Apocalypto: More Heat from the Anthro Community

Since I first blogged about Mel Gibson's new adventure/action movie called "Apocalypto" ("Apocalypto: Bloody, violent, and not what you might call accurate"), a lot more of the anthropology community has seen it and weighed in on the violence and accuracy (or not) of the portrayal of the Maya. I still haven't seen it, and may not go based on what my colleagues have to say (but then, I'm squeamish). Interestingly, lately there has been some backlash to the first seemingly universal disdain. Here's a collection of commentaries that I could find--according to Technorati there are actually over 2400 blogs about Apocalypto as of this morning, so I might have missed some important commentary. If so, please add a comment pointing to it.

• No Maya Libraries in Apocalypto, David Martin in Temple University Library blog
• Colonialism, and Why You're Unlikely to get a Fair Review of Apocalypto, manmakeshimself on Anthropology.net
• Is Apocalypto upsetting the Maya or just Mayan experts?, Kambiz Kamrani on Anthropology.net
• A review of Apocalypto, Kambiz Kamrani on Anthropology.net
• A Prehistory of Violence, Dana Stevens on Slate
• Apocalypto and Collapse, by John Hawks
• The Coming Apocalypto, by Tony Cagle on ArchaeoBlog
• "...enthusiastically embraced human sacrifice...", archaeo at Hall of Maat
• Apocalypto aside from accuracy, Quetzil E. Castañeda and Kathryn Lehmann on the Caribbean Amerindian Centrelink blog
• Apocalypto and the Colonial Mindset, CyberAztec at XISPAS, which includes the commentary by Gabriela Erandi Rico which has been making the non-web based Internet rounds
• Apocalypto: Caligula of the Yucatan, CyberAztec at XISPAS

Here are some more mainstream media comments:

• Brutally Honest, Sonny Bunch in the Daily Standard, "it is specious for professional historians and grievance groups alike to argue that Apocalypto is a wanton desecration of the memories of the Mayan people"
• Culture Shocker, William Booth at the Washington Post
• Mel Gibson Is Responsible for All the Wars in the World, J Hobermann in the Village Voice

I guess, it's hard for me to say not having seen the movie yet, but if you ask me whether you should go (and an old friend just did), here's what I'd say: Based on my reading, Apocalypto is really really violent (hearts being wrenched from chests, etc etc), and really really exciting, and really really beautifully photographed. I think probably the historical aspects are deeply inaccurate (or at least one-sided and not reflective of Maya so much as all of the most violent aspects of central American cultures mushed together). I think if you like Mel Gibson's movies, you'll like it, but don't go expecting historical accuracy (and please don't jump to any conclusions about the central American cultures based on it!). Absolutely don't take the kids!