It will crawl into the soul of anyone who engages it. Trivia: As a bit of an easter-egg, Mel Gibson included a single-frame of an actor dressed as Wally/Waldo from the "Where's Wally/Waldo?" The city scenes made me want to find a history book that explained the city layout and the lives of city residents at that time. The refugees from earlier are also shown to have been taken captive. [19] In Los Angeles, Gibson screened Apocalypto and participated in a Q&A session for Latin Business Association[20] and for members of the Maya community. The images of positive savages living in harmony and love, undoubtedly, go back to the philosophy of the Enlightenment, which contrasted the children of nature with the townspeople spoiled by civilization. The content ahead is going to be full of spoilers. The omen was foretold, and now we have a fear more grave. I am always fascinated with how much ancient civilizations actually could do and how it always amazes how little we think of their civilization compared to how productive they actually were. I then told Lindsay that it would start to rain, so that we would have the tense scene of the pregnant wife almost drowning. Spanish accounts note that some Maya pyramids along the Yucatan coast were covered with blood presumably human, though the Spanish never witnessed any of the sacrifices themselves. With an even shorter and more uninteresting story to supplement it, no less. It fails, hard. Now his sadness will stop." That view is quite difficult to sustain if you know any of the basic facts about Mayan civilisation or the Spanish conquest. Admittedly, not much is known about Mayan humour, but there is no reason to assume it would have been exactly like that of spoilt American frat boys. Ask us for whatever you wish and you shall have it." Apocalypto seems to have been made to argue that Mayan civilisation was evil and revolting, and that it was a jolly good thing the Spanish turned up to conquer it. The game is this: two prisoners at a time, are released and told to try to run to their freedom. He tries to keep walking but collapses. Although an emphasis on Maya intellectual achievement would have been appropriate, it would have been inconsistent with the movies theme of a cruel and savage Maya civilization. When the end comes, not everyone is ready to . Dahlia finds out that her daughter's (Ceci) "imaginary" friend was Natasha, who was neglected and then abandoned by both her parents. Then the Man said, "I long to know the secrets of the earth." Pursued by his captors, he runs through a dead corn field and hides in a field of decapitated corpses. It tells a straightforward story with interesting characters that the audience can invest in. The fear theme was surrounded by the opening quote and ending scenes in which Mel tried to develop a separate theme of civilizations destorying themselves from within. It was perhaps the best film of that year. A bunch of Mayan villagers are hanging out in the jungle, improbably hunting big game with a zany Indiana Jones-style contraption that looks like a giant sideways meat tenderiser. The production team consisted of a large group of make-up artists and costume designers who worked to recreate the Maya look for the large cast. Animatronics or puppets were employed for the scenes injurious to animals.[16]. Human sacrifice as shown in Apocalypto is generally not considered historically accurate the practice as depicted has been attributed more to the Aztecs rather than the Mayans. It has been defined by John J Collins as "a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, in that it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial, insofar as it involves another, supernatural In either case, the victims would not have been anonymous individuals. The ending doesn't break any rules because there aren't any for this case at all. Seriously, I do think this film would come to mind to remind me of how I should not give into fear if a situation where that would be a problem did arise. And although the conquest of the ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica by the conquistadors remains behind the scenes, a hint of historical events is obvious: several thousand Spaniards conquered millions of Indians also because the latter were mortally afraid of pale-faced aliens and their unseen animals horses. How does apocalypto end? In march 2023, Tim Norman sentenced to life in prison in Sweetie Pie's murder-for-hire plot. GE 4 is gonna involve time travel. Later, the reunited family looks out over the water at the Spanish ships. Directed by Mel Gibson. the Mayan civilization fell into decay about half a millennium before the arrival of the conquistadors, so the Spaniards saw abandoned cities and a dying culture. #APOCALYPTO ENDING EXPLAINED FULL# During the attack, Jaguar Paw lowers his pregnant wife Seven and their young son Turtles Run into a pit. He will go on taking and taking, until one day the World will say, 'I am no more and I have nothing left to give. Initially, the Mayans were reluctant to do so. The