Wanted: A Good Femme Fatale

The femme fatale is a dangerous illusion; completely different depending on who is conjuring the image.  Endowed with presence, she does not hide in the shadows, but places herself firmly into stream of energy, manipulating her projection depending on who her victim is and what she needs them to do for her.  She is never truly herself; never truly seen by those who are seduced and ultimately relinquish their power in order to taste even a portion of what she represents.

Cinema portrays the femme fatale as lethal by not by her own force.  She is lethal to her subject because she lures them, manipulates them, and often gets them to do her bidding.  Like a poisonous net, she canvases those around her pinpointing who needs to die and getting the one she seduces with her divinity to do her work for her. She is the ultimate conspirator and manipulator; and she is wanted.

Image courtesy of Google.com

Wanted, staring Angelina Jolie as Fox, a tough but beautiful manipulator casts the femme fatale in a modern portrayal of the old stereotype.  The film begins as the main character, Wesley Gibson, discovers he is the son of an assassin who works for a mysterious organization called The Fraternity.  Wesley, passive by nature, initially cringes from the possibility that he could become a part of the super-hero like society and one of the greatest assassins alive like his father.  The fraternity presents him with a choice, drops money into his bank account and waits.  Wesley returns to the office he works at, surrounded by his best friend who cheats with his girlfriend, the bully boss and the countless internet searches he conducts using his name to verify that indeed he is a loser. Completely dissatisfied with his life, it doesn’t take long for Wesley to snap, parts of his abilities bring on stress when they are not used, and he delves himself into the underground world of the Fraternity.  This is where Fox comes in.

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Fox, appropriately named in emphasis of her role, assists in Wesley’s training, using several brainwashing tactics in order to rebuild his personality.  Visually situated during his brutal experiences, she stands in sight where he can see her at all times, watching and becoming his constant in a world that is very unstable.  Her consistent presence is a subtle clue to what role she will play later, that she will gain his trust and then will use it to manipulate him; very femme fatale.  The warehouse, a dark setting for the dark subject matter is appropriately symbolic of the choices he must make.    

Wesley completes his training, but cannot commit to killing the first subject.  Fox then tells him a story, of how she watched her father brutally murdered in front of her and was branded by the criminal who did it.  Fox relates that after she joined the fraternity she found out that the person who had done it was not killed by the fraternity, because someone did not have the strength to pull the trigger. This is the interesting part; it really did happen.  Fox reveals the scar on her neck where she was branded as a child as she walks away and Wesley is motivated.  Wesley, previously fighting his ethical and moral dilemma of killing another human being instantly grasps onto what her intimate revelation offers; the chance to protect her, the chance to not be weak and passive and the opportunity to prove to himself that he is not a loser.

Fox, now having secured Wesley’s loyalty, will work with him toward the ultimate goal of killing the man who killed Wesley’s father, which is why she was sent to recruit him in the first place.  So while she plays the role of the Femme Fatale in some aspects, her gain is not necessarily what one might think.  Fox doesn’t want money; she wants someone dead for emotional gratification, because to her they represent the person who killed her father, by not pulling the trigger.  Fox is disconnected from herself, which becomes clear when Wesley asks her during their pursuit if she ever thinks of doing things normally; living like normal people.  Her stare is vacant, almost as if she doesn’t understand why he would ask the question and then her expression hardens as she answers that never thinks about it.  Fox manipulates Wesley by becoming sexually involved with him, Lures him into a dangerous situation to do her bidding yet remains emotionally unattached.  The Femme Fatale dominatrix never gets attached.
Eventually the seams of the story rip open and Wesley discovers, much to late, that he has been set up to kill his own father.  As Fox stands over him ready to shoot, he asks her why and she reasons  it was because his name came up."   Successful in her mission of manipulation she will now destroy her lured tool to once again make herself safe.   While I sympathize with the character it is obvious that her pain has turned to revengeful hatred and her involvement with Wesley was to use him as a means to an end. 

