And consequently, the fear and tension that goes with that (this film starts with the good tribe being startled by migrants in the jungle.) Back in 2006, this was more provocative than it is today when it seems we have a never-ending “migrant crisis”.Ģ. The end-ala-Gibson will be a time of mass migration and refugee issues.
Seeing the movie as an end of the world parable, it goes through these steps.ġ. Therefore my theory about Apocalypto is that Gibson (a slightly eccentric and well-read man) had certain beliefs about the end of the world during the 21st century, and he's revealing them in this film. If it wasn’t obvious enough this is a film about the present day from the character’s modes of speech (the opening scene is like modern guys at a ball game), we can assume Gibson is talking about our time from the movie’s opening quote, where Will Durant states that "A great civilisation is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." In other words, when you watch Apocalypto, imagine Mel is showing the 21st century with the makeup off. Therefore it might resemble the ancient pre-Christian era if we look beyond the suits and ties and technology. Paul said there must be a "great apostasy" or falling away from the faith before the end). Perhaps Mel was aware the Mayan calendar ran out on December 21st 2012, well before that became the "millennium bug" type scary news story of 2012 (Personally, I’d say December 21st 2020 was a much better candidate).Ĭhristians think the last era will be a post-Christian one (St. So Gibson-on-a-budget decided to go back in time and uses Mayan civilisation on its last legs to symbolise our present world during its last breath. We’re symbolically talking about the themes of the book of the Apocalypse(O) here, as least through the eyes of Mel.Īnd if you want to make a film about the end of the world, you either have to get into sci-fi stuff, or make a historical allegory. With it, Mel skips from the last bit of the Gospels (the Passion) to the last bit of the Bible itself. But it was co-written by one of the producers of The Passion and there is a connection. The sequel will focus on Christ's resurrection. Here's what we know about the upcoming project that Caviezal insists is "going to be the biggest film in world history.One reason Gibson appeals to Christians is because he's a sinner and he admits it.īut I’ll go out on a limb and say sinning doesn’t help one make truly great art, and master-filmmaker Mel Gibson was at his best as a director from 2004-2006, when it appears that he had a "get right with God" phase.Īpocalypto and The Passion of the Christ are the 2 children of that short period.Īt first it may seem like Apocalypto isn’t much related to The Passion, being set in pagan Central America circa 1503. It looks like Caviezel could be returning to his most prominent role, however, as the actor confirmed in a September 2020 interview with Breitbart that a sequel to The Passion of the Christis, indeed, coming.
His filmography includes such religious projects as Paul, Apostle of Christ and Onyx: Kings of the Grail.
He's made appearances on several TV shows and in several movies over the years, staying prominently in the world of religious entertainment. Directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel, it was accused of antisemitism, and even film critic Roger Ebert called it, " the most violent film I have ever seen."ĭespite starring in the lead role of Jesus Christ in a massively-grossing hit film, Jim Caviezel had trouble finding work in the years since The Passion of the Christ. Similar to other R-rated films that gain mainstream appeal, however, the film wasn't without its controversies. The Passion of the Christ remains one of the highest-grossing R-rated movies of all time.