It was perhaps possible to tell the story of "Apocalypto" without showing us a jaguar tearing off a man's face. Or blood spurting out another man's head as if from a hose.

But then it wouldn't be a Mel Gibson film, would it?

The exhilarating adventure tale in the Yucatec Maya tongue is Gibson's fourth turn behind the camera -- and his bloodiest. As a director, he seems to have overcome any embarrassment at his own talent for depicting violence and delight in making us squirm. All in the name of making his thematic points, of course.

Below, asap looks at the most memorable deaths Gibson has put to film.

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APOCALYPTO (2006)

Scene: An epic jungle chase comprises the final third of the film. It is essentially over upon the final death, when Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) unsurprisingly makes it back to his village. He stands proudly behind a camoflaged "Rambo"-like booby trap, staring pursuer Zero Wolf (Raoul Trujillo). Zero Wolf runs at him, trips a wire, a bone flies through the air, and he's impaled by a massive set of spikes which we see sticking through his chest.

Key line: None. Like much of the movie, there's no dialogue here.

Why: Gibson has said that "Apocalypto" is an allegory for the U.S., going to war without reason and losing its moral compass.

Link to Gibson: Very "Mad Max," this primitive solution to end a chase.

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THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (2004)

Scene: During the crucifixion, Jesus' left hand is nailed to the cross and we see blood spurting from it. His arm isn't long enough for his right hand to be centered over the hole at the other end, so captors pull it out of its socket with a rope tied around his wrist. Later, blood pours from Jesus' ribs when a guard stabs his stomach to make sure he's dead.

Key line: "Father forgive them. They know not what they do."

Why: In honor of his traditionalist Roman Catholic beliefs.

Link to Gibson: Remember somebody else whose arm popped out of its socket? That's right: Gibson himself, in "Lethal Weapon 2."

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BRAVEHEART (1995)

Scene: Scottish knight William Wallace is captured by the English and tortured before a crowd. First he's hung, but he holds his neck tight and is dropped. He stands to look his torturer in the eye. He's then laid out on a cross as torturers pull his limbs, and told that if he only says, "Mercy," they'll stop. He instead utters the key line below, and is beheaded. (Instead of depicting the beheading, Gibson showed Wallace dropping a rag as he went lifeless.)

Key line: "FREEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOM!"

Why: In honor of a Scottish hero who stood up for his beliefs.

Link to Gibson: Gibson directed himself playing William Wallace.

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MORE GIBSON PAIN

"Payback" (1999): Gibson is tortured and gets his toes smashed with a hammer.

"Lethal Weapon 2" (1989): Gibson's trailer home on the beach is strafed by thousands of bullets fired from a helicopter.

"The Man Without A Face" (1993): Gibson is grotesquely disfigured throughout the film, his directorial debut.

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Ryan Pearson is an asap staff reporter based in Los Angeles.

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