film features a cast of Native American and Indigenous Mexican actors consisting of Rudy Youngblood, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Srbulo, Dalia Hernndez, Gerardo Taracena, Rodolfo Palacios, Bernardo Ruiz Juarez, Ammel Rodrigo Mendoza, Ricardo Diaz Mendoza, and Israel Contreras. In Apocalypse, the Jaguar Paw tribe in the jungle confronts the urban Mayan civilization as one of the possible alternatives. Gibson and Safinia were also interested in portraying and exploring an ancient culture as it existed before the arrival of the Europeans. Home; Branches; Donations; Blog; Contact Us; About Us; Free Hepatitis Vaccination; where is brushkana alaska Menu Close The rest of the movie is a race against time as he tries to escape his captors and return to his wife and son before they perish. As the Mayan kingdom faces its decline, a young man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression. Terminator is one of the most popular science fiction movie franchises of all time. This equipment was used in a scene in which Jaguar Paw leaps off a waterfall. This was the last film Gibson directed until 2016's Hacksaw Ridge ten years later. So basically were looking at a 400-year difference in architectural style and history. Several accounts exist of Spanish expeditions in the early 1500s, sailing from Cuba and making stops along the Yucatan coast for provisions. Its main value is children, and the conflicts between members of the tribe are of a humorous nature: these people have nothing to be seriously hostile for. Your words mean nothing. My good friend and colleague, Victor M. Rodrguez, Ph.D., professor of Chicano/Latino Studies at CSU-LB, brings to our attention this important critical analysis of Mel Gibsons Apocalypto. The world-building is done impressively well. At this point, he has taken three arrows already and you are lead to believe he collapsed to his knees from the pain and loss of blood. But in the 1520s, Spanish conquistadors arrived in Yucatn, signalling the beginning of the end for Mayan civilisation. Next up is Jaguar Paw and the presumed headmaster of the tribe that wanted safe passage. The story focuses on Jaguar Paw, a tribesman from a hunting village deep in the jungle. Considering both the Aztecs and the Maya, they eventually chose the Maya for their high sophistication and their eventual decline. Elites, portrayed as ugly without silliness, are shown killing the innocent with schoolyard cruelty. Plot Overview. Before Flint Sky is killed and before Jaguar Paw is sent out to run for his life, the Mayan warrior removes the necklaces they wear. "[45] According to Hansen, the film depicts the post-classic period when the Maya were influenced by the Toltecs and Aztecs. However, he was allegedly added back into the film for the Blu-Ray release. He flees through the jungle, and with only two pursuers remaining, he bursts out of the forest onto a beach. He has completed one tour of duty in Vietnam, only to go home a changed man, miserable amid the confines of civilization. Just hearing the close equivalent of the Mayan language feels far more natural than if the actors were speaking English. [36] According to polls performed by the newspaper Reforma, 80% of polled Mexicans labeled the film as "very good" or "good". And more importantly, this also puts the emphasis on the cinematic visuals, which are a kind of universal language of the heart."[5]. apocalypto ending explained. "[46] Anthropologists have also pointed out that there is no evidence of mass graves in Maya as depicted in the film. They use this to swat a tapir to death, and divide its flesh up between them. Finally, they show Jaguar Paw and his family wandering through the jungle about to start a new tribe. Two captives are sacrificed, but as Jaguar Paw is laid out on the altar, a solar eclipse gives the high priest pause, and the Mayans take the event as an omen that the gods are satisfied and conclude the ceremony, sparing the remaining captives. The bad Mayans take the good Mayans prisoner, and march them off to the big city. Given the director's questionable legacy, how does Apocalypto hold up? But that night as Dahlia puts Ceci in the bathtub, Natasha locks Ceci in, and asks for Dahlia to read her a story. In Maya society, as in all civilizations, violence, surfeit and disparity were balanced by accomplishment, restraint and illumination. The other disappointing overused storytelling devices were the disappearance of the the chasing soldiers in order for Jaguar Paw to have exciting showdowns and the delayed appearances of the chasing soldiers while Jaguar Paw was spending too much time wallowing in pain or being stuck in a mud pit. lot of the movie was sadly predictable. The story focuses on Jaguar Paw, a tribesman from a hunting village deep in the jungle. Jaguar Paw decides not to approach the strangers, and they depart, returning into the jungle to seek a new beginning. I admire Apocalypto for its frankness, but also for the power and artistry of the filmmaking. Then someone else tricks him