After Mel Gibson's "The Massacre of the Jew" came out I heard claims that he was a sadist masquerading as a screenwriter. Since I didn't take Massacre of the Jew seriously (it is, after all, the story of the killing of an alleged god - a myth like any Greek or Roman one), I didn't think Gibson really could be a sadist. Then I saw Apocalypto and realized the shoe fits - Gibson is a sadist.
Apocalypto is the story of the ravaging of a small community of Native Americans by a larger community with the intent of appeasing the gods who have caused a plague in the land. One of those Native Americans escapes and takes a little vengeance, saving his wife and children in the process.
Returning to the sadist idea for a minute, I think Apocalypto is a metaphor for Mel Gibson's struggle with sadism - he is sacrificing people, talent, and money to a ridiculous god - his thirst to see people suffer. In that sense, I truly hope that Apocalypto is Gibson's crowning achievement and he can move on to make movies with good stories.
So, why do I hate this movie so? While it may have been the case that stuff like what is depicted in this movie happened (and, unfortunately, may continue to happen in parts of the world), I see no reason to glorify it. A band of slave hunters enters a village and massacres the people, taking all the fit ones to sale in the nearby city. In the process all of the slave hunters are depicted as evil, while all the villagers are good (typical black/white thinking, which is simplistic and naive). What's more, the main plot about the hero escaping to save his wife gets ridiculous beyond ridiculous when she gives birth in a flooding sinkhole with her 2 year-old son on her shoulders and catches the newborn baby with one hand while up to her neck in water. I kid you not.
In short, gratuitous violence + ridiculously implausible storyline = bad movie. I actually began laughing 2/3 of the way through and couldn't stop it was so stupid. Gibson needs to satiate his sadism and get on with his life.
Apocalypto is the story of the ravaging of a small community of Native Americans by a larger community with the intent of appeasing the gods who have caused a plague in the land. One of those Native Americans escapes and takes a little vengeance, saving his wife and children in the process.
Returning to the sadist idea for a minute, I think Apocalypto is a metaphor for Mel Gibson's struggle with sadism - he is sacrificing people, talent, and money to a ridiculous god - his thirst to see people suffer. In that sense, I truly hope that Apocalypto is Gibson's crowning achievement and he can move on to make movies with good stories.
So, why do I hate this movie so? While it may have been the case that stuff like what is depicted in this movie happened (and, unfortunately, may continue to happen in parts of the world), I see no reason to glorify it. A band of slave hunters enters a village and massacres the people, taking all the fit ones to sale in the nearby city. In the process all of the slave hunters are depicted as evil, while all the villagers are good (typical black/white thinking, which is simplistic and naive). What's more, the main plot about the hero escaping to save his wife gets ridiculous beyond ridiculous when she gives birth in a flooding sinkhole with her 2 year-old son on her shoulders and catches the newborn baby with one hand while up to her neck in water. I kid you not.
In short, gratuitous violence + ridiculously implausible storyline = bad movie. I actually began laughing 2/3 of the way through and couldn't stop it was so stupid. Gibson needs to satiate his sadism and get on with his life.
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