Usually not killing firsthand, the Femme Fatale delegates her chosen someone to do her dirty work.  Fox had to delegate Wesley, because no one else had the ability to complete the task. Perhaps the Femme fatale has been reinvented, adjusted to the role of a feminist femme fatale; a strong character, motivated with complexity.  I think that is what is needed for modern society and women to continue buying into the role and make it valid for our current world.  This point is also emphasized at the end of the movie, where the character, true to her ideals realizes her mistake and kills all those who will not honor the code, saving Wesley and sacrificing herself.  As in the classic portrayal of the femme fatale of Double Indemnity, the femme fatale dies after realizing that they can feel differently, that they love the character they have betrayed, but usually too late to change the ending.  

And that leaves questions.  So what is it the femme fatale represents that no man can resist?  Is the femme fatale outdated and will the audience fall for it again and again, even though we are a modern, liberated society?  I think she will always be craved, always be Wanted; because she represents dark, raw, yet glamorous power and everyone wants that.

Sources Cited:

"Dominatrix." Wikipedia, 2010. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominatrix>.

Double Indemnity. Dir. Billy Wilder." Universal Studios: 1944, DVD.

"Femme Fatale." Wikipedia, 2010. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femme_fatale>.

Hermyn, Helle. "What Makes a Femme Fatale?." Suite101.com, 02/02/2010. Web. 26 Oct 2010. <http://www.suite101.com/content/what-makes-a-femme-fatale-a200658>.

"Wanted (2008) Film." Wikopedia, 2010. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanted_(2008_film)>.

"Dominatrix." Wikipedia, 2010. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominatrix>.

Clueless: A Gender Non-Defined!

Women are soft, quiet, gentle and non-aggressive.  If you watch a lot of modern films they are also clueless.  The stereotype of gender in films is as prevalent today as it was over 50 years ago in the film Some Like It Hot.  While I admit that Marilyn Monroe had draw, she could bat an eyelash and insinuate herself into a chair like no other, her roles were demeaning.  Her power lie in the ability to draw and to encourage the opposite sex in continuing determined stubbornness of its view of self and who she was, therefore reinforcing gender rules and making everyone feel safe.

Typically most women portrayed in cinema fall neatly into categories; black widow, virgin-whore, Femme Fatale, or just plain clueless:  yet men are granted something entirely different.  Male protagonists lead, rule with a never ending mercy, protect those who cannot protect themselves (usually women and children), or they are sensitive, briefly displaying emotion in a manner that somehow reinforces their masculinity, because they aren’t afraid to reveal their character can conveniently contribute to the hegemonic patriarchy often situated in cinematic film.

So why are the sexes divided into separate camps?  Why does one need to have force and conviction, while the other behaves passive and receptive? I believe it comes down to balance.  There must be an equal dynamic to a story for the movie to flow.  Film Noir, one example of the balance for power, does a very good job of incorporating the conflicting ideology of sexual behavior into a believable storyline, because as we know, no sex is clueless, just misinformed.

Clueless: A film about a girl who seems oblivious to anyone or anything except herself is a perfect example of how cinema portrays the virgin-clueless uninformed.  A recent portrayal of an old novel by Jane Austen, Clueless draws on the inherent predictability of the sexes to point out the folly of one girl and her redemption through love.  The character, Cher, a completely self absorbed and uninformed teen follows a path to discovery.  Finding her own fate in attempting to revamp and reconcile her friends’ existence and sets out on a journey that will eventually reveal she has a lot to learn. 

                Her mother dead from a freak liposuction accident, Cher is raised by her father, an attorney who has taught her there is nothing in life that is not negotiable.  Cher demonstrates this in one scene of the film where she negotiates her grade on a test back from the grave to an astounding A.  So while the Scarlett Letter starring Demi Moore as Hester Prynne revealed women have the resilience and structure to withstand a social bitter wind, Cher has proven, with enough determination and stubbornness the other team will eventually lose steam and back down.  Negotiation?  Perhaps; or possibly a display of aggressive attributes usually attributed to men. 