into rubbing hot chilli sauce on his own private parts. They were infected by it. Dahlia (understandably) can't stay in a place like this anymore and plans to move Ceci out. Famine Most of the step pyramids seen at the Maya city were models designed by Thomas E. Sanders. The movie ends with the Spaniards coming. Actually, the Mayans put up a pretty good fight partly because their civilisation was integrated and coherent, not destroyed, by the time the Spanish arrived. The story of the movie was great, albeit a little too violent for my tastes, up to the point that Jaguar Paw escaped from the Mayan city. Curl Nose: We tell stories of a place stone-built. Animal sacrifice was also common. Once Dahlia discovers where Ceci is, she rushes in the bathroom, only to find the water is filling up the whole bathroom, and she cannot break through the glass to get to her daughter. The film was criticized not only by historians, but also by the Mayan leaders living in the Mexican state of Yucatan, who said that their ancestors looked different, and that human sacrifices were made on major holidays and in moderation. [36], Aspects of Mayan culture and civilization depicted in Apocalypto is considered by scholars to be historically inaccurate. Here, the Indigenous Yucatec Mayan language is spoken with subtitles, which sometimes refer to the language as Mayan. (01:27:52). "[5], Other scholars of Mesoamerican history criticized the film for what they said were numerous inaccuracies. But Gibson was trying to depict opulence, wealth, consumption of resources. Apocalypse Now Plot Analysis. The scarification and tattooing was all researched, the inlaid jade teeth are in there, the ear spools are in there. Other mistake: When Jaguar Paw is running to reach the corn to escape and gets knocked down by an arrow; Middle Eye was about to whack him when Blunted intervened. When the warrior removed Jaguar Paw's necklace just before setting him free, it was a way of telling him that his life was going to be over soon. The tacit paternalism is devastating. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. As they researched the script, Safinia and Gibson traveled to Guatemala, Costa Rica and the Yucatn Peninsula to scout filming locations and visit Maya ruins. 900, Maya civilization in that region had collapsed. But as the other two tribe members come up to kill Jaguar Paw, the camera pans to the shore and you see the Spanish settlers coming to land.Jaguar Paw leaves the two tribe members to deal with the Spanish people as he goes back to the gave where he left his wife and son. Deep rotting fear. "[29] In a negative review, Salon.com noted "People are curious about this movie because of what might be called extra-textual reasons, because its director is an erratic and charismatic Hollywood figure who would have totally marginalized himself by now if he didn't possess a crude gift for crafting violent pop entertainment. For the one he takes you to will cancel the sky, and scratch out the earth. The film was originally slated for an August 4, 2006, release, but Touchstone Pictures delayed the release date to December 8, 2006, due to heavy rains and two hurricanes interfering with filming in Mexico. The remaining captives are then taken by the raiders to be used as target practice and offered freedom if they can run to safety. Jaguar Paw - Apocalypto (2006) Having escaped a horrible death at the hands of the Mayans and defeated the . It is now widely accepted that kuru was transmitted among members of the Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea via funerary cannibalism. Starring: Gerardo Taracena, Jonathan Brewer, Morris Birdyellowhead, Raoul Trujillo, Rudy Youngblood. The Europeans threatened to use force, which eventually coaxed the Mayans into complying with their demands. #Apocalypto ending explained skin When I catch him, I will peel his skin and have him watch me wear it. Bad news for our plucky heroes: it's human sacrifice day in Maya Town. Villagers who survived a savage attack are taken by their captors through the jungle to the central Mayan city. Beware the man who brings the jaguar.So admittedly it wouldnt take much to pull me away from laundry, but this afternoon must have been in 2012 or 2013. The movies infamous violence begins when the tribes idyllic world is shattered by a surprise attack of fierce raiders seeking both captives and slaves to take back to their city. The problems "faced by the Maya are extraordinarily similar to those faced today by our own civilization," co-writer Safinia stated during production, "especially when it comes to widespread environmental degradation, excessive consumption and political corruption". Snake Ink: Lift yourself up, Drunkards Four. The Maya, at the time of the conquest, were intractable and fiercely autonomous. Its not the most exciting, action-filled, or grotesquely violent like much of the movie is, but it sums up the underlying theme of the movie that feels particularly relevant in America today: A society will destroy itself from the inside long