Gibson poses the question: Does a civilization fall under its own greed and rot from the inside or do outside threats defeat any chance for hope? Sadly he doesn’t exactly answer this question as much of the movie plays like a long cat and mouse game. Though he tries giving possible and plausible examples to how it all ended. It’s an action adventure film set against ritual and spiritual nature. What he pulls from the actors is brilliant because they are so accessible in their “sameness”. Life feels unthreatening in the village as Jaguar Paw builds a family and hunts with his father. The guys play pranks on on other guys like “Sky” who eats bore testicles for laughs. These everyday exchanges help build security and normality. When the peaceful village is ravished by another tribe who occupy modern Mayan cities the movie takes a brutal and constantly frightening tone. Mayans accepted death as a part of life…people who die get “travel well” sentiments and that's about it. The culture in which they occupied was a class based hierarchy structure that reinforced the needs of only a privileged few. These scenes are audaciously shot and uncompromising in their depiction of brutality against man. Much like “Passion on the Christ” the blood and horrific murder doesn’t flinch once. Subtitled, the movie is spoken in modern Yucatec with some liberties on what was possibly could have been spoken.
As Jaguar Paw Rudy Youngblood is exceptional both daunting in stance and feeble within the presence of fear. Many of the actors are native and bring the film to life giving it depth as Mel’s camera pans and zooms to each face. Each giving a wonderful resonance of something unfamiliar and exciting. There are various plot points that jump around and make little use of the Mayan culture as a whole, but this is really a story about family and the universal power that holds them together. The scenes are shot exquisitely giving the natural surroundings depth and lyrical structure. Waterfalls pour gracefully and life exudes a sense of exotic adventure. Cinematographer Dean Semler does an impressive job framing each scene and tracking a long chase in the third act. James Horner’s soundtrack is almost so seamless it seems less inspired than previous work. It was not affecting, but merely existing.
Overall Mel Gibson achieves a level of theatrically arresting history, but it merely speaks to the spectacle the movie could have been. The deeper meaning behind society and how it affects family may have given the movie more resonance.
Final MovieFix: 85% Favorable. It’s a must see in times when junk food pop filmmaking seems to be at its highest.
