Whatever he may do/say off camera, there’s no denying that Mel Gibson is a master of his craft, and it is a damn shame that he has been overlooked for his brilliant efforts twice in a row for the Oscars. Perhaps a holocaust film by Gibson might find redemption with the Hollywood bigwigs.

Anyways, I am not here to blog on Gibson but rather on his his latest effort, and as word has travelled around the critical grapevine, it is one heck of an intense and visceral experience that leaves one virtually breathless. But, it is not for the faint of heart (film had some audience members gasping in horror, while a lady friend peeked through shielded hands during the bloody moments).

Apocalypto is set during the declining years of the Mayan civilization, and revolves around Jaguar Paw, a young warrior who hunts in the nearby forests with his father and other able males of the community. A brutal attack on their community by powerful Mayan warriors renders majority of the dwellers enslaved including Jaguar Paw, but not before he has tucked his family to safety. Others are killed while children are left to fend for themselves. The slaves are taken to the city where the women are sold off and the men have untold horrors awaiting them. Jaguar Paw, due to strong survival instincts, escapes his captors and flees to the jungle where a cat-and-mouse chase ensues between the wounded Paw and a bunch of ruthless warriors headed by the unshakeable Zero Wolf and his psychopathic sidekick Snake Ink who has it real bad for Paw from the beginning. If that is not enough, dangerous creatures make their presence felt, and time is ticking away as his family faces imminent death.

Although an action adventure by genre, film is human at it’s core with a fine sprinkling of genuine humour and tender displays of emotional moments (even amongst the loathsome). Only a master craftsman can pull off such a difficult trick and Gibson balances it effortlessly with the help of his talented bunch.

Film boasts of striking visuals and breath taking imagery that brings to life an entire civilization right before our very own eyes. You simply can’t avoid getting awed whether it is a tapir hunt in the jungles, or the intoduction of the city with it’s sickly dwellers and their towering temples. Not to be outdone, the make-up wizards have done a terrific job on the various body piercings that the culture adopted as a sign of beauty and respect. Musical score by the legendary James Horner complements the proceedings while special mention has to be made for the exemplary camera work by Dean Semler, crisp editing by Kevin Stitt and John Wright, and authentic looking costume design and art direction.

Of course, all this would be naught if it isn’t supported by able performances. Rudy Youngblood as Jaguar Paw heads the cast and is quite good in the physically and emotionally demanding role. Raoul Trujillo (last seen in Terence Mallik’s A New World) is awesome as Zero Wolf, the leader of the pack who makes it his sole mission to capture Paw at any cost, and Rodolfo Palacious as Snake Ink, is quite appropriately named as he makes the slithery reptiles seem tame by comparison. Rounding it off, Dalia Hernandez as Jaguar Paw’s spouse, and the little wonder Carlos Emilio Baez as her son are note-worthy in their respective roles.

Mel Gibson deserves a standing ovation for packaging an action adventure in an intricate period set-up, while keeping an eye on historical accuracy (in addition to research, Gibson had on hand archaelogist Richard Jensen as consultant), and period detail (people criticising him for historical inaccuracies may not have heard of cinematic liberties - it’s a maintream action adventure, for goodness sake!). His choice of relative unknowns to head the cast of a big-budgeted feature was wise as well, since the film is physically demanding (there were reported injuries on sets and dangerous stunts had to be performed by the cast, while temperatures soared through roof). Simply an amazing work.

Verdicto: Its ‘bloody’ terrific!

MPAA RATING: R for sequences of graphic violence and disturbing images.
DURATION: 139 mins.
CAST: Rudy Youngblood, Daklia Hernandez, Raoul Trujillo
DIRECTOR: Mel Gibson

“Del Toro’s labyrinth, is a phantasmogrically dark trip,
reality vs fantasy, with nary a foolish slip”.

[d3 update: apologies are in order since I have been vacationing in Melbourne, and have not been able to commission time - till now - to plug in my reviews]

Mexican film maker Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Blade 2, Devil’s backbone) revisits similar paths that lead to The Devil’s Backbone, and spins a spellbinding tale of war, fantasy and a young girl’s yearning for her dead father.

It’s Spain during General Franco’s fascist rule, and Ofelia and her very pregnant mother make a perilous journey deep into the countryside to join her step-father, the sadistic Captain Vidal, at his new outpost. Inspite of a cold reception from the Captain, Ofelia finds a friend in the Captain’s trusted housekeeper Mercedes, and in a grasshopper that later turns into a fairy, and leads her to an ancient stone labyrinth that is the lair of a faun, the crusty Pan, who informs her that she is the lost princess of a magical kingdom. In order to reclaim that right and join her anxious father, the king, she has to complete three dangerous tasks before the next full moon that will qualify her as the rightful heiress.
While Ofelia tries to complete her tasks, the Captain has to deal with the revolutionaries, his wife’s ailing condition, possible traitors among his loyal hands and a step-daughter whom he is not too fond of. As days progress, events turn darker by the hour to everyone’s detriment.

Pan’s Labyrinth is not an easy film, and Guillermo Del Toro is deserving of the majority of the credit for a skillful rendition of a complex tale of dramatic and tragic proportions that incorporates fantasy with harsh reality. Lending terrific support to his vision is Sergi Lopez as the terrifyingly sick Captain Vidal and Ivana Banquero as the innocent Ofelia, who delivers a performance worthy of a veteran.

Earning equal kudos are the technical wizards in the visual, sound and make-up departnments, the cinematographer Guillermo Navarro and the music dude Javier Navarette who delivers a haunting score to the proceedings.

People expecting a regular horror fare might be disappointed - but if you were taken in my Cronos and The Devil’s Backbone, you will love Pan’s Labyrinth. Another feather in Del Toro’s cap.

Verdict - A must see for every discerning viewer.

DURATION: 119 mins.
MPAA RATING: R For graphic violence and some language
CAST: Sergi Lopez, Ivana Banquero, Maribel Verdu
DIRECTOR: Guillermo Del Toro