Apocalypto Movie Critique

            The movie of Apocalypto, by Mel Gibson, is a tale of Jaguar Paw’s journey to the end of his tribe’s existence.  The movie had a lot of movement, which helped to keep the viewer interested.  I was personally proud to have watched Apocalypto because I think it was filmed brilliantly with lots of action sequences, and overall lived up to my standards of a good movie.  Mel Gibson uses color techniques to their fullest in order to provide the viewer with a breath taking experience.  The colors also show a transformation in one of the main characters in the movie.  I thought Mel used color the best in the movie to signify a new sequence in the movie.  Like there will be a new experience for the viewer when the colors change.

            The movie Apocalypto is an inspiring story about Jaguar Paw overcoming his inner fear and trying to save his tribe’s ways.  He only overcomes his inner fear when he is taken from his village, faces the other tribes, and dangers on his own.  He is also trying to save his family so that his tribe may live on.  The film is focused on Jaguar Paw but it is also meant to be a history source.   It helps to describe what life was life in the days of the Mayans and Aztecs.  I found the movie very informative about the rituals of the Mayans and also daily life of Jaguar Paw’s tribe. 

            While I was watching this movie I thought of what I actually knew about the Aztecs and the Mayans.  Truthfully, I don’t know that much about either of them, but Apocalypto helped me learn how brutal the Mayans could be in order to please their gods.  The movie also made me think of another movie, National Treasure.  The chase scenes of both movies paralleled each other.  The main character is living a normal life.  Then he gets captured by the enemies, Jaguar Paw by the Mayans, and Ben Gates by the Police.  Eventually both characters escape their enemies and start a new life, while protecting the family that is important to them.

            Mel Gibson uses color in many of his scenes to emphasize what is happening on screen.  Color is an essential to all film today without color the film would seem like it was made in the nineteen eighties.  When Jaguar Paw is running from the Mayans through the jungle he finds himself neck deep in mud.  From this mud he rises and takes on the meaning of his name.  When he rises out of the mud he is black not green like the background of green trees and shrubs.  I think that the pure blackness of the mud on his skin shows that he is “gaining strength like a jaguar”.  The black color in front of the green background shows that Jaguar Paw has no more fear and is not afraid of being seen by his enemies. 

The color is also helpful when Jaguar Paw decides to jump off of the waterfall in order to escape the Mayans.  At first he is covered in the ceremonial royal blue paint, but after he has jumped into the water the paint is washed off of him.  He survives the hundred or so foot drop and looks back to see what the Mayans will do next.  The royal blue paint, according to me, signified his capturing by the Mayans.  But the waterfall acted like a barrier, for a little bit, between Jaguar Paw and the Mayans.  The blue paint washing off Jaguar Paw signifies his escape from being captured by the Mayans.  It is also showing that he is out of their territory and now in his region of dominance.  

            Overall I liked the film Apocalypto and found the significance of the color intriguing.  I wouldn’t recommend buying the film.  Instead rent it at your local library, or blockbuster, and watch for the scenes with color contrasts.