Driven by the need to insert herself into what she thinks will make her happy, she attempts to reinvent her identity as a social savior.  Prepping her friend on social do’s and don’ts she inserts a lost soul of high school into the cool crowd and begins to feel extremely proud of her accomplishments until it all goes wrong.

Typical of the cinematic storylines, Cher discovers that it is indeed she who is lost and needs to be saved.  So the once determined, single minded girl now has her mind set on a man; never mind that it is her step-brother Josh!  Josh, a somewhat passive, modern teen is tolerant of Cher and mildly fond of her despite what his intellectual brain tells him.  This is typical of the Hollywood narrative form portrayed in so many films.  The protagonist, usually a man, saves the day by entering the film and reducing the female’s dilemma, which is usually whether she will attain the man she wants and therefore happiness, by saying yes to her.  I thought that was the woman’s role?   Perhaps things are not as clear as they seem.

White patriarchal capitalism is heavily encoded within films, where the hero rises above circumstance and emerges a winner in an unjust world; he is aided and assisted by a willing female.  The female protagonist in this film is displayed as seeking a spiritual station above her current awareness; which isn’t very high.  Aided by her chosen companion Josh, Cher proceeds to mature and develop both intellectually and spiritually to the point of almost evolving.  So while she is the one on an adventure, he will be there to support and nurture her inherently needed growth.   

                The story ends in grand closure as the girl gets the guy, while not necessarily rising in society as much as her own opinion of herself. Acknowledged by the one she seeks, Cher finds the approval she has been seeking and therefore reinforcing that she is okay after all.  So where is the balance?    Perhaps the balance lies in the dynamics of mutually exchanged possibility within a storyline.  Perhaps gender roles are not defined by sex, but by passive and aggressive pairings, whether male or female.  But the question must be answered; did Cher find worth independently or because someone else sees it in her, even if temporarily?  And if so, what happens when they change their mind?  While making impressive strides in films such as Boys Don’t Cry and The Adventures of Priscilla; Queen of the Desert in representing the complexity of gender identity, cinema still has a long way to go as the general population will not see those films and remain clueless.

Sources Cited:

Benshoff, Harry, and Sean Griffin. America On Film; Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. Second. Chichester, West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2009. 8, 24-25, 289. Print.

Hip Hip Hurray For Horatio Gattaca

Imagine a world where a strand of hair, a flake of skin or a drop of blood will determine your future; welcome to Gattaca.  The movie begins with a visual metaphor.  Cells fall like flakes of snow, blue lit particles emanate from the one who was not meant to be born; not meant to succeed; not meant to triumph.  Meet Jerome, a man suspended in play by the eloquence of his societal structure and its commanding restrictions.  Except that he is not Jerome; he is someone entirely different. A "borrowed Ladder"  he is one who defies what he is and what he is projected to do or become.  Refusing to believe that he cannot succeed on the basis of his class.  A Horatio who borrows a ladder (DNA) to elevate his status to normal, Jerome will overcome the obstacles set before him.  Of course there is some cheating involved, but with rules that are impenetrable, sometimes defiance is the only option.

Image Courtesy of Google.com

Meet Vincent; a man born and conceived in natural circumstances, considered a “God Child” and an abnormality in the world he lives in.  His world is one of striving perfection, where children are engineered to inhibit the undesirable traits or enhance genetically placed ones the parents want.  Where was Gattaca when my hips were being formed?  Because of his deemed genetic inferiority Vincent is treated differently, not unlike many people in the world today.  A genetic mutant of the unnatural world he lives in, he is considered inferior and so his future is also dictated to a place of inferiority. 

