There’s an opening quotation from historian Will Durant: “A great civilization is not conquered from without, until it has destroyed itself from within.” There are suggestive speeches about the crippling effects of fear, how it crawls into the soul and destroys inner peace. Is there any larger meaning? The film offers various possible clues. The film depicts the murderous conquest of peaceful jungle villagers by cruel Mayan warriors, some to be sold as slaves, others destined for a more terrible fate. With its pre-Columbian Mesoamerican setting, unknown cast of indigenous, largely first-time actors, and subtitled dialogue (Yucatek Maya), Apocalypto turns out to be a brutal action movie with unusually exotic production values. Actually, although the English word “apocalypse” connotes the end of the world, the real meaning is revelation, “unveiling.” The form used in the title of Mel Gibson’s latest movie, Apocalypto, means “I reveal.” But what, if anything, is revealed by the film? What is Apocalypto about?
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