Salon.com > Marcello A. Canuto http://www.salon.com Sun, 19 May 2013 22:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Maya in the Thunderdome http://www.salon.com/2006/12/15/maya/ http://www.salon.com/2006/12/15/maya/#comments Fri, 15 Dec 2006 21:50:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2006/12/15/maya As a scholar of the Maya civilization, I was anxious to see Mel Gibson's portrayal of the Maya in "Apocalypto." Of course, I realize the movie is not a documentary and was mindful of the director's artistic license. I was happy to see that Gibson got some details right, like personal adornment, tools and body decoration. Although the main actors are native North Americans, I applaud Gibson's use of some Maya actors, as well as his decision to have the characters speak in a native Maya language, Yukatek, still heard in Mexico. While these are brave and ambitious choices, they also imply that "Apocalypto" is a sincere depiction of Maya society. In fact, the movie is not an accurate portrayal of the Maya at all; rather, it is a reflection of Gibson's own feverish imagination.

The movie tracks a young Mayan man who is captured in a surprise raid on his village. Forced to abandon his family, he and his companions are taken to the nearby city to be sacrificed. He manages to escape and, pursued by his captors, attempts to return to his village to save his family. During his getaway, he reaches a beach where he witnesses the arrival of Spaniards.

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