before any outside force can manage to conquer it. It seems approximately the first 100yards is sand and after that are the wheat fields. Type of biblical literature that emphasizes the lifting of the veil between heaven and earth and the revelation of God and his plan for the world. Jaguar Paw kills Zero Wolf. [5] In the audio commentary of the film's first DVD release, Safinia states that the old shaman's story (played by Espiridion Acosta Cache, a modern-day Maya storyteller[6]) was modified from an authentic Mesoamerican tale that was re-translated by Hilario Chi Canul, a professor of Maya, into the Yucatec Maya language for the film. It is what makes him sad and what makes him want. Mel Gibson made a very fast cameo. [31] [32] Director Quentin Tarantino said, "I think it's a masterpiece. The Jaguar Paw is both an Indian from a forest tribe who lived in the early 16th century and an archetypal image that everyone understands. [22] The filmmakers intended for the collapse of Maya to mirror issues seen in contemporary society. Another adventure in spectacular physical abuse directed by Mel Gibson, Apocalypto combines gorgeous imagery and stunning brutality. Their sophisticated political systems, extraordinary visual culture, advanced science and development of the only written language in the Americas have long endeared them to historians. What The Movie Is Really About? I really would have enjoyed more of a story centered around the Mayan city, although the constant falling of heads down the steps of the temple was a little too silly. They did go in for a bit of human sacrifice, but it was more a case of throwing the occasional child down a well for the water god to eat. However, Apocalypto takes many liberties with the history of the Mayan civilization that it could be perceived as detrimental to the descendants of its people. Director: Mel GibsonEntertainment grade: CHistory grade: Fail. I just pray that a situation like that would never arise. In fact, the Spanish conquest of the Maya was a long protracted campaign that some claim goes on to this very day. Beware the man who brings the jaguar.So admittedly it wouldn't take much to pull me away from laundry, but this afternoon . The waterfall scene was filmed at Eyipantla Falls, located in San Andrs Tuxtla. His pursuers, as if in a trance, walk weakly toward the arriving Spaniards. "[42] The film's focus on "gratuitous violence"[43] led Julia Guernsey, a professor of Mesoamerican art and culture, to condemn the film, stating in an interview, "there's a lot of really offensive racial stereotyping. '"ialogue Jaguar Paw: The heart. Jaguar Paw Apocalypto (2006) Having escaped a horrible death at the hands of the Mayans and defeated the highly-skilled hunters who set out to kill him, hes finally re-united with his wife and child (in the nick of time), and they flee. And when the Man had all the gifts that they could give, he left. The idea, proposed by the movie, that Maya civilization was at the verge of final self-destruction makes for good drama, but does not reflect the depth of this civilizations resilience and history. At least that's what I think you're putting down. Most villages resisted the Spaniards. Edit Within decades of the first contact with the Spaniards, the Maya would die in the hundreds of thousands as European diseases, colonial exploitation and cruelty took root. And that knowledge makes it difficult not to assume that Gibson operates under the belief that the Mayan people essentially had it coming., 'Cocaine Bear' is A Drug-Fueled Descent Into Pure Chaos, With Red Sparrow, Jennifer Lawrence Tried to Save the Mid-Budget, Star-Powered Thriller, How 'American Psycho 2' Cheated Its Way Into Patrick Bateman Folklore. Question: Can anyone explain the necklaces? This does demand a more detailed look into Mr. Gibson's motives for writing, directing, and producing this film. Apocalypto aimed to remind that a civilization unable to preserve its long-held traditions, beliefs, and spirituality will face destruction. Before Flint Sky is killed and before Jaguar Paw is sent out to run for his life, the Mayan warrior removes the necklaces they wear. [28] Michael Medved gave Apocalypto four stars (out of four) calling the film "an adrenaline-drenched chase movie" and "a visceral visual experience. What is the ending of Apocalypto? Just as he's about to be cut open, a solar eclipse occurs and the tribe takes this as a signal that there have been enough sacrifices. When asked what to do with the other prisoners, the headmaster says for the 2 guy to dispose of them as he sees fit. The sacred time is near. At one point, I told Lindsay that a guy jumping off the waterfall would smash his head on the rocks below. The Europeans put pressure on the Mayans to put an end to the ritual. Even the craziest of conspiracy theories do not suggest that Spain set about conquering the Americas before it had invented itself. As the party approaches the raiders' Mayan city, they encounter razed forests and vast fields of failed maize crops, alongside villages