Movies

Anne & I just finished watching "The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant". It was originally made as a TV mini-series, so it has a fair amount lingering shots and over dramatization, but not a bad movie all in all. Based on a true story, or "Real Events" as they call it. Mary Bryant escapes from starvation at the Botany Bay prison colony in the late 1700's. Reminds me how England got to be a world power: they were more ruthless than anyone else. We like to remind ourselves of all the good things England gave us, but we tend to gloss over the dark side. I think it because our culture tells us what the rules are, and what the consequences are, and we accept it.

Watched "Pan's Labyrinth" a week or so ago. Grim little tale of fascists in Spain and one little girls adventures in wonderland. Really makes you hate the bad guys. This one I enjoyed.

Watched Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" earlier this week. It was a pretty good movie, but it didn't have anything special. It seemed just like another "Lethal Weapon". Good guy escapes from bad guys. Endless chase where the pursuers fall by the wayside, one by one, all so the good guy can rescue his wife and child, and it naturally happens at the last minute. It depicts Mayan culture as plenty bloodthirsty, but somehow it just does not ring true. The good guys in the movie seem to have the same motivations as modern Americans. It had about as much in common with real life in the Amazon before the white man as a Hollywood Western made in the 1950's had in common with the real wild west. But just like a Hollywood Western, it made a good tale.