Isn�t it amazing that a civilization that predicted the world would end in 2009 still fascinates the world populous? An ancient civilization long dead today but whose influences still remain fully intact and remain visible for all to see. Mel Gibson goes where many filmmakers have not gone. He takes ideas that are vague or only based on skeptical legend and brings them to life in compelling and imaginative stories that are visually stunning as well as intensely intriguing. Braveheart took one of Scotland�s oldest legends, the story of William Wallace, and brought it to life. Gibson showed the suffering and the spectacle that would ultimately lead to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ in The Passion. Whether you love him or hate him, he makes films that seem to hit a certain shock meter of violence that you really wonder if he truly is as crazy as Lethal Weapon�s Martin Riggs. Apocalypto, the highly anticipated film from America�s favorite whacko drunk is the latest in Gibson�s arsenal of historical legend, which controversial or not, usually resonate for years to come.

Before continuing, one thing has to be set in stone. Mel Gibson is a lunatic. Braveheart is one of the finest films ever made, The Passion for all it�s controversy, tears and bloodshed, at heart is a fantastic film. Both of these films are wildly bloody, whether it was heads being chopped off left and right by Wallace and the Scots or if it was the Roman lashings of Christ, Gibson has a thing for blood. Apocalypto is no different, in fact, Apocalypto may be one of the bloodiest and violent movies I have ever seen. But as a student of film, I am no shocked nor am I disgusted. I praise Gibson for the boundaries he pushes, I praise him for not sugar coating anything in true Hollywood fashion. In fact, the simple decision to feature the film entirely in Mayan dialect is fantastic, it brings an authenticity to film, it brings a historical relevance and significance to his work. The Passion would not have been the same movie at all had it been spoken in English. But Apocalypto is done well, and surprisingly humorous at times, in the ancient language of the Mayans.

Apocalypto is also a straight-forward film, meaning that there is no need for thought into the deeper meaning of the film. The story follows Jaguar Paw, a young man from a small village that is ransacked by warriors from a neighboring city. The quiet, familiar life lived by the villagers is suddenly sidetracked by these warriors who basically rape and pillage and take prisoners on a long journey through the jungle. Jaguar Paw is able to hide his pregnant wife and son in a pit, but he is then captured. The humor that takes place early on in the film is quickly overrun, just as the village is by these violent warriors. These prisoners are taken to a large Mayan city featuring familiar temples and some crazy looking tribal warriors. In the city the prisoners are either sold as slaves or lined up to be sacrificed to the Mayan�s angry gods. It is around this point that the film becomes a rampant blood fest. This film almost makes Hostel look like the Sound of Music. We�re talking people being taken to the top of one of the Mayan temples and in pure Temple of Doom form, having their hearts ripped out, still beating mind you, and held high for all to see. If that doesn�t rub you the wrong way there�s plenty more violence abound, such as beheadings and placing the heads on pikes. Gibson more than crosses the line with the over-the-top violence but it all ultimately works with the film.

Through the abundant violence and the almost gratuitous bloodshed, there is an epic story present. Our main character, Jaguar Paw, is able to evade becoming the next sacrificial lamb and he makes a run for it, back through the jungle to try and make it back to his village to save his wife and son. While remaining violent and growing bloodier as the film progresses, we are treated to a fantastic and classic chase film as warriors hunt down Jaguar Paw. However, there is a deeper prophecy at work, the warriors begin to fear Jaguar Paw and Jaguar Paw becomes more confident and more ruthless with each warrior he kills. The film begins to take a familiar Gibson theme, the endurance of the human spirit, the power of human will and the overall power of love.

Apocalypto, like Gibson�s other films, is well done and does not leave much to the imagination in terms of violence. The underlying themes present in the film strike a chord that resonates today and the senseless killing of innocent life in the name of a higher power also has a deeper impact because of the world we live in today. In regards to whether Gibson�s recent anti-Semitic rant will effect the film, the answer should be �no.� Just like Tom Cruise, who�s Mission Impossible: III is one of the best action movies in a long time, Gibson should be revered as a filmmaker for making this movie. For pushing the limits of the human psyche and churning our stomachs so much that there is a huge blow of relief (and possibly the most shocking moment of the film, for what it means) when the end comes and it appears that the Conquistadors have arrived.