For Apocalypto, his first film following the box office behemoth The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson joined forces with two other Oscar® winners, both of whom previously worked with the filmmaker- cinematographer Dean Semler (Dances With Wolves) and composer James Horner (Titanic). Semler shot the second and third Mad Max installments. Horner's Braveheart music garnered him an Oscar® nomination in 1995. In addition to receiving a Golden Globe® nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Apocalypto was nominated for three Academy Awards® for Best Makeup, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
Gibson, whose filmmaking mantle boasts a pair of Oscar® statuettes (Best Picture and Best Director for
"Braveheart"), took advantage of a lush tropical setting to flesh out a high-energy tale of one man's quest to
save his life and family. Apocalypto is set in the twilight of the Mayan civilization just prior to the arrival of the Spanish. The film follows Jaguar Paw, whose village is raided by Holcanes. He's taken captive and brought to the heart of their civilization, but still sets out to make his way back to his wife and son.
Apocalypto DVD Extras:
- Becoming Mayan: Creating Apocalypto - Behind-the-Scenes [~25:00]
- Deleted Scene including Audio Commentary With Director Mel Gibson and Writer Farhad Safinia
- Feature Length Audio Commentary With Director Mel Gibson and Writer Farhad Safinia Buy the Apocalypto DVD Now!
