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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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