Despite the innacuracies, was Apocalypto at least an interesting portrayal of the ancient Maya?

Question

I am more than aware of the terrible innacuracies in this portrayal and, as lamentable as they are, wasn't it at least really neat to see on screen the language, dress, jewelry, art, architecture, and environment of the Maya. Although all of these things may have been put in the wrong place or context and would lead the lay person to the wrong picture of the truth, is it not still amazing to see it all brought to life in some form? Rather than criticize a piece of art using liscence to tell a story, perhaps the critics should influence the creation of another film on the Maya so we can have the opposite depiction!

Answer 1

I recently saw the movie and yes, inaccuracies aside, I thought it was a visually great movie. I liked the portrayal of tribal life such as hunting and, best of all, the practical joking! (They WERE humans, right?). I also liked the version of "city life" portrayed: the spoiled, high-class children picking on and scoffing at the sacrifices to-be, the hair styles, the jewelry, all good fuel for further speculation and conversation.

Answer 2

B'ix a wilik?

Answer 3

as an anthropology graduate i thought it was an interesting portrayal and found the use of the indigenous language, although this was not the original as they claimed, quite intriguing.

Answer 4

It seemed to me that it was depicting a desperate moment of the Mayans who apparently were able to predict the coming total eclipse.  I am skeptical of people trying to say the Mayans weren't that way.  How do they suppose that enemies were dealt with.  I doubt it was pretty when it became personal like Gibson captured in the movie.  Even if the Mayans didn't sacrifice people like that, the reality of warfare isn't much different.  It is a brutal reality that was practiced often by nearly all of the known native Americans.  It is wishful thinking and surprisingly prevalent even among some Archaeologists to suppose that white men brought war.  I can only guess that this is the outrageous inaccuracies decried by "experts".