The Sober Racism of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto

Is Apocalypto racist?
+++++++++++++
12-22-06, 10:39 PM
juanruiz
It seems de rigeur nowdays that when one does not like something, the central strategy to attack it is through the use of loaded and inflammatory language. Thus, Catholics and other Christian groups who were appalled by The Da Vinci Code labelled it as blasphemous, heretical. This seems to be the tack taken by Ms. Gandía in her review. Her opening comments do not show a particularly warm and fuzzy feeling for Mr. Gibson. So we can dispense with the notion that she is going to be objective in her own assessment of the film.

First, I should preface my own comments by saying the film was not what I expected; half of it was a race through the jungle. The other setting up the circumstances of the race. And, it is true that the film bears all the characteristics of a Gibson work: tenuous historicity, flat characters (you're either a good guy or a bad guy), blood, and an obsession with body paint. I had hoped it would advance a theory for the decline and fall of the Maya civilization, which was only hinted at.

Now, as to the purported racism. I suppose that if a group you have an affinity for is portrayed in a bad light, that sort of prejudicial terminology is a likely reaction. And believe me, the Maya in this film are not the astronomer-mathematician-architects reflected in what remains today of their culture; the makers of a calendar more accurate than ours, the inventors of zero, creators of complicated myths.

But the fact remains, despite Ms Gandía's expertise on the modern Maya, no one really knows what vicissitudes pre-columbian Maya culture suffered from to cause its collapse. Famine? Disease? These were postulated. But more recent investigation seems to point to the possibility that it imploded; that the masses revolted against the aristocracy. What little the film has in the city (Palenque? Chichen Itza?), conditions characterized there hint at that eventuality.

So, is that racism? Not in my opinion. Bad history? Yes. Essentially a one-thread plot? Sure. But an attempt to see racism in the negative depiciton of a group, when a positive depiction is made of others of practically the same group (Amerindians), renders a not too convincing argument. If the Gibson film is racist, then so is Roots, The Godfather, and Gladiator.

01-02-07, 09:58 AM
kinglegofoot.
Mel Gibson is a dirty racist - we all know that - the real question is whether or not apocalypto represents the truth or is just another veiled attack on the jews.

01-02-07, 10:24 AM
juanruiz

quote:
or is just another veiled attack on the jews.



Care to expand on that thesis?

01-02-07, 11:12 AM
Karrow

quote:
Originally posted by juanruiz:

quote:
or is just another veiled attack on the jews.



Care to expand on that thesis?


He can't jr, he's been banned.

01-02-07, 11:20 AM
dance girl
That was a short relationship with us all Wink

01-02-07, 11:31 AM
juanruiz

quote:
He can't jr, he's been banned.



Wow, that WAS quick! Was it something he said? Wink

01-02-07, 11:37 AM
Karrow
It was something all three of his registrations said! Roll Eyes

01-02-07, 05:22 PM
VivienneHa
Can't say I miss him.
Viv

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,

I hope the disruption of a now-gone poster isn't going to stifle discussion on this. While I haven't seen the movie (nor am I likely to), I'd really like to hear more opinions.

quote:

While I haven't seen the movie

Judging by the paucity of comments here, no one else did either.

I saw the movie. I have no idea if it is racist. My husband (who is from Mexico) didn't think so, but I wonder what a Mayan might say. Most of my husband's family seemed to think Mel Gibson helped a lot of people in the South because he paid the Mayan actors in the movie extremely well by Mexican standards. But I really don't know - I honestly don't know the history well enough to say how accurate the film was. It was pretty bloody, but I think that time in history was pretty bloody. Was it exaggerated or unfair? I don't know.

Personally, I don't think anyone would be asking this if not for Gibson's antisemetic rant. However, even if Gibson is an antisemite, that doesn't mean that he is also a racist against other groups.

Anyway, it was a good movie, all things considered. How did it do at the box office? Did Mel's antisemitic outburst hurt him there?

I got to rent this movie, after reading all of these comments