decimated by an unknown disease. #7. We have evidence of larger mass graves. There's no evidence that innocent. Apocalypto was shot on high-definition digital video, using the Panavision Genesis camera. The treatment of sacrifice is also inaccurate and misleading. If you were to believe everything you saw in Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, the Mayans were bloodthirsty brutes whose own moral decay brought about the downfall of their civilization, its. When Middle Eye realizes that Flint Sky is Jaguar Paw's father, he kills Flint Sky and mockingly renames Jaguar Paw "Almost". Many modern Maya rituals, such as processions or prayers, are deliberate and serious affairs. Five centuries later, dozens of royal cities like Tikal and Calakmul were thriving in a region with hundreds of thousands of people. By mentioning that marker of time I mean to say I knew. When the warrior is bitten by the snake, he removes his own necklace before cutting his wrists. Apocalypto is a 2006 film, set in the declining period of the Maya civilization, depicting the journey of a Mesoamerican tribesman who must escape human sacrifice and rescue his family after the capture and destruction of his village. Before we go any further, we need to address the anti-Semitic, racist, misogynistic elephant in the room. People living in nearby towns, villages or homesteads within a days walk from larger centers would venture into the city to sell or buy at the market, pay tribute requirements, witness political spectacles or attend to religious devotions. The word apocalypse is derived from the Greek word apoklypsis, which translates most literally to "an uncovering." In the context of religious texts like the Bible, the word is most often used in relation to a holy disclosure of information or knowledge, usually through some sort of prophetic dream or vision. Apocalypto Ending Explained and Film Analysis. Other filming by second-unit crews took place in El Petn, Guatemala. The film features a cast of Native American and Indigenous Mexican actors consisting of Rudy Youngblood, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Srbulo, Dalia Hernndez, Gerardo Taracena, Rodolfo Palacios, Bernardo Ruiz Juarez, Ammel Rodrigo Mendoza, Ricardo Diaz Mendoza, and Israel Contreras. 1. In the Maya civilization, a peaceful tribe is brutally attacked by warriors seeking slaves and human beings for sacrifice for their gods. Later that night, the tribe gathers around an elder who tells a prophetic story about a being who is consumed by an emptiness that cannot be satisfied, despite having all the gifts of the world offered to him, and who will continue blindly taking until there is nothing left in the world for him to take, and the world is no more. Much of what we see recorded by the Maya is a form of sacrifice known as auto-sacrifice self-inflicted bloodletting involving piercing ear lobes, fingers, tongues and penises. Contact me | Privacy policy | Join the mailing list | Links. Visually, we wanted to go for what would have the most impact. While it seems admirable to cast actors of the proper cultural background and use a close equivalent of the Mayan language, it would work a lot better if the Mayan civilization wasnt portrayed in such a terrible light. Its symptoms resembles the encephalopathy disease known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob (Mad Cow), which is also called the laughing sickness, and is contracted by eating contaminated flesh. Apocalypto sets itself up very early on, making it easy to follow the characters and understand their world. When the warrior is bitten by the snake, he removes his own necklace before cutting his wrists. ST. LOUIS, Mo. Fear is a sickness. Does blunted die in Apocalypto?lunted dies like a hero, and Jaguar Paw escapes, though wounded. Mel Gibson's latest film, Apocalypto, tells a story set in pre-Columbian Central America, with the Mayan Empire in decline. While the male captives are to be used in sacrificial rituals, the women are sold as slaves. According to Ardren, Apocalypto "replays, in glorious big-budget technicolor, an offensive and racist notion that Maya people were brutal to one another long before the arrival of Europeans and thus they deserved, in fact, they needed, rescue. Principal photography ended in July 2006. That this is supposed to be a statement about how entirely too many movies nowadays have main characters who are written with all the subtlety of the most blatant of self insert, Mary Sue characters. The franchise is known for its futuristic plot, action-packed scenes, and unforgettable characters. By 200 B.C, their landscape was dominated by cities of thousands of people composed of monumental temples, royal palaces and public art. He ties a rope to a nearby rock so that they can climb out again before running back to the village to help, killing a raider along the way. Gibsons portrayal of a fervent and orgiastic mob completely violates what we know about Maya propriety in ritual behavior. Subscribe for free to Inverses award-winning daily