| Overall Grade: |
A- |
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| Story: |
B |
|
|
| Acting: |
A+ |
|
|
| Direction: |
B+ |
|
|
| Visuals: |
A |
|
|
Pay close attention to the Storyteller's story...
by E (movies profile)
Dec 17, 2007
81
of
101 people found this review helpful
Before you decide whether or not to see this film, I would highly suggest going to the movie website [ ****.com ] and reading at least the first half of the copious production notes--it will give you a much deeper perspective.
===Quick interjection: If you don't want to read this review, just keep in mind that if you pay close attention to the Storyteller's story at the beginning of the film, you'll have a 'deeper perspective' of the film as a whole.===
Without knowing about the production, Gibson's attitude toward the topic, or having a little background in Mayan art and culture, I might not have been as satisfied with the film-- and this is probably somewhat of a flaw. Coming from an indigenous perspective, I worry that many will walk away thinking that the Mayas were a "horrid" culture (as one Yahoo reviewer said--rather simplistically, I might add) based only on the sacrifice scenes and the characters of the Holocane warriors-- and that it wasn't such a bad thing that the conquistadors were about to come and wipe out the majority of them.
However, if you consider that the story takes place at the END-- when many aspects of the civilization were spiralling due to the greed of a few leaders who had a great deal of power, you'll get a less black and white picture. Step back and allow the Maya to be human-- and you'll see a larger story here that speaks--sometimes in hyperbole-- to any 'civilization.' We're quick to criticize others without seeing the tree in our own eyes obstructing our vision. And this is exactly what the conquistadors did-- why they smeared the name of God in blood-- not a far cry from a manipulative priest who cuts out beating hearts and claims to know what God is saying.
I can only hope that whatever viewers' reactions are, they'll be compelled to learn more about this time in history to get a better understanding as to why those at the peak of superficial success are often on the cusp of a downfall.
In the end, I honestly believe Gibson has paid respect to the Maya of old by allowing them to be human. Hopefully, we'll be willing to emerge from the theatre open to dialogue. |
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