Not unlike civilization in the present there are laws.  Genism, a law not taken seriously in Vincent’s world, is supposed to protect the genetically natural members of society but doesn’t.  In fact the society is divided so severely that the class distinction between the "valid's" of Gattaca and "invalids" becomes un-breachable.  A harsh visual representation of social stratification.  The film portrays this easily by simply dressing the Valid's much better than the Invalid's; communicating not only their economic status, but an overall inferiority in appearance.  The film contains ddistinctive similarities of current society and Vincent’s world readily communicates the tremendous job of leaving subtle breadcrumbs for viewers to face their own shadow.  Yet Vincent is determined to change his stars and so the journey begins. 

The ladder's name is Jerome and Vincent will slide into his identity with ease.  The partners in identity crime are similar in many ways except for one; height.  This is where one truly leans to respect to protagonist of the film.  His legs sawed, re-sewn, he sets his sights for the stars; which are where they’ve been all along.  Jerome, the engineered born accomplice, has lost the use of his legs due to an athletic accident and will never walk again.  He will however live “almost forever”, which places him in a position of inferiority amongst his own class of people.  Their business relationship will allow them to each achieve what they want; Jerome a comfortable lifestyle and Vincent a chance to prove himself in the world that has rejected him as a possibility from the moment he was born. 

Vincent , named in inferiority from his brother Anton (Anton was the name he was meant to have been given, but Vincent's father faltered at birth because he was born with a heart defect), now becomes Jerome.  With a new identity and a new life, Jerome (Vincent) begins his journey to struggle amongst the upper classes, rising above his assigned position into the world of possibility.  Yet with all happy endings there is a snag.  The Director of the organization that funds the space programs where Jerome’s future lies is murdered, and what do they find but an invalid DNA sample. 

The very meaning of the word invalid is strikingly clear in the cinematic representation of what Vincent’s world is like.  Invalid means “an infirm or sickly person” or in a context of status “deficient in substance or cogency; weak.”  Clearly Vincent would be considered sub-human, weaker than the elite engineered, yet Jerome as an elevated member of society, would have all the privileges of the world afforded to him almost effortlessly.  For how hard can it be to submit a drop of blood, which is painlessly and unconsciously drawn to verify your superior right to exist and succeed?  This is made extremely clear when Jerome (Vincent) is shown during his interview for the position and has only to submit one drop of blood (Jerome’s donated sample), sealing his hiring at Gattaca.  Hereof is portrayed the Horatio Alger of the film. 

The Horatio Alger Myth is not hard to spot in this cinematic representation of the struggle of the society.  A world where class is divided starkly by the ignorant assumptions of human possibility, based on birth and assigned position, is challenged by the protagonist who will, with or without the help of an enabling female, overcome his assigned position in society and rise above his sentenced status to create a new existence for himself.  He is a man who will overcome his social and economic barriers, rising above his status and ultimately into a realm of those who seek to subdue him.

                Irene; the name evokes images of blond and so it is, arrives and becomes Jerome's (Vincent’s) companion in Gattica’s space program taking, a demure interest in him as he seeks to ultimately overcome his assigned status.  Throughout the film Jerome (Vincent) learns that although Irene was born into the upper class as a genetically engineered specimen, and she is beautiful, she was also born with a heart defect.  It is interesting to note that while they share the same genetic issue, Irene is accepted into the space program, whereas Vincent was never even allowed in the door because of his birth status.  Irene will never see a launch into deep space, but she will be afforded the privilege to a nearby one.  The disparity in equality is clear.    

As the investigation continues, the detectives, led by Vincent’s superior bother Anton, find his invalid cells and the hunt is on.  What is interesting is that they don’t even considering a glance at the upper class of Gattica, but scour the Invalids; who frankly, if they were actually guilty of murder, would be much smarter than to hang out where they could be caught! This is an interesting turn; where the investigation is drawn and suctioned toward the ending; literally.  The sterile environment of the film is outstanding; everything in its place, clean and uncluttered, including the emotions of the upper class.  Portrayed in a cool demeanor, there is little expression or laughing in the film, casting a dark theme across the screen as one watches the story unfold and the Vincent’s past haunt him like his shadow. 