newsletter! See also: Maya textiles. Again, the historical facts tell a different and more compelling story. Apocalypto (/ p k l p t o /) is a 2006 historical epic film produced, co-written, and directed by Mel Gibson.The film features a cast of Native American and Indigenous Mexican actors consisting of Rudy Youngblood, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Srbulo, Dalia Hernndez, Gerardo Taracena, Rodolfo Palacios, Bernardo Ruiz Juarez, Ammel Rodrigo Mendoza, Ricardo Diaz Mendoza, and . The vulture replied, "You shall have mine." You can unsubscribe at any time. I think it was the best artistic film of that year. By 300 B.C., the Maya had developed political and economic systems that were regionally integrated. As the two raiders are confounded by the Spanish ships, Jaguar Paw uses the distraction to flee and return to his village. The Jaguar Paw Tribe is an archaic, almost prehistoric community, devoid of class divisions and living in complete harmony with nature. The message isnt subtle: the Mayan civilization caused their own downfall long before the Spanish showed up. The movie continues with a harrowing march of tears and blood. Apocalyptic. Our job is to do a beautiful movie."[12]. The film serves as a cultural critique in Hansen's words, a "social statement" sending the message that it is never a mistake to question our own assumptions about morality. Jaguar Paw: Where are they taking us? In Apocalypto, Mel Gibson paints a feverish, childish version of the Maya and mangles decades of scholarship about this complex civilization. Yet the Maya city portrayed in the movie, central to its plot, dates roughly to the 9th century. Out of all the scenes in Apocalypto, this one encompasses the film the best. Though unnamed in the movie, the Europeans at the end of the film are led by Christopher Columbus, who made first contact with Mayan cultures in 1502. [14] During filming, Gibson and cinematographer Dean Semler employed Spydercam,[15] a suspended camera system allowing shooting from above. Fleeing back into the jungle, Jaguar Paw nearly sinks in quicksand, but very calmly escapes. Blunted: No, her mother. No, there is not any credible evidence of it. I could make guesses, but I do not really know what Mel Gibson was trying to say. Returning to the fight, Jaguar Paw nearly kills the sadistic raider Middle Eye, but is captured. Apocalypse Now Ending Explained: The Horror, The Horror United Artists By Lee Adams / Updated: Oct. 21, 2021 3:13 pm EST The 1970s was an exceptional decade for American cinema, with directors of. Other disputed depictions of the Mayas include the sacrifice of commoners and mass graves. Interestingly, murals recently discovered at San Bartolo in Guatemala depict scenes of auto-sacrifice and animal sacrifice. Archaeological sites indicate that the Mayans used several methods for sacrifice such as "decapitation, heart excision, dismemberment, hanging, disembowelment, skin flaying, skull splitting and burning. Christopher Columbus sneaks in at the end. After many centuries of misguided and simplistic views of the Maya, recent scholarship has shown the complexity and historical depth of their civilization. What happened to Sky flower in Apocalypto? The Man said, "I want to have good sight." So fierce was the Maya defense of their lands that Corts avoided much of this coast, choosing to land farther west along what is known today as the coast of Veracruz. The ceremony shown here is very faithful to the most lurid sources on the Aztec ritual. [24], On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 65% based on 200 reviews, with an average rating of 6.40/10. There is often an expectation of something new coming from the destruction of the old, whether it be new cultures rebuilding in the ruins of old ones, or a judgment that allows entrance into a physical or spiritual paradise. Thanks be to you. Paco Genkoji Receives Dharma Transmission. Mel Gibson's Mayan film gets the human sacrifice rituals luridly accurate - pity they're Aztec ceremonies, not Mayan, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Peaceful village life, before the arrival of guns and syphilis. The Mayan civilization was incredibly advanced for the time with remarkable achievements in astronomy, architecture, engineering, medicine, and more. While these are brave and ambitious choices, they also imply that Apocalypto is a sincere depiction of Maya society. Gibson cribbed these images for his mural scene but saw fit to alter them to convey a view of the Maya involved in wanton human sacrifice. Led by Aldo Signoretti, the make-up artists daily applied the required tattoos, scarification, and earlobe extensions to all of the on-screen actors. The films depiction of human sacrifice. Sanders explained his approach: "We wanted to set up the Mayan world, but we were not trying to do a documentary. Striving for a degree of historical accuracy, the filmmakers employed a consultant, Richard D. Hansen, a specialist in the Maya and assistant professor of archaeology at Idaho State University.