The Post-Apocalypto Future is Coming

Harry Knowles has seen Mad Mel's Mayan epic, Apocalypto. And what does he think?

Is this the great film of the Maya Civilization? It is the most audacious and successful attempt at that period. Mainly due to the fact that the story is such an intimate experience.

[Snip]

What I saw today was a very rough jewel, when I see it again, the day before Butt-Numb-A-Thon – I trust I will see an immaculate jewel. This could very well be the best film Mel has made when he’s done with it. How commercial will it be? I haven’t a clue. The story is incredibly involving and constantly thrilling. However, too often I’ve seen films of this type lost on audiences today. That Mel would even attempt this movie is a triumph, that it is in and of itself a triumph is a blessing.

I’m now more curious than ever to see this film, and from everything that’s come out so far—trailers, articles, this early review—it seems as if the film plays to all of Gibson’s strengths: his ability to capture ancient period detail with startling accuracy, his mix of myth and realism, his combination of epic sweep and personal vision—even the choice to keep the dialog minimal and in an ancient tongue fits well with his bent toward broadly sketched, larger-than-life heroes and villains. No doubt there will be a towering, ghoulish Mayan king, witch doctor, or villain figure(s) of some sort filmed in the same over-the-top style as the Roman guards in The Passion. I suspect it will work much better here in this less-sensitive context serving a historical adventure story rather than a religious one with a great deal of contemporary relevance.