About Films
Apocalypto
I saw this film at the dollar movie so it had a lot going against it from the start. The screen was small, the stereo sound was way too loud, and a guy on my isle was smoking grass. The opening scene involves a pack of indians killing a boar and then tricking one of the indians into eating the balls. The dialogue could have been lifted directly from american pie or some equivalent. I started to wonder what I had gotten into. As the movie progressed I realized how adept Mel Gibson was at setting up the story with real characters and moving it along. Eventually, the boar, the balls, and the relationships payed off. This film really kept me interested and entertained in a way that I haven't been for a while. Occassionally Mel Gibson goes too far with the violence, or uses too much dialogue. Also the script seems to want to punish it's characters more than necessary (much like passion of the Christ) but it never got rediculous. This is essentially a chase movie, and as such, it works really well. There are great moments of tension such as in the sacrifice scene where Jaguar Paw is put on the alter. This scene also conveys a spiritual subtext and gives meaning to the title of the film. In a way, this scene is kind of the climax of the film and it comes too early, but the film still manages to sustain afterwards and builds again to a nice third act surprise. This is not a low budget movie. If you were turned off by the trailer looking hoaky, don't worry, the visuals are great. What Mel Gibson does here as a story teller is very conventional, but the Native American setting gives it some nuance and allows it to feel fresh. The movie ended with a rain storm and when I left the theatre, it was pooring rain. Somehow, I made a nice connection with the film on a deeper level than I expected. Overall, I had a great time at the movies.
I saw this film at the dollar movie so it had a lot going against it from the start. The screen was small, the stereo sound was way too loud, and a guy on my isle was smoking grass. The opening scene involves a pack of indians killing a boar and then tricking one of the indians into eating the balls. The dialogue could have been lifted directly from american pie or some equivalent. I started to wonder what I had gotten into. As the movie progressed I realized how adept Mel Gibson was at setting up the story with real characters and moving it along. Eventually, the boar, the balls, and the relationships payed off. This film really kept me interested and entertained in a way that I haven't been for a while. Occassionally Mel Gibson goes too far with the violence, or uses too much dialogue. Also the script seems to want to punish it's characters more than necessary (much like passion of the Christ) but it never got rediculous. This is essentially a chase movie, and as such, it works really well. There are great moments of tension such as in the sacrifice scene where Jaguar Paw is put on the alter. This scene also conveys a spiritual subtext and gives meaning to the title of the film. In a way, this scene is kind of the climax of the film and it comes too early, but the film still manages to sustain afterwards and builds again to a nice third act surprise. This is not a low budget movie. If you were turned off by the trailer looking hoaky, don't worry, the visuals are great. What Mel Gibson does here as a story teller is very conventional, but the Native American setting gives it some nuance and allows it to feel fresh. The movie ended with a rain storm and when I left the theatre, it was pooring rain. Somehow, I made a nice connection with the film on a deeper level than I expected. Overall, I had a great time at the movies.
posted by Anonymous at 12:42 PM
2 comments
