Mel Gibson as a director has a very unique way of presenting a story. The violence and gore in his movies are extreme and some folks may find it too difficult to sit through. But you just can’t stop watching it either. The spectacle, the grandiose and the pace will keep you rooted. Apocalypto is one such movie, beautifully shot and an out-and-out director’s movie. There are no superstars in the cast, and so the onus is on the director to get himself counted. And Gibson does that in style.

The story is from the days when the Mayan Civilization was in the decline. A jungle tribe, happy in its own little world, is savagely attacked by the mercenaries working for the Mayan king. Several are killed, and all other adults in the tribe are taken as prisoners. The group includes the protagonist, Jaguar Paw, who hides his pregnant wife and son in a pit to keep them safe. The prisoners are to be taken to the city, where the king is sacrificing such prisoners to get his kingdom rid of the plague and famine that is ruining his rule. A celestial miracle saves Jaguar Paw from getting slain; and then the rest of the movie is about his escape and returning to his wife and son, with the mercenary gang in hot pursuit.

The director’s shock treatment is extreme. The initial devastation of Jaguar’s tribe, the ravaged state of affairs due to famine and plague, the human sacrifices, are extremely gruesome and shocking to watch. But the action and the stunning cinematography is too good to resist and miss.

There are a few philosophical touches too from the director. Jaguar’s realization that he cannot fight his enemies if there is fear inside him transforms his temperament; and he takes the battle up in his own style. And finally, by showing the Spanish explorers arriving at the shores in their sophisticated boats probably is a message that all that staid and simple in their lives was soon going to change, just they do not realize it at that time.

It is a must watch, if one can tolerate a bit of a brutality and blood. The director ensures that you are totally entertained and mesmerized for a little over two hours of its run-time. One small point to note – the dialogues are not in English, but probably some Mayan tongue spoked in those days. Closed captions are a must.

Currently available on Amazon Prime.