A scene from James Cameron's new movie: Much of the criticism has come from the political right.

This Christmas saw the release of James Cameron’s long awaited 3-D science fiction film, Avatar. Despite a number of negative reviews in the mainstream media, in two weeks it has proven to be a major commercial success.

In Calgary for the holidays, friends dragged me off to see it at a large-screen Cineplex theatre. By all means shell out the extra cash and see it in 3-D. It is an outstanding film experience. I agree with those reviewers who have argued that this is a special movie, a technical breakthrough, entertainment at its best. Most of the filming was done in Hawaii, with special effects from Weta Digital of New Zealand.
   
Cameron has long been known for his special effects, as in The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), True Lies (1994) and of course, Titanic (1997). There is a major war scene near the end of the film, which some have found disturbing. The industry reports that in the first weeks its appeal has been mainly to men over 30, but this did not seem to be the case in Calgary.

Much of the criticism of the film has come from the political right, which does not like the plot line. The year is 2154 and the Earth, still dominated by the United States, has run out of natural resources. A corporate mission is launched to take possession of Pandora, a far away moon about the size of earth, which has very important minerals. There is the merger with the military, which takes the form of  private special forces personnel and high tech weaponry. They are aided by the usual university professors, whose task in this case is to devise a way to conquer and exploit the local population, the Na’vi people, while minimizing the collateral damage.

The plot is too long to describe here. But when the corporate assault begins in the form of a massive bulldozer and huge dump trucks, Canadians will immediately think of the Alberta tar sands. The indigenous Na’vi people have a blue skin, are at a hunter gatherer level of social development, and are uniquely linked with their environment. In a Cameron twist, not found in our history outside the Picts and early Celts, the Na’vi women are skilled hunters and warriors.

Unlike Cameron’s previous movies and all those endless games that boys play, masculine military power and high tech weapons do not triumph in the end. This has led some to argue on the blogs that we should go to see the film for its breakthrough technology and try to ignore the plot line. Indeed, if one had to rely on the Leader-Post for information, we would know nothing about the film’s plot.

James Cameron was born in Ontario but at age 17 moved to California to begin his career in film. Some of that latent Canadianism must still be there. In an interview for Yahoo News, he noted that he was “an environmental activist”, is firmly convinced that humans are responsible for “global climate change” and are destroying species faster than than new ones can be classified.

Some U.S. critics have stated that the film has a “hidden message.” Cameron is surprised by this. He points out that there are “obvious references” to Iraq, Vietnam and the American colonial period. “We take what we need from nature and indigenous people and don’t give back.”

I would certainly take my kids and grandchildren to see this film. Do not miss it.

John W. Warnock is a retired sociologist and political economist.

Comments

Written by pelliott on 2010-01-03 16:57:46 I haven't seen the 3D version - sounds like a good reason to see it twice. The non-3D version was spectacular on its own.

A few books loosely related to the movie Written by clhirondelle on 2010-01-04 20:59:39 A few books on the theme of Avatar:    Just by chance this summer I found at a thrift store a small thin 1965 sci fi pocketbook called "The Alien Way" written by Gordon R. Dickson. The book's plot is clumsy in some ways (such as effectively having no female characters). However there are many interesting ideas and some similar themes to Avatar. The main character, in order to spy for his own human species, is able to "think the thoughts, see the sights, feel the sensations of one of the Ruml." (Back cover). The front cover shows an illustration of a Ruml warrior: tall, fierce, armed, proud, with a combination of feline/human features (smooth fur, not blue skin). In The Alien Way, the Ruml are the dominant society and they are about to invade earth and eliminate all the humans, who they see --after secretly studying human society-- as having no honour. Therefore, the Ruml feel they are morally justified to rid the universe of them. All hinges on the main character who can 'see' both as human and Ruml.    Just like Cameron, Gordon R. Dickson was born in Canada, then moved as a youth to the US. On the first page of this book, the main character dreams of the Canadian Rockies with detailed description of the plants and animals. In one interview, Cameron said that he was influenced in Avatar by all the science fiction he read when he was young. This may have been one of the books he read.    He may also at some point have read "A Door into Ocean" by Joan Slonczewski 1986. The inside cover illustration shows a lush tropical world with tall long-limbed blue people (though completely bald). In this book the totally female water-based world of Shora --"their culture based on the highest ethical evolution"-- is invaded by Valedon "where soldiers are honored above all things and war is the only event more gripping than trade" (back cover).    One theme in Avatar --on being open to complexity-- which the main character has to do, coming from a monolithic culture but then seeing things from a new perspective, reminds me of some of the ideas explored in John Ralston Saul's book A Fair Country: "We are a Metis civilization", "inspired by four centuries of life with indigenous culture", "because our real history is not part of how we describe ourselves, we live in denial of our reality."    I was hesitant at first to see Avatar hearing it described by some as "dances with wolves in space." However, after the reviewer on APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network), said 'yes, it is good, go see it', I did and it was. Will probably see it again. There is something of substance below the surface. I can only think it is what JRS is getting at in his book A Fair Country. If we have the wrong mythology, we will have the wrong reality. He writes: "We are not a civilization of British or French or European inspiration... To accept and even believe such fundamental misrepresentations of Canada and Canadians is to sever our mythologies from our reality." (pg. xv)    Obviously the Avatar movie has struck a resonant mythological chord with many, many people around the world.    C. A. L'Hirondelle  Vancouver Island, BC

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