Their attempts to escape and survive are the bloody focus of the movie. He and some of his tribesmen are taken to a Mayan city, where they are to be executed as human sacrifices. A young indigenous Mexican man named Jaguar Paw is captured by a band of invaders. The film is set in the early sixteenth century. On the run through the jungle, the man faces horrendous obstacles between himself and his family. In the historical adventure Apocalypto, a young Mayan man escapes after being abducted and marked for ritual sacrifice by the society's leaders. Apocalypto, however, was praised by other film makers who fetishize violence, including Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorcese. The same criticism had been leveled at Gibson's Bible story The Passion of the Christ. Apocalypto also met criticism for its heavy reliance on graphic violence. In particular, critics pointed out that unlike the Aztecs, Mayans were enthusiastic practitioners of human sacrifice. Apocalypto was criticized for its inaccurate historical portrayal of Mayan civilization. The controversy seemed to affect the film's reception. During the arrest, he was recorded going off on a profane anti-Semitic rant. Just a few months before the film's release, Gibson was arrested for driving under the influence. Upon its release, the film itself was overshadowed by Gibson's off-screen antics. Instead, he hired a cast of Native American and Mexican indigenous actors. Unlike in his other auteurial projects, Gibson does not star in Apocalypto. The film was produced, co-written, and directed by actor Mel Gibson.

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