Mel Gibson´s Apocalypto

[keyhero]

Today I went to the movies with some friends, and we saw this movie, it is a little too much. The way he presents the mayan culture has nothing to do with the real history, it seemed more like a Van Dame film rescueing his wife and kids, with a lot more blood, the truth is we were not happy with the result.

To start with Spanish conquerors did not arrive to America by the actual state of quintana roo, nor guatemala, and the mayans were not there when they arrived, of course I knowit is just a movie, but he made this amaing culture look so...I don´t know how to name it, whatever.

Of course I know ancient mexican cultures like aztecas and olmecas and many others were not peaceful people they were indeed great warriors, and I guess that is why my country is what it is now.

When English conquered North America they came to to thus continent to make a better way of living for them and their sons, scaping from low quality life, and all the things that we already know therefore they made laws and had the thougth of community and prosperity for everyone, but, instead when Spanish conquered Latin America (All the countries from Mexico to Argentina) the only thing that mattered to them was how much they could get from this new found land, gold, silver, precious stones, etc.

The locals tried to keep their culture and fought spanish and themselves, and they were always trying to see who could they mess with, steal from, os as we say in Spanish, chingar, it means fuck someone, not sexually but to steal to smug, you know what I mean. So the countries continued trough history with the same pattern to try to achieve as much they could but only for themselves and never for others in their comunities, that is why there is a lot very very very wealthy people and a lot extremely poor people in this countires, and this will never change unless we as latins change the way we think, fortunately as I see it things are already changing in my country, we are starting to change a lot of things little by little, but there is still too much to do.

Conclusion, if you ever wondered what went wrong with Mexico and all other latinamerican countries, this is the anwer.

Oh. lets not forget that Spanish conquerors were all prisioners and the worst people in their conutry.

Any questions?

 

[madame_zora]

That's sad to hear that the movie was so historically innacurate, I wasn't planning to see it though, because I'd expected that of Gibson anyway. He did it to make money and tell a story, not produce a good documentary. His views aren't exactly ones I treasure.

I think your summation of your culture might be a good parallel to what will be the downfall of ours as well.

 

[Heather LouAnna]

My parents are Mayan archaeologists. They both hated it. My mother was sloshing around a large glass of red wine when she said "They only focus on the Maya elite's negative actions and don't mention any of their accomplishments. The Spanish showing up at the end is just ludicrous."

It's hollywood. It's entertaining. I saw it in the theater...twice....and I got it on my computer already too. :X lol

And my friend Leslie, who's in Friday Night Lights went to highschool with the guy that plays the lead role. He's a real sweety.

So there's my two cents..heehee

 

[D_N Flay Table]

wow, your parents are coo!!!!!!

 

[ruffboy]

mel, again, just overdoes it. and fuck me if i'm wrong, but a couple sections felt so much like the road warrior i thought i was hallucinating.

yet, all said, its a fun-filled trill ride if yer not hung up on it being 100% accurate. and i'm a closet maya scholar myself. its candy.

 

[B_big dirigible]

When English conquered North America they came to to thus continent to make a better way of living for them and their sons, scaping from low quality life, and all the things that we already know therefore they made laws and had the thougth of community and prosperity for everyone, but, instead when Spanish conquered Latin America (All the countries from Mexico to Argentina) the only thing that mattered to them was how much they could get from this new found land, gold, silver, precious stones, etc.

The locals tried to keep their culture and fought spanish and themselves, and they were always trying to see who could they mess with, steal from, os as we say in Spanish, chingar, it means fuck someone, not sexually but to steal to smug, you know what I mean. So the countries continued trough history with the same pattern to try to achieve as much they could but only for themselves and never for others in their comunities, that is why there is a lot very very very wealthy people and a lot extremely poor people in this countires, and this will never change unless we as latins change the way we think, fortunately as I see it things are already changing in my country, we are starting to change a lot of things little by little, but there is still too much to do.

Conclusion, if you ever wondered what went wrong with Mexico and all other latinamerican countries, this is the anwer.

What, the fact that you have rich and poor in the same country? So does the USA. The US also had some extremely bloodthirsty aboriginals - none so sophisticated as many of those in Mexico and points south, but still devoted to pain and death. The English settlers became acquainted with all that quite early, certainly by March 22, 1622, when surprise Indian attacks murdered a third of the colony of Jamestown.

Blaming social problems on income disparity is the start of the slippery slope to Marxism. No country which has adopted Marxism as a way of life has done very well with it. It leads to the evisceration of a population's native genius, whatever it may be, drowning all innovation and initiative in a pervasive welfare state. That's the best outcome. A worse outcome is corruption at grotesque levels. India is a good example. The state as envisioned by Nehru would control an efficient, centrally-planned economy. To that end, government had to control nearly all economic activity, and to do anything at all in Nehru's state, one needed a permit or license granted by the government. That provided irresistable temptations for corruption, as government administrators demanded bribes and kickbacks in return for the necessary licenses. But the very worst outcome of the centralized Marxist state is a takeover by ideologues. Then you get Cambodia, or China of the Cultural Revolution days. What successes American society has enjoyed have not derived from arbitrary redistributions of wealth.

