ANOTHER MEL GIBSON MOVIE I WON'T SEE
'Apocalypto' does disservice to its subjects

From the San Francisco Chronicle by way of my buddy Mark:

Problem is, there exists no archaeological, historic or ethnohistoric data to suggest that any such mass sacrifices -- numbering in the thousands, or even hundreds -- took place in the Maya world.

Third, once Gibson paints this bloody picture of 15th century Maya civilization, the ultimate injustice is handed the pre-Columbian Maya. As the jungle hero escapes the evil city and is chased to the edge of the sea by his antagonists, with literally nowhere else to turn, Spanish galleons appear, complete with a small, lead boat carrying a stalwart friar hoisting a crucifix. For Gibson, the new beginning for these lost Mayan people, the Apocalypto, evidently is the coming of the Spaniards and Christianity to the Americas.

Although this film will undoubtedly create interest in the field of Maya archaeology by way of its spectacular reconstructions and beautiful jungle scenes, the lasting impression of Maya and other pre-Columbian civilizations is this: The Maya were simple jungle bands or bloodthirsty masses duped by false religions, resulting in the ruin of their mighty but misguided civilization, and their salvation arrived with the coming of Christian beliefs saddled on the backs of Spanish conquistadors.

As archaeologists struggle to accurately reconstruct ancient Maya society, obstructed by their decimation via Western diseases; destruction of their books, art and history by Spanish friars; and their subjugation and exploitation by the conquistadors, such films as "Apocalypto" represent a significant disparagement of that process.

Click here for the rest.

Jeez, what is it with this guy? For a mediocre actor, he's one hell of a culturally backward asshole director. After ripping on the Jews in his Jesus snuff flick The Passion, and then after ripping on the Jews during his drunk driving arrest a few months ago, he comes back with this shit? You know, the Mayans are oppressed to this day: the Zapatista movement in Mexico is strongly supported by some of the poorest of the poor within the borders of our neighbor to the south, and it is no coincidence that they are Mayans. Nonetheless, conservative Catholic Gibson wants to push the idea that the arrival of the Catholic Conquistadores in Central America was somehow good for them. What a nut! That's almost along the lines of telling African-Americans that slavery was good for them.

But then, Mel Gibson is a racist, which we know for sure, so I have no right to be surprised by any of this.

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