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The movie has no flaw in its direction, acting, background setting. It succeeds in reconstructing a tool-age civilization now defunct. Perhaps only an archaelogist could find fault in it.
However the story itself is an utter failure. It does not fulfil its original objective of justifying the claim that a civilization's downfall is primarily due to its destruction from within rather than outer invasion. The story tells nothing about why and how Mayan civilization died out. It merely shows the blood-thirstiness and brutal nature of Mayan people but did not go on and explain for instance how these intensify the conflicts within themselves and eventually dissociates the civilization.
Mel Gibson the director of The Passion of Christ has infused religious messages into his new film. The reference to prophecy, omen has somewhat destroyed the movie. If Apocalypto is a history lesson then it should not contain any hocus pocus. There is a portrayal of human sacrifice which the Bible condemns, but surprisingly, the movie shows no aggression from the European invaders, where there should be. The way I see it, Mel Gibson seems to suggest the arrival of Europeans and Christianity has brought salvation to the wicked Mayan people.
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