bizarre subliminal image in "Apocalypto" trailer

[Cocoa]

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/45519/


Not a joke...

It's hard to believe that this isn't a joke (or perhaps a publicity stunt -- although, with vigorous opening weekend numbers it doesn't look like raging antisemitism poses any problem for America's moviegoers), but the Apple.com trailer for Apocalypto has a ridiculous still image of Mel Gibson a la spider hole Saddam, embedded.

I slowed it down for you in the video to the right, but it's still hard to catch. The still is posted in any case...

[Donnachaidh]

1. isn't this just a case of raging ego?

"Spot the bigot"? :sarcasm:

[Neshanic]

2. He is truly a sick unit. Ick.

[Skinner]

3. I had to check for myself. Yup -- it's there.

Unbelievable.

[greyl]

4. Holy crap.

This will be interesting.

[HeeBGBz]

5. That's weird

Is that the same trailer showing at the theaters?

[roody]

6. Very good article about Gibson's racism

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1217-24.htm

I am proud to say I have never seen a Gibson film and never hope to see one.

[Ripley]

7. It's a JOKE.

He is known to be a huge Practical Joker on the set of his movies - heard Jodi Foster talk about that one time. It's an inside stupid edit. Man, the vitriol shot at him for something that would be seen as hilarious if say, Michael Moore injected a cut of himself standing in an operating room in his movie about Health Care.

[greyl]

8. Yeah, O'reilly and Limbaugh make jokes, too.

I don't think comparing a movie about health care to a culturally arrogant movie about conquering "savages" is fair.

[Ripley]

9. Closed minds are not attractive.

Where the hell did I compare the movies? I was responding to his "subliminal" joke.

[greyl]

13. You don't say.

Ripley: Man, the vitriol shot at him for something that would be seen as hilarious if say, Michael Moore injected a cut of himself standing in an operating room in his movie about Health Care.

You're missing the point that the joke is in the context of the movie. (It's not Cars, it's Apocalypto). As such, your comparison with a movie about Health Care isn't a good argument for laughing it off. Additionally, calling something a joke, doesn't make it tasteful.

Can you explain the joke? Who is the target audience?

[Ripley]

17. Good Godz.

The bearded, modern-day dressed dude smoking a cigarette placing himself onto the set with the Maya characters is a visual joke just because of the juxtaposition of the disparate images. No, I don't believe the target audience is the KKK who of course would be watching his trailers frame by frame to catch this. It is an inside joke in his INDUSTRY for his peers.

[greyl]

18. I get that aspect of the joke, but

I'm trying to figure out the rest.
(Are you saying he isn't supposed to look like Saddam?)

To go to the opposite extreme of Cars, can you imagine how doing this with a Schindler's List ad would raise some eyebrows because of perceived inappropriateness? Also, don't assume I have vitriol concerning this particular issue. To me, it's more along the lines of an insensitive gaffe.

[FedUpWithIt All]

22. No, he is not trying to look like Saddam.

This is exactly the way he looked for over a year. Not shaving is NOT a crime against...anything.

Directors have a long history of making imperceivable appearances. It is sort of like a signature. This whole Gibson thing is getting WAY out of control.

[greyl]

26. Ok, I was just going on the OP.

Where are you getting your info?
I was aware of the staple Hitchcock appearances, but I didn't know it was an industry thing, like how circuit board technicians solder a sig or message onto boards.

[Godhumor]

10. I'm sorry, "Apocalypto" had nothing to do with conquering "savages"

It was a "hero's journey" story that happened to be set in the Mesoamerican world, and that's it.




The Spanish show up as representing the beginning of the end of the native culture and not as a "look, we have to save the silly backwards people!" lot. There's plenty of reasons not to like the film or the director, but saying he is showing that the conquering of the Mayans was a good thing is not one of them.



Also, before Gibson's arrest it was known he inserted himself into the trailer--way way back when the first trailer came out there was a big article about it as a homage to Hitchcock who did the same thing.

[Ripley]

11. Thank You!

I did not know about the Hitchcock reference.

[alfredo]

16. Spot the Hitchcock is a game around our house. It is the

original "Where's Waldo."

Mel got his anti Semetism from his dad. It's that old "Sins of the father" type of thing. I catch myself doing things I didn't like seeing/hearing my dad do.

Mel did apologise, but he is still on probation as far as I'm concerned. Let's see if he can redeem himself. Actions are far more important than words, even if the words point to a blackness of the heart. Some people are stronger than others.

[greyl]

14. That's ok, I haven't seen it. ;) nt

[HamdenRice]

19. Of course, commenting on a film that you haven't actually, umm, seen

where have I seen that modus operandi before?

[greyl]

25. It was an example of hasty conclusion.

edit: conclusion, not generalization

[hedgehog]

15. I've been wondering about that.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but given the opening quotation it would seem that Gibson is suggesting that the Spanish were able to conquer the American Empires because the American Empires were rotting from within. (Yes, I know all about the small pox and the measles.) People are interpreting the movie as a history lesson and giving it an F. However, I think Gibson used history only as a starting point to tell a metaphorical story about what is going on the US today. Ridley Scot did much the same thing with Kingdom of Heaven and Gladiator. Those movies also took history as a starting point to convey other truths. Considered as a metaphor using the downfall of the first American Empires as a starting point, is Gibson trying to say that the US should stop looking for enemies abroad and take care of what's wrong at home? Step back and look at the movie honestly and some people here may find themselves agreeing with Gibson.

[FedUpWithIt All]

21. Yeah, i am really lost. A lot of directors do this type of thing...

What is the perceived problem? I really am not getting it.

The film had nothing at all to do with "conquering savages".

WTF for real it is like i have stepped into an alternate universe sometimes.

[geek tragedy]

12. That's been known for a while.

Crazy Mel.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. I believe it's a joke.

Not by Mel, but by somejoker who put the trailer together and doesn't like Mel.

[QuestionAll...]

23. I don't understand what the outrage is all about...

I must be thick as a brick.

what's so awful?

[LoZoccolo]

24. Apparently this "Wolfman Jack" guy is in on the subliminal Saddam beard conspiracy as well.

http://www.nndb.com/people/537/000022471