Since the time he started off his film-making career with a much more conventional Brave Heart, Mel Gibson hasn’t really believed in making films for the faint-hearted! Controversial themes and gory violence have marred his films but no one can deny his ability to make extravagantly spectacular screen epics from various eras. Apocalypto is Gibson’s ambitious cinematic take on the ancient Mayan civilization and even though I found it fascinating, there is a distinct possibility that many viewers would find it quite the opposite!

Now to the threadbare and not easily decipherable plot. An idyllic forest village community is attacked by mercenaries sent by the Mayan ruler. The captured jungle-folk are taken through an arduous journey to the Mayan capital, where they are to be publicly sacrificed in order to appease the community Gods! The slain village-chief’s young son Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) is one of the captives slated for the sacrifice. But an unexpected solar eclipse gives him the opportunity to escape from his bloodthirsty captors. With villainous vicious mercenaries in hot pursuit, Jaguar Paw now has to return to his jungle and find out whether his pregnant wife and small kid have survived in their hideout! Can he make it back? Can he defy the odds against him?

The spectacular cinematography, the exotic depiction of an unknown ancient culture (including its strange language!) and some breathtaking action keeps this 2 hour-plus subtitled movie motoring along. Combining myth with history, Gibson portrays the decadent declining Mayan culture in his own inimitable controversial way. He touches briefly on issues like Man’s greed, lust, imperialism, consumerism and barbarism and also tries to give a message ‘Go back to nature’! But to be frank, the message never really comes across clearly to make an impact. It is not a message-movie- it is just a well-made screen spectacle!