This film is brutal … this scene is brutal. It pays its dues to the film’s excellent build up and character development, without which this scene is just a clever piece of action. As a result, the horror that is so central to this scene really relies on its setup. To really empathise with protagonist Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood), you really have to know his journey. Once you do, then this scene really has impact. Gibson unapologetically crafts the development of his characters, which obviously cannot be garnered from this scene as a stand alone. Anyone who has seen Apocalypto I’m sure will remember this scene and felt its horror. If you didn’t then you must be a robot. It ironically reminded me, both visually and thematically, of Apolcalype Now’s end sequence, and I’m sure there’s an intentional connect there. Apocalypto is a fantastic film and you really must see this film in its entirety … however, if you must see the scene separately then the Youtube clip is below: