Is Apocalypto controversial?

Human Beings have always been violent, blood-thirsty, superstitious savages.

It comes to show that critics themselves are some of the biggest racists of all. The film was about triumphing against tyranny. The characters were all terrifically acted with soul and depth, even the evil Mayan elites. Hollywood is so mind numbingly hypocritical in its finger pointing when a film doesn't fall in line with what they see versus what they want to see. The savagery is coming from the people in power, which from what I last checked, has been happening for thousands of years throughout human history. They see a culture that's not white-washed for the silver screen and they cry racist. IDIOTS

In response to the original post, I don't believe that is the interpretation that Gibson intended at all.

The way I see it, the "apocalypse" that is alluded to in the title refers to several aspects of the film. The arrival of the Spanish at the end of the film is one, which did not bring about enlightenment and salvation for the native peoples but instead total devastation of their civilization. I am sure that Gibson was well aware of that. Another is the loss of the way of life for the jungle-dwelling tribe depicted in the film, which came to an end with the arrival of the Mayan captive-hunters. It was their apocalypse to start with, then it became an apocalypse for all native peoples with the arrival of the Spanish.

There is no doubt that Mayan and Aztec civilizations were bloodthirsty, not out of perverse or gratuitous cruelty, but out of their superstitious belief that their god (Kulkulkan/Quetzacoatl) needed to be continually appeased with blood sacrifices to deter him from bringing about the end of the world. The reasons for this belief are too complicated to go into here, suffice to say that when the first Spanish came across cities like Teotihuacan and Tula they were repulsed by the overwhelming stench of blood that hung like a pall over these cities. This is well-documented in writings dating from the period.

There may be controversy, but these were violent and bloody times for central America, brought about by both the native peoples and their practices, and later by the Spanish in their zeal for not only religious conversion but for conquest, and for amassing gold and wealth for the Spanish crown.