The Last Days Of The Maya

Mel Gibson hasn't been in the public opinion's favor lately. It's understandable considering his conduct. Having stupid beliefs and being famous is a bad combination (see also : Tom Cruise).
Of course, all that is completely irrelevant to Gibson's skills as a director. "Apocalypto" is one of those movies whose visual character render their creator a respectable artist. The plot is about a young man of a Mayan tribe who flees his sacrifice to save his family. The simplicity of the plot, however, is an excuse for a series of excellent action scenes, beautiful imagery and the skillful portrayal of a civilization that is rarely featured on the big screen. It is also an excuse for us to ponder what are the greatest motivators of a human being, no matter the time or the circumstances.
I am overlooking the fact that Gibson's most succesful movies have been, in part, violent. Violence can serve a purpose in art, and it's the purpose we should criticize, not violence itself. The purpose of the violence in "The Passion Of The Christ" was probably just a guilt trip for the believers. In "Apocalypto", if I am to interpret one of the taglines of the movie, the violence is meant to be offered as a reason for Mayan corruption, and eventual downfall. I find this slightly hypocritical, considering that the violence of the Spanish (seen arriving at the end of the movie) to whom the Maya succumbed, isn't really morally superior.
But that's a bit of ranting on my part. "Apocalypto" is a rare movie that can justify your visit to a multiplex. Not many movies do lately.