempt to connect this story to current day events is ludicrous.

[RonDog]

Please ADD ME to your Michael Medved ping list.

Thank you!

[SoCal Pubbie]

The Mayan civilization collapsed before the arrival of the Spanish. You're thinking of the Aztecs and the Incas.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Gibson's film is a pastiche of other films, with Last of the Mohicans being its chief source of inspiration.

When I read the synopsis, my first thought was that he's remade "The Naked Prey."

[danmar]

We just got one in Congress.

Yep, my position as well...one at the time, be relentless, consistent and act charming and oppressed!
It is like cancer, it starts out small, innocent and it will grow beyond control! Mix in the daily PC'ness and you will have a recipe for disaster!

May GOD help and give us wisdom!