Anton; the superior brother as a superior genetic leads the investigation, yet his subordinate in ground control of the investigation, rakes the streets for Invalids.  As the hunt continues, the subordinate detective continues to follow hunches or leads that he thinks might be worthy; none of which initially lead to the killer.  A scene depicting Anton chastising his detective subordinate for rounding up Invalids on the street in order to find a DNA match of the killer, gives the overall message that indeed Anton is smarter than his non-genetically engineered assistant. The investigation reaches a dead end (portrayed visually by the wall that they line the invalid people who line up against for identification, reinforcing the rejection and humiliation of their status) and this is where Irene comes in.  Now interested in Jerome (Vincent), she assists him in escaping what raids do make it to the habitat of the upper classes.  Frightened, she runs with him and hides while the police pass them by.  As he reaches confession, Irene insists that he not say a word.  All just so she can kiss him!  I understand consummation, really I do, but come on; he’s beaten up a police officer (brutally) and you don’t know why.  This is hardly the time to make out and hope his intentions are pure! Suspecting what he is, Irene proceeds to confront him, but is retracts her questions enough to leave some doubt and her the ability to not face the truth.  Irene is drawn anyway.  Perhaps the attraction is simply too strong or perhaps she, having a defect of her own, finds it difficult to deny a man based on a physical fault. One hopes it is a little of both.

Image Courtesy of Google.com

As the detectives continue to sweep for genetic samples, they narrow in on Jerome’s (Vincent’s) existence.  Anton, finding something that belonged to his brother at one of the bars they raided, suspects that his brother is the one that killed the Director, and eventually asks Irene to show him to Jerome’s (Vincent’s) home when he fails to show up to work during one of their genetic sampling sprees.  Now cornered, Jerome must pretend to be himself, while Vincent hides downstairs.  Irene coolly enters the house, hiding her shock at discovering firsthand what Jerome should really look like and verifying what she had suspected all along. That in indeed, her new boyfriend is a "borrowed ladder".  Anton proceeds to question Jerome, who sits charmingly in his chair, having crawled up the stairs and positioned himself into a sitting position, and then begins to look around.  Everyone tenses as Anton descends the stairs, interestingly designed to resemble the spiral of DNA and his descent into the core of the investigation.  Just as Anton is about to turn enough to see what he shouldn’t (all the equipment used for their identity switch is stored downstairs), the phone rings.  The killer has been found; yet not by Anton’s hunches, but by his inferior detectives logical approach to investigation.  Don’t worry; I’m not going to tell.  No spoilers here.  Finding the identity of the killer, Anton halts his descent and races up the stairs to leave.

Image courtesy of Google.com

   Yet the race has just begun. Like in their childhood, Vincent and Anton will race into the ocean proving their genetic superiority, or disproving it; a game of chicken for the foolish!  Reminiscent of their competitive youth and societies’ insistence that the value of the individual be proved on a visual measurable scale they race, but Anton fails.  It must be noted here that the symbolism reflects far more than the competition of two brothers, but of the brotherhood of mankind (womankind).  Like an event in their childhood, Vincent must rescue his superior brother to challenge the concept of superiority amongst brothers and bring equality to their ego existence.  Both victims of their culture, they strive to prove themselves, only to arrive at equality.  This is what I like about the film.  The Horatio overcomes his status, but more importantly he brings awareness to a chosen few and a message to the audience, that we are all indeed equal.        

Cut to the chase.  Vincent, now vindicated by an upper class arrest of the murder can move on with his future.  His once, slightly suspicious girlfriend has agreed to wait until he rounds the sun in his shuttle (that is a very long time for one intimate moment) and the Horatio Alger Myth, where a man can overcome his inferior position, by hard work and ingenuity (along with the assistance of the ready female accomplice) strikes again.  Except, when this Horatio rises to success, he will not only elevate his status, but rise above the stars themselves.

Image Courtesy of Google Images.com

Sources Cited:



Benshoff, Harry, and Sean Griffin. American on Film: representing race, class, gender and sexuality at the movies.. Walden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2004. 163-168. Print.

