It is impossible for modern people to learn about the life of bygone civilizations except through films or books. The mysterious Maya Indians, known for their intellectual achievements, the creation of the calendar and prophesying to their descendants the end of the world that has not yet taken place, attract lovers of antiquity and adventure. The directors are trying to fill some gaps in the history and present their vision of the existence of the Mayan empire.
Instructions
Step 1
The most striking film about the representatives of the Mayan empire is considered to be Mel Gibson's painting "Apocalypto" ("Apocalypto", 2006). The film shows the life of the Maya even before the arrival of the conquerors - the Spanish conquistadors. Mysterious rituals of Indians, human sacrifices, fierce battles with other Indian tribes are shown in a naturalistic way. The life and struggle of an entire civilization is shown on the example of the life of the protagonist, captured by enemies and preparing to be sacrificed to the gods. The film indirectly reveals the reasons for the collapse of a great civilization: living on the principle of "attack-capture-kill", it is difficult to develop. Many of the characters in the film were not professional actors, but were true descendants of the Maya Indians.
Step 2
Can tell about the life of the Mayan people and the historical adventure drama "Kings of the Sun" ("Kings of the Sun", 1963). The plot revolves around an attempt by the Maya to seize North American lands. To do this, they cross the Gulf of Mexico, intending to settle there, but encounter Native American tribes. There is also a love line in the tape: both tribal leaders fall in love with one girl - the Mayan princess.
Step 3
The creators of the film "Treasure of the Golden Condor" (1953) are turning to the theme of Mayan culture. In the frame, a former missionary who worked in the past among the Maya Indians, who is asked by a man who came from Guatemala in a kind of scroll. With the help of a scroll of Indians, they are trying to unravel the mystery of the location of the ancient temple of the Golden Condor, where the treasures are kept.
Step 4
Fans of horror films will delight in the Italian film Maya (1989). The plot was the study of the Mayan culture by an American scientist who, for some unknown reason, suddenly dies. His daughter is sent to Mexico specifically to investigate the mystery of his death. After her arrival, a series of incomprehensible and mysterious deaths begins, frightening the heroine, but she never stops investigating.
Step 5
After the publication and discussion of the date of the end of the world, predicted by the Maya Indians, it became popular to use the Mayan culture in cinema. One such Mayan film is The Vivero Letter (1999). One young guy asks his brother, with whom he has not spoken for several years, to bring their old tray to him in Costa Rica, but before the brother managed to get there, the guy himself unexpectedly dies. Together with the girl-archaeologist and this tray, which is actually a map, the surviving brother begins a search for a mysterious place - the ancient lost city of the Maya, in which there must be many treasures.
Step 6
Also, Mayan culture and ideas about life and death are reflected in the painting "The Fountain" (2006). The director of the film, Darren Aronofsky, assumed that the film could be perceived and interpreted in different ways, but the references to the Mayan mythology in the film are thought out and quite reliable. One of the parts of the film (according to the plot: either being the narrative in the book, or taking place in the past) describes the confrontation between the Spanish conquistadors and Indian tribes. The Tree of Life, the achievement of immortality, the underworld of Xibalba - these key concepts in the film are taken from the beliefs of the Maya.
Step 7
Another horror movie on a rather popular Mayan theme was the film "The Ruins" (2008). The plot is pretty standard: a group of guys goes out to have fun, and encounters an inhospitable Mayan civilization. An ancient evil comes out when trying to inspect the Mayan pyramid, untouched by time.
Step 8
The disaster film "2012" (2009) was filmed about the end of the world as such, according to the ancient Mayan calendar. All the plans of the filmmakers about how the apocalypse will go are realized in the film. And even if the Mayan prophecies did not come true, the special effects in the film are mesmerizing in their scale.