 

[Honey Honoria]

FYI, the British invaded first. Actually, I consider a lot of European countries to be the, or perhaps have been the, more hostile simply for that reason. The British didn't come to North America with prosperity and neighbourly intentions, but instead came with false promises of it. For many years it was the Settlers that created residential schools and what can only be described as ritual kidnapping to surpress the indigenous cultures scattered across North America.

Most of these "savage" cultures throughout Canada and the United States weren't so bloodthirsty or devoted to pain and death. Perhaps the US was much more successful because they were completely ruthless in their settling of the land, and did no favours to those they trampled and killed.

Also, I find it strange how you shrug off the attacks on the British as being savage and bloodthirsty, while nobody would expect anything different of the British in that time period had another culture just decided to steal their land.

 

[AlteredEgo]

FYI, the British invaded first. Actually, I consider a lot of European countries to be the, or perhaps have been the, more hostile simply for that reason. The British didn't come to North America with prosperity and neighbourly intentions, but instead came with false promises of it. For many years it was the Settlers that created residential schools and what can only be described as ritual kidnapping to surpress the indigenous cultures scattered across North America.

Most of these "savage" cultures throughout Canada and the United States weren't so bloodthirsty or devoted to pain and death. Perhaps the US was much more successful because they were completely ruthless in their settling of the land, and did no favours to those they trampled and killed.

Also, I find it strange how you shrug off the attacks on the British as being savage and bloodthirsty, while nobody would expect anything different of the British in that time period had another culture just decided to steal their land.

:werd:

 

[B_NineInchCock_160IQ]

I know the film isn't historically accurate, but it looks quite visually arresting from the trailers and I would still like to see it for that alone if nothing else. Unfortunately it's not playing anywhere around here anymore and I didn't go see it in time.

 

[kalipygian]

Very impressed with the architectural remains of the Maya, and would be glad to see the society brought to life.
I have not seen any of his work since Braveheart, it was extremely innacurate historically. And because of his homophobia, I don't intend to.

 

[Gisella]

What I know is that I left the movie theater by the time they didnt had their head cut, maybe 1/2 movie...and went to the Border book store near by theater as waiting for my 2 friends finish watching it.

I found boring didnt like it at all.

 

[Heather LouAnna]

wow, your parents are coo!!!!!!

lol not really...They're both big dorks. There's Star Trek shit all over the house, right next to the artifacts they have hanging and laying around. My step dad even plays WoW regularly. Myabe that's why I get along with computer so well. We're a family of nerds.

 

[ruffboy]

ha!! classic, thanks for makin' this thread real again heather ;-)

 

[ruffboy]

I know the film isn't historically accurate, but it looks quite visually arresting from the trailers and I would still like to see it for that alone if nothing else. Unfortunately it's not playing anywhere around here anymore and I didn't go see it in time.

it is visually compelling to be certain, the interpretation of maybe possibly too literally rendered headresses is quite amazing (not sure how that much precious stone would actually weigh, seems it might snap the neck of even the most accomplished break dancer). i didn't find the gratuitous head chopping that sickening, but probably because i'm so desensitized to the hollywood nature of it, no doubt had i been there in person i'd have started a regular vomitarama, seems in those huge crowds scenes they should throw in at least a couple regular maya type folks who look traumatized by the scene, not all could have been brainwashed bloodthirsy savages, i'm sure there were a couple accountants in the crowd.

anyway, rambling, NIC, it is worth the view for one film's recreation of the whole scpiel. one of the most compelling sequences for me was the depiction of the changing physical environment as they approach the city, the landscape denuded of ALL raw materials within easy reach to support the development and feeding of the populace and their structures. (again though, he goes over the top with the lime mine...)

rambling....

 

[B_josiah852]

Sorry the movie was so innacurate. I haven't seen it yet and was hoping it to be.

Now if you have ever studied genealogy you would have come across books written by a man by the name of Coldham. These books are records of The English, the Scots, the Irish and others emptying their prisons of thieves, rapists and murderers and sending them to what would become known as the United States. Castro wasn't the first to empty his prisons and send them to the U.S. cause he knew we would take them.

So many of our U.S. ancestors were nothing more than criminals, just like the conquerers of other countries. Seems we were all more alike than we really knew. lol.

When English conquered North America they came to to thus continent to make a better way of living for them and their sons, scaping from low quality life, and all the things that we already know therefore they made laws and had the thougth of community and prosperity for everyone, but, instead when Spanish conquered Latin America (All the countries from Mexico to Argentina) the only thing that mattered to them was how much they could get from this new found land, gold, silver, precious stones, etc.

Conclusion, if you ever wondered what went wrong with Mexico and all other latinamerican countries, this is the anwer.

Oh. lets not forget that Spanish conquerors were all prisioners and the worst people in their conutry.

Any questions?

 

[Heather LouAnna]

It's hollywood. Not history. Be humored, not a fucking historian.

 

[ruffboy]

ouch....

It's hollywood. Not history. Be humored, not a fucking historian.