“Gattaca." Wikipedia. 2010. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca>.

"Genetic Discrimination." Wikopedia, 2010. Web. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_discrimination.

Genetic Information Discrimination." U.S. Employment Equal Opportunity Commission. USEEOC, 2010. Web. 14 Oct 2010. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/genetic.cfm.

"Horatio Alger Myth." Wikipedia. 2010. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Alger_myth>.

 "Invalid." Dictionary.com. 2010. Web. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/invalid>.

Kearl, Michael. "http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/strat.html." Explorations in Social Inequality. N.p., 2010. Web. 14 Oct 2010. <http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/strat.html>.



The Color of Avatar

                The first thing you notice is the color.  Set in a world of the future “Avatar” catapults the viewer into a world unlike any other.  CGI enhanced, the alien world of Pandora entices with vibrant colors and textures unlike those found in reality; truly lending the genre of science fiction a portrayal of visual stimuli that would challenge even the imagination.

Courtesy of Google Images.com (http://www.google.com/images)

                The year is 2154.  In a state where no one dreams, the main character awakens from his cryogenic chamber and immediately begins narrating his past and present informing the viewer of the path he has chosen and ultimately of the one he will make.  The main character, Jake Sully, emerges as a man who has lost his way; an Ex-Marine, who has lost the use of his legs in battle.  Spurred by the desire to escape his brother’s death, or perhaps the life he is currently leading, he accepts a civilian military position on the planet of Pandora with the RDA Corporation; a mining company that wishes to strip Pandora of its natural resource "unobtanium."  His mission is one of science; to remotely control the Avatar body which is genetically engineered combining human and native DNA.

Courtesy of Google Images.com (http://www.google.com/images)

                The Na’vi natives are portrayed as being exceptionally larger than humans, thereby allowing them to survive the arduous conditions that exist on the planet of Pandora.  Led by the main scientist in charge of the Avatar Program named Grace, Sully (Jake) will merge with his Avatar body and attempt to interact with the native planet and its people. Everyone calls him by his last name except the Na’vi; a clear indication that while in a civilian company, there is still a military mentality.

                The movie continues with Jake Sully eventually getting separated from his scientist co-workers and being led back to the Na’vi tribe by the daughter of the Chief, named Neytiri.  Initially deemed a threat, she first prepares to kill Jake, but ceases when a sign from Eywa, their supreme deity of the planet Pandora makes itself known. The fact that Jake is a warrior and not a scientist intrigues the Omaticaya Chief who decides with momentary thought to observe Jake by teaching him to “be one of the people.”  An interesting decision, considering he is the enemy.  Perhaps the Chief does want to study him, perhaps he thinks there is value in knowing the enemy better, but this is not portrayed.  The movie mostly takes place amongst interactions with the humans and Netyri, the chiefs daughter, along with Jakes declared enemy Tsu’tey.  Tsu’tey will be the next chief and he doesn't like Jake at all.

                 

The Na’vi people are able to mentally connect with animals on the planet and are portrayed as living close to the earth in a very primitive tribal state.  The message throughout the film however, is that it is the humans, aka ‘white people’ in the older cowboy and Indian films, who are truly the ignorant of the two species.  A very good example of the “reworking of the noble savage stereotype” portraying the native as a “holder of divine, transcendental spirituality.” Unfortunately, with this approach, a viewer can be led into believing that one group must be good and the other evil, thus undermining the multidimensional and psychological aspects that attribute to each cultures behavior.  The Na'vi are primitive and are displayed as having a child-like, yet aware view of energy.  Jake is displayed as matriculating from a culture of complete ignorance and greed, except for a small group of scientists on the planet.  Perhaps that is because they can see the world through the Na'vi experience.  Where the humans see hostile, they see beauty.    

Jake proceeds on his journey, willingly attempting to learn the dangerous and thrilling ways of the Na’vi way of life. Embracing Pandora and it’s creatures without fear, which of course Jake has no reason to fear, as his Avatar body can die without affecting him (he will only wake up); he progresses from the child like “scoun” or moron that he is called by some of the tribe members into a capable member of the community.  

