University Professors and Academics Criticize “Apocalypto”; reflections on a recent listserve thread

A week or two ago, I posted an “early” review of Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto on this blog. I’m no expert on the Maya or the Aztecs, and found the film’s historicity disconcerting. It seemed to conflate the Maya and the Aztec and, in a first draft of my review, I referred to Jaguar Paw’s pursuers [...]

Early Review of Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto

Last night I was able to see Mel Gibson’s Pre-Columbian epic Apocalypto at an advance screening for professors and students. The film tells the story of a young warrior called Jaguar Paw, whose village is razed by Maya raiders intent on capturing slaves for ritual sacrifice. After enduring a terrible journey to a Maya city [...]