Apocalypto

[JPinoy]

Check out this new Mel Gibson flick. No he doesn't star in it. The setting is around the Castle time, but the location is in Meso-America (around modern Mexico and Honduras).

It's very different from the other period/historic movies we're used to. I'll give a thumbs up to Gibson for bring this somewhat forgotten historic realm of the world into the light. Yes, we've seen movies of the Crusades, Romans, Chinese, Japanese, and etc. but the Meso-Americans?

http://apocalypto.movies.go.com/

It's coming out on Dec. 8 (so far)... it's something Im DEFINITELY going to watch. Would be nice to learn more about the Meso-American cultures.

[Jacob C.]

Check out this new Mel Gibson flick. No he doesn't star in it. The setting is around the Castle time, but the location is in Meso-America (around modern Mexico and Honduras).

Mel Gibson never dissapoints.
He's just as good a director/producer as he is an actor.

And I call can say is, ITS ABOUT TIME!
Its been long overdue for the native American civilizations to get their recognition in a movie.

I'll definitely see this when it comes out.

[wunztwice]

I saw the preview a while ago and was blown away. Even if it is not true to history at all it's still very well made as far as I can tell right now. I'm sure i'll end up seeing it. I am very interested in the presentation of the culture.

[kelderic]

I am confused about what it is about, though. Is the Aztecs, or Mayans. At the eginning of the trailer, it looked like an Aztec-Cortez thing, but there were no Spanish.

Kelderic

[JPinoy]

I don't think this has anything to do with the Spanish. It's definitely a Mayan civilization story. That was a Mayan city, the Aztec's Tenochitlan is very different as it is a man-made island in a large lake. Plus you would've seen soldiers wearing "Eagle" and "Jaguar" costumes armed with obsidian Macanas chasing him instead of some bolas throwing warrior.

I think the Mayans either:
1) being attacked by the Aztecs, or 2) the Mayans becoming religious extremists by getting further into their human sacrifices... thus they "destroy themselves" with Mayan city -vs- Mayan city, or 3) the hero is from a minor neighboring Meso-American tribe and they get attacked by the Mayans. Whatever it is, there are NO Spaniards involved.

[Jacob C.]

Here's the plot outline for the movie:

"As the Maya kingdom faces its decline, the rulers insist the key to prosperity is to build more temples and offer human sacrifices. Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood), a young man chosen for sacrifice, flees the kingdom to avoid his fate."

http://imdb.com/title/tt0472043/

Sounds cool to me!

[The Panther]

Ever since I saw the trailer for it in "Fearless", I've been wanting to see it. It reminds me a little of "The Mission", for those of you who've seen it...

[Maedhros]

Do you think this will have to do with the fact that the Mayans have predicted that the world will end on the 23rd of December 2012? (Since the name of the movie is Apocalypto )

[nazgul]

Ooh, I'm definitly seeing this, no matter what the critics say, I'm going to see it anyway. I just hope he does a good job, but I'm not going to get my hopes up in the possibility of getting let down.


hoping for the best though....

[The Blue Knight]

Do you think this will have to do with the fact that the Mayans have predicted that the world will end on the 23rd of December 2012? (Since the name of the movie is Apocalypto )

The Mayans made no such prediction, The Mayan calendar is the most accurate created by humans. There are no leap years or other types of errors. It does create some odd time periods. There are no "months" or "weeks" in the way you and I might think of them. The calendar is like a series of cogs that turn on each other. It's a stunning achievement, especially considering that it was entirely conceptual, the Mayans did not use wheels as best as we know. So they had to imagine the complex workings unless one were a member of the preistly class. The smallest wheels were days, and the largest were 5200 year cogs. The Mayans charted back 7 of these "mega-cycles," but went no further forward than the current one, which happens to end on the date you have referenced.

The calendar doesn't end, instead it is a sad chapter in our world's history. The Mayans simply didn't survive as a civilization long enough for the priestly class to be able to set the dates of the next cycle.

I asked my professor, Dr. Wihr, one class about why they charted so far back in time, but not forward. His answer was typical of academics; "Why don't you tell us?" It wound up being my undergrad thesis. Simply put: ancestor worship.

The notion that the Mayans predicted the end of the world is a commonly held one, very deeply entrenched in popular culture. Even the modern day Mayans have seized on it to turn a buck.


Whew, now for the thread. This is reportedly spoken in ancient Mayan (which will be conjecture since no one knows ancient Mayan) in the way Gibson had all the dialogue of "The Passion of the Christ" in ancient but contemorary languages. Looks good.

[Maedhros]

Now that was illuminating, thanks!

I knew about the accurate calendar but I guess I fell for the popular culture about the prediction... (But since it is Hollywood they might as well include it )

Anyways, this might be very interesting, I sure hope so at least..

[Jacob C.]

Check out the Apple movie trailer for Apocalypto here:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/touchston ... large.html

When you get to the part where the monkey howls, pause it. Then go in reverse frame-by-frame six or so times.
You'll find something very funny!


In case you couldn't find it, this is what you'll see:

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/5940/melfunnyls6.png

Mel Gibson is one crazy guy!

[kelderic]

That's very funny. Thanks for finding it.

Kelderic

[wunztwice]

hehe, as a film student/buff I love "easter eggs!" Thanks for sharing.

[timber_wolf899]

My only problem with this film is that it is not in english.

Even that may not be a problem if i could read the subtitles, but blah.