Apocalypto by Mel Gibson

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The fourth movie directed by Mel Gibson in the past 13 years, this movie would be something that a film maker would be proud to add to his/her portfolio. In the tradition of Passion of the Christ, this film is presented entirely in the Mayan language with English subtitles, and narrates the eventual fall of the Mayan village and eventually the native civilization as seen through the eyes of Jaguar Paw. In the beginning, you might be tempted to switch to another film as the interactions between the young hunters can appear boring to some. The depiction of their daily life was punctuated by humorous dialogue. You will be invited to empathize with the characters so that by the time the crisis point is reached, you may become greatly affected by the turn of events. As the story progresses, the you will just sit back and watch the greatly entertaining, if somewhat unabashedly brutal, storytelling. The arrival of the conquerors was expected, although much later than anticipated. You may end up wondering what happened to the main characters long after the credits roll, as I did.