Note: This review is not going to be a diatribe against Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitism. If I was asked to write critical analysis on Mel Gibson and not Apocalypto, then that’d be a whole different ballgame. But until then, it’s criticism on the art, not the artist.

Let’s put the hype aside. Mel Gibson’s latest project Apocalypto is a fantastic film in and of itself, working as a combination of political allegories and thrilling action. Unlike Passion of the Christ, this is not one of the director’s indulgences, but rather an argumentative piece exploring the themes of wartime, loyalty, and fear. Set in an untold period before the Spanish conquest of South America, the film depicts the Mayan civilization on the brink of collapsing, leading to a domino effect of suspicion and anxiety amongst the tribe. Gibson’s trademarks are easily noticeable, especially the use of the virtually extinct Mayan language and his love for gratuitous bloodshed. Certainly, Apocalypto will be a jarring and unexpected experience for some moviegoers, but there is plenty to enjoy and ponder. Employing the newcomer Rudy Youngblood as our persecuted hero, the controversial director’s newest work poses a rhetorical question to audiences, and miraculously explains it through one of film’s most inspiriting chase sequences.

In a small Mayan village, Jaguar Paw (Youngblood) lives peacefully with his pregnant wife Seven (Hernandez) and son Turtles Run (Baez). Like all males of the tribe, they hunt to provide for food and other goods. But when groups of ominous tribespeople start treading their ways through the village, Jaguar Paw knows something dangerous is forthcoming. After all, he has a responsibility - to raise a large family like his wise father Flint Sky (Birdyellowhead), and set an example for the village. After an omen in his dreams, our hero awakes one morning only to find a group of villainous Holcane soldiers arriving at their jungle abodes. Their purpose - kill, rape, pillage, and take the best sacrificial lambs to the empirical plazas. Led under the tight rein of Zero Wolf (Trujillo) and his deputy Snake Ink (Palacios), Jaguar Paw is forced to leave behind Seven and Turtles Run, determined to not let the empire’s collective paranoia of the sun gods turn him away from his family. As the journey unravels, our protagonist’s motives slowly begin to draw away from fear and towards independence and pride - but will be able to withstand the whim of the great Mayan dictator?

Youngblood is a prime choice for the role of Jaguar Paw: young, bold, and authentic. Despite his learning the ancient Mayan language and habits for the role, the actor successfully transforms himself from the average hunter into the oppressed prisoner and back into a courageous and revenge-driven action hero. These are characters drawn to the most rudimentary of performances, basing their actions merely off historical documents and analysis. For his first screen role ever, Youngblood triumphs.