muvi-fan-73 What comes to mind first after watching the movie is how the people lived in the past. With reference to that living in today's world has definitely improved. Another example of such cruel world is shown in the movie gladiator. The other thing that comes to mind is the adivasi's, what for example could be the reason that they don't want to connect with the modern world, is shown precisely.Tone, Script & Story: The story is about how an adivasi tribe is looted and captured, despite which one of them escapes, fights back and saves his family.Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography: 'Very good' is the term I would use. May it be jungle, waterfall, market place, place of execution and arrival of modern machinery, everything is set nicely.Final Verdict: Example of how adivasi does exist is shown nicely. The ancient world that resembles violence is also picturised well. It is worth watching.

CinemaClown From the director of Braveheart & The Passion of the Christ comes another brutal & barbaric period piece, this time bringing the rituals, traditions & horrors of the Mayan civilisation to cinematic life in meticulous detail & cut-throat intensity. An epic adventure that scores high marks in all aspects, Apocalypto is another instant classic from Mel Gibson.The story of Apocalypto follows a Mesoamerican hunter whose peaceful tribe is raided by an invading clan. Held captive along with his tribesmen, his people are taken to the raiders' city where some of them are sold as slaves while others are sacrificed to appease their gods. Spared from being beheaded due to an eclipse, he puts up a fight for survival against his oppressors.Co-written & directed by Mel Gibson, Apocalypto employs ancient languages of its setting for dialogues just like his previous feature and the attention to detail evident in every aspect of the depicted ancient culture is absolutely staggering. The storyline is no different from the norm and even packs a few genre clichés but it is a consistently intense & engaging ride for the most part.The era-specific set pieces are a result of extensive research and the well chosen shooting locations helps take the viewers back to the bygone era. Camerawork is kinetic throughout, and its smart manoeuvring & well-timed slow-mo shots give an added intensity to its drama. Editing is bit patchy at first but improves as plot progresses, and its 138 minutes flies by real quick once things get moving.Coming to the performances, the indigenous cast play their respective roles with finesse, leaving not much to complain about. Though not invested in the journey at first, our protagonist eventually manages to make us root for him. As for the violence the film has in store, it's extreme, unadulterated & disturbing to watch. The human sacrifice sequence in particular is graphic, horrifying & shocking.On an overall scale, Apocalypto is another viscerally powerful & downright epic adventure that finds Mel Gibson in prime form and is undeniably one of his best directorial efforts. Once the plot is set into motion, the film never loses its focus and remains entertaining till the end. A testament to Gibson's singular talent for spectacle & his precision eye for detail, Apocalypto is one memorable cinematic experience you cannot afford to miss. Thoroughly recommended.

The Movie Diorama Not often I watch a film that utilises an uncommon language...in fact this is probably the first. The dialogue extensively consists of Yucatan Maya and is used brilliantly to recreate a once great civilisation. It depicts the journey of a Mesoamerican hunter named Jaguar Paw whose entire tribe is mercilessly slaughtered and captured. They traverse the rural jungle and become prisoners to an almost civilised Mayan city who's culture and ideologies consist of ritual sacrifices. You see that 18 rating on the cover? Yeah, justified. This is relentlessly savage. I'm no expert on Mayan civilisation but the primal depiction and bloody savagery was completely believable. There's one scene that consists of beheading prisoners and letting the heads roll down the stairs of a colossal temple. Beautifully disgusting. There's only one director crazy enough to pull off this, Mel Gibson. Say what you want, there is no denying that he can direct the heck out of a film. His artistic integrity and attention to detail is one that allows films like this and 'Passion of the Christ' to be aimed towards mainstream audiences. The indigenous cast was revelatory and all of them took to their roles whilst preventing it from looking like a cosplay. The makeup and costumes oozed authenticity, some of those ear and nose piercings were eye watering! The chase sequences were adrenaline fuelled and well executed also. The major problem is the story, it's far too basic. It started off well, establishing character hierarchy within the tribe and how they interact with each other. Then Gibson chooses to focus on the savagery at an expense of losing the character focus. The third act literally consists of running with minimal dialogue, it's a tonal shift that didn't work. Think of it as 'Home Alone' but in a 16th Century jungle. Having said that, all the technical aspects outweigh the weak narrative to create a visceral artistic vision that is not for the faint hearted. Too many cut out hearts in one film...

rdoyle29 Jaguar Paw's (Rudy Youngblood) life as a hunter is shattered when a group of warrior's invade his village and kill and/or kidnap everyone. He manages to hide his pregnant wife and young son, but he is abducted and taken to the Mayan capital. The capital has been stricken with famine and disease, so the high priests are sacrificing hundreds of men to appease their sun god. Jaguar Paw manages to escape, but is pursued through the jungle by a group of warriors as he tries to return to his wife. This is a very effective action film. It's a long film, but it never really feels it. A lot of the criticism focuses on the pretty graphic violence. Yes, it's quite graphic, but it doesn't feel gratuitous. It's a film about the end of a way of life, and as such, a certain amount of horrific spectacle feels appropriate. I think some folks find it difficult to separate their feelings about Gibson from their feelings about his films. I'm not fond of the main either, and I do think his obsession with graphic violence is coming from an ugly place, but that doesn't make it inappropriate in all cases.