Apocalypto: LA Times On How (Not Why) They Did That
Shelagh Crabtree of the Los Angeles Times talks to cinematographer Dean Semler about the technical aspects of making APOCALYPTO (Buena Vista, Dec. 8). Semler is the Academy Award winning DP of (DANCES WITH WOLVES). The Times piece is a fascinating look at the how — not the why — of making this visionary, batshit, balmy, balls-out (and about) fascist-romantic adventure film.
(I hadn’t intended on posting my review till Monday, but there it is in brief.
Semler and his crew used digital video cameras for 98% of what’s onscreen. But at least one visual effect was achieved in camera with a trick that’s as old as moviemaking itself: reverse action–something that Gibson learned when playing the lead in Mad Max for director George Miller.
“Mel is a master of pulling off optical tricks in-camera that he learned from George,” Semler says. “He taught the actors on ‘Apocalypto’ how to do it too. He would walk or run in slow-motion to achieve the desired speed and they followed.” In fact one scene was acted out backward and in slow motion: Gibson had Rudy Youngblood, who plays Jaguar Paw, run backward and pull a spike ball out of a tree for a scene in which he is attacked by Zero Wolf (Raoul Trujillo).”
Early APOCALYPTO-ites:
FOX 411, always ready to send out an orangey-red alert, warns that the film is a “two hour torture fest…Indeed, “Apocalypto” is the most violent movie Disney has ever released, with so much blood spurting out of orifices that even Martin Scorsese would blush. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to see heads and hearts removed without anesthesia, then this is the movie for you. “Grey’s Anatomy” it is not.”
I am particularly touched by Roger Friedman’s ranting, avuncular concern for the “women and children [who] will be headed to the doors faster than you can say “duck” when the film opens on Dec. 8.”
Apocalypto’s cast speaks Yucatec, a Mayan dialect. Subtitles reveal that the good people talk like groovy New Age warriors, while the bad ones speak like Nazis–the kind that British character actors play in American-made WWII movies.
That’s Dean Semler, not Terry, behind the camera.
Another positive review coming for this “batshit,” as you put it? Guano, indeed.
It truly is a disgusting movie.
Corrected. Thank you for catching that. I’m glad I spelled “batshit” correctly.