Apocalypto (2006)

Mel Gibson has said some pretty foolish things in the last decade, and that's a pretty kind way of putting it. However, his film making and film choices (Dragged Across Concrete [2018]) have most assuredly not been. Sure, he entertained us all with the nonsense that was Braveheart (1995), somehow fooling the Academy into thinking it was highbrow historical fact and sweeping up at the Oscars. Fair play. He appeared to do the same thing again with Hacksaw Ridge (2016) taking some laughable exploitation violence and applying it to a supposedly serious war movie, then throwing Vince Vaughan into the mix. If Hacksaw Ridge was taken tongue in cheek, it might work, to an extent, but for it to be up for so many Oscars was insulting. Gibson's best films as director, hands down, are The Passion Of The Christ (2004), and this, Apocalypto. Gibson's take on the last week of Jesus' life is shockingly violent, but it is not, as people like to label it, exploitational. It's an easy trap to fall into considering Gibson's traits, and if you're not overfamiliar with the week Gibson focuses on, fall into it you might. The attention to detail from Gibson, down to choosing to stick to the original Aramaic language for the film is hugely commendable, and despite the totally out of place slow-mo shots, The Passion Of The Christ is a piece of work- in every respect. Apocalypto sees Gibson continuing his attention to detail in subject matter, focusing on a Mayan community in the jungle of Yucatan, Mexico, in around 1502 when the Mayan kingdom was at the height of its power, but also having to deal with the crumbling of its foundations. Gibson's tale is well told, realistically violent, and once again the only thing that feels out of place is the same slow-mo shots that very slightly hampered The Passion Of The Christ. Gibson has learnt lessons from Braveheart, and proves that he really is a director to be reckoned with when he is this focused. The problem is, so far, for every Apocalypto, we have a Hacksaw Ridge forced upon us. A bit like Gibson's outbursts in the public eye, he should think about what he's saying, because when he does, we reap the benefits. 7.8/10