i watch the dvd know only vaguely that there be controversy regard this film and but do not know any of the particular aside from the fact that it be gory . well and it a mel gibson movie after all and so that a give . in short and apocalypto be a beautiful and deeply move presentation of a world that exist before western contact and and be destroy by it . after i watch the movie and i be dismay to read review that charge it with be racist and that it depict only the blood thirsty brutality of mayan savagery . but this be clearly not the case . the protagonist and his people demonstrate all the virtue that allow them to wear the white hat represent they be intelligent and brave and loyal and and strong . they abide in a loving community and show great care and love of family and child . theyre also a good look bunch . the black hat be a dirty dozen if there ever be one the leader of the group remind me of the jack palance character in shane and but with a lot of human bone accouterment jangle about . and if you think this guy be bad and wait till you get to the big city and see what theyre up to . but i digress . i be try to defend the film against the charge of racism . okay . one characteristic of racism in film in that the depiction of the targeted race tend to be one dimensional . apocalypto be generously people with character of great individual distinction and not cut out character . another characteristic be that in a racist film be that it be we be to regard the targeted race with such disdain that we be not allow to empathize with the villain or wear the villain skin . but in apocalypto we be a deeply engage in jaguar paw heroic quest a we be william wallace in braveheart . some reviewer have mistake the arrival of the spanish galleon a gibson intention to signify rescue and redemption from wanton bloodletting by western civilization and christianity and but this be get thing upside down . don not we know by now that cortes arrival be the beginning of the brutal end of so many people and civilization in america . if the ship be to signify rescue and redemption and jaguar paw would only have have to have be rescue right there on the beach . great scene for a beach side conversion and no . no . the film present these dark ship a the foreboding vehicle of a continent wide apocalypse . okay and i do concede that if apocalypto be primarily a movie about the mayan and it fail because it be historically inaccurate . ( the mayan be go long before cortes arrival it be the aztec that he manage to destroy . ) but if it be and a i interpret it to be and about the many people and society and and civilization that be destroy and that suffer an apocalyptic end on western contact and then it put face in our historical picture where there have be only caricature before . update of 12/27/09 represent i be just read through my review and have to update the fact that it take me a few day after post the original for it to strike me that the film and while not racist and be sexist a heck . the woman be not show participate in any decision making or the production or distribution of food or anything else . their only real value be to serve a incubator for more mayan . i apologize to my sister for my blindness in this but ask them to take into consideration that i come back to correct myself without prompt or threat .