December 8, 2006
Apocalypto
...a spoiler-free review.
First things first, this movie is not original. It's a remake. In fact, it's a second-time over remake. Mel Gibson is considered a master of the silver screen for copying movies. In this case, nearly verbatim from old classics. So why does Mel get away with this? Because the vast majority of American people haven't gone to the trouble of watching dusty old black-and-whites filmed in the sixties.
I'm referring, of course, to the 1963 film, Lord of the Flies. Lord of the Flies was based on William Golding's 1954 novel of the same name. (No, Lord of the Flies wasn't originally filmed in the eighties.) The story gives us an interesting analysis of the dichotomy of man. Boys, stranded on a tropical island, are forced to fend for themselves. They separate into groups, one structured around a system of rules, and the other wild, a pack of wolves. The plot is thick with intriguing insights into the human psyche. It forces each of us to ask ourselves, "Who am I? Which group do I belong to?"
Apocalypto, however, is all of the action without any intellectual or emotional content. I suppose today's average movie-goer isn't expected to enjoy a "thinking" movie. And as action goes, I'd rather see Predator again.
Violence? What Violence? I didn't see any Violence.
Posted by Richard at December 8, 2006 9:37 PM
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Violence? What Violence? I didn't see any Violence.
Posted by: clark at December 17, 2006 7:42 PM