Continuing his adventure, Jake begins to adapt to the Na’vi way of life.  Losing his self in his Avatar existence, he entwines himself with Neytiri and begins “to see the world through her eyes”; eventually questioning and rebelling against the ideology of his own people.  Again, not an uncommon theme in movies that attempt to soften a portrayal of events that mirror history in a more pleasing manner.  Conquering the challenges set before him by the Na’vi, he eventually becomes accepted as “one of the people” and is initiated into the tribe.  Naytiri initiates him separately into the tribe, but not necessarily with the consent of her parents or Tsu’tey who is to be her husband. Ultimately her independence is commendable, but the submissive behavior that follows their eventual pairing makes one wonder if their intimate encounter scrambled her brain.  Once a leader, outspoken, she is submissive in her behavior to Jake.  

Courtesy of Google Images.com (http://www.google.com/images)

                When the Corporation decides to strike, it is Jake who warns the Na’vi, but they do not listen.  While they have accepted him as one of the people, they quickly dismiss that bond and what knowledge he may have to assist them in battle, by tying him and Grace to a tree.  Not a shining moment if the director intended to indicate intelligence within the native mentality of the native Na;vi.  Whooping and hollering for battle, they seem easily riled in to fighting, contributing once again to the stereotype that natives are bloodthirsty and bent on war and have no common sense or strategy behind their decisions.  Have they not seen the big ships with guns?  One has to wonder.  Yet, they insist on fighting the humans and inevitably watch their home and some of their tribe destroyed.

                Hometree, the gigantic, consciously aware tree of the film, where the Na’vi tribe lives is horrifically destroyed and in the process of the attack and Jake and Grace are set free.  The Na’vi flee to the Tree of Souls and pray to their mother Ewya for comfort.  Jake, deserted and an outcast, makes a bold decision to bond with the largest of Pandora’s creatures; a Toruk.  Psychically bonded with the large, flying dragon creature, Jake flies down upon the Na’vi; frightening and impressing them with his display of large domination.  Proving once again, it is size that matters; at least in the eyes of some people.

Courtesy of Google Images.com (http://www.google.com/images)

                The Na’vi, now led by Tsu’tey, the predecessor to Neytrir’s father, who was killed in the previous attack is immediately impressed with Jakes incoming flight.  The tribe, silent from the moment the dragon quit flapping and screaming violently toward them, now stands in awe of the one who was foretold to come and join the people together in the “time of sorrow.”   It is always interesting to note that people are more than willing to accept someone as a leader, who initially was thier enemy, when faced with severe trauma.  Tsu’tey immediately agrees to help Jake call upon on other tribes and aligns allegiance with him. This is an unfortunate repetition of the helpful, “noble savage stereotype” that has dominated cinematic portrayals of natives in film.  It seems the savior has arrived, and ironically, but not unlike other portrayals of race in cinema, this character is not native.

                The film ends, as all great stories do, with a huge battle, but this time the natives win, led by their arrived savior.  Peace restored, Jake takes his place permanently among the people.  Undergoing a ceremony to enter his Avatar body permanently and the film ends as his energy diminishes from his human form into his more spiritually appropriate Avatar body as he opens his eyes.  One cannot help but wonder, now that he is truly a part of the people, vulnerable to the dangers of Pandora and sharing completely in their fate, if he will view their world quite the same way.

 

Sources Cited:

"Avatar (2009 film)." Wikipedia. Wikepedia Fondation, Inc., 10 10 2010. Web. 10 Oct 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(2009_film).

Benshoff, Harry, and Sean Griffin. America On Film. 2nd ed. . Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, 2007. 109 & 115. Print.

"Read and Download Avatar Movie Script Written by James Cameron, Himself ." I Am Downloader. N.p., 2008. Web. 10 Oct 2010. http://www.iamdownloader.com/2010/01/read-and-download-avatar-movie-script.html.