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Finally, at long last, I went to see Avatar, and even though I'm normally suspicious of 3D in terms of video quality (and often the quality of the film it's a part of), I opted for the 3D-show. Now, I've been hearing the wankery (It's racist crap! It's trite clichéd SF crap!) and squee (OMG! It's a revolutionary film!) about the film for as long as it has been out. Maybe longer. Just this past week, I read an article on Yahoo! about the Vatican disapproving of the film.
All of that-and the massive advertising hype--was knocking around in my head as I drove to the theatre, and it did color my expectations. What I expected was to be blown away by the visual effects and underwhelmed by the story. However, like most expectations that are not based on first-hand experience, mine were way off base. In fact, I think Avatar might be one of those films like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings, a film that sets its hooks in too deep to ever shake them loose.
I was not wrong about how visually stunning the film would be. How could any film with the duel powerhouses of WETA and ILM fueling it be anything other than amazing? Clearly, they must mate more often if the result is films like this. Pandora is so rich and lush and lovely that moments actually brought tears to my eyes because they were so beautiful. The spirit trees, the seeds from the great tree, the luminescent flora, the crested rhino creature, the "horses," and flying mounts were all breathtaking as were the floating mountains, the waterfalls…honestly, I'd be hard pressed to find something about the planet and its life that didn't take my breath away.
Before Avatar my benchmark for realistic CG-creatures were the ones in The Lord of the Rings. However, the Na'vi in Avatar were miraculous. They seemed totally natural, and I didn't find myself thinking, "That's an awesome effect," but, "That's an awesome character."
Speaking of characters I adored Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and her shaman mother Moat. I always love Sigourney Weaver, and even though her part didn't give her a lot of room to work, she always drew my attention when Grace was onscreen. Steven Lang as Col. Miles Quartich and Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge were reminiscent of the dynamic between the military and amoral corporate interests/greed Cameron set up in Aliens. Since I mentioned Aliens, while I'm not a big fan of Michelle Rodriquez, I did like her Trudy Chacon, even though when she and Sigourney were onscreen together, I couldn't help but think that Chacon was a watered-down version of Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein).
Now, you may be thinking, "Barb, what about the negatives you mentioned as you started out? Aren't they still issues?" The answer to that is, "No, not to the extent that people have been going on about." Remember, this is my perspective, so your mileage may vary, but here are my thoughts.
Isn't Avatar just a bunch of SF clichés all wadded up in a sticky little ball? Well, that depends on whether you see the story as clichéd or archetypal. I see it as the latter, in the same way I see Star Wars as archetypal. It's a hero's journey, plain and simple, and despite the SF trappings, it's a fantasy film at its heart. In fact, it's about what makes fantasy more powerful than science fiction. It's about deep dreams that swim in our collective subconscious, and while we tend to tell those sorts of stories over and over again, if they keep their wonder and awe and power, they aren't clichés.
Jake Sully's (Sam Worthington) hero journey as he becomes one of the Na'vi is one that audiences take with him, since we are all strangers in the same strange land. The parts of the film I liked best were the ones about the Na'vi culture, where we come to learn them and their stories. We come to love and respect The People, their beliefs and culture, and Pandora as Jake does, and that is what makes moments like the destruction of the prayer tree grove and the Great Tree so devastating. It's also what had me distressed over the danger posed to the Tree of Souls.
Isn't this just another white dude saves the poor noble savages (and I'll concede the noble savage thread) story? Perhaps if you see Avatar as a cliché, you might feel that way. I did not. Despite all the debate about the film itself, Avatar is not a film whose primary concern is race. It is a film that condemns the exploitation of people and the environment, that condemns militarism and warfare. It's a film that shows us the wonder of a life lived in harmony and deep connection to all living things. Those are the issues that Cameron is focused on in Avatar, and he's not subtle about it.
And while many have talked about the Na'vi and comparing them to Native peoples (and I'm not denying those parallels), can we think of other equally valid parallels? Keep in mind this is a fantasy film, okay? I didn't think of this until [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] asked me who the Na'vi were, and then it clicked. Think about it: talker and more agile/graceful than humans, talk to/in tune with nature/trees, mate for life... Elves anyone?
What about the Vatican's disapproval of the film? This is the criticism I understand best. I confess that the film touched me so deeply because, spiritually, I'm very much like the Na'vi. While Jake might have started yearning to be Na'vi because it gave him back his mobility, I wanted to be one because of their connection to their world and to their goddess Eywa. Some have argued that Avatar was about the white guy saving the day. However, while Jake played a key role, that view dismisses the part Eywa played in defending herself and all her children. Jake and his allies, who were getting their asses kicked, would have been wiped out if not for Eywa's intervention. This is a film that touched and stirred my Wiccan soul.
Oh, before I forget, the 3D? It was the best I've ever seen. It was less about things bursting out of the screen at you (though that did happen a few times) and more about making the images have more depth and feel more real. And the film itself was vintage Cameron. You can see things that he cares about in terms of theme and storytelling reflected in Avatar.
Like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings, Avatar is going to leave a lasting mark in film history and popular culture. It's steeped in wonder and archetype, and its stories--all tied to our deepest dreams-will always resonate with audiences. It's a film I wish I had seen weeks ago, so I could see it as many times as possible before it leaves theatres.
All of that-and the massive advertising hype--was knocking around in my head as I drove to the theatre, and it did color my expectations. What I expected was to be blown away by the visual effects and underwhelmed by the story. However, like most expectations that are not based on first-hand experience, mine were way off base. In fact, I think Avatar might be one of those films like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings, a film that sets its hooks in too deep to ever shake them loose.
I was not wrong about how visually stunning the film would be. How could any film with the duel powerhouses of WETA and ILM fueling it be anything other than amazing? Clearly, they must mate more often if the result is films like this. Pandora is so rich and lush and lovely that moments actually brought tears to my eyes because they were so beautiful. The spirit trees, the seeds from the great tree, the luminescent flora, the crested rhino creature, the "horses," and flying mounts were all breathtaking as were the floating mountains, the waterfalls…honestly, I'd be hard pressed to find something about the planet and its life that didn't take my breath away.
Before Avatar my benchmark for realistic CG-creatures were the ones in The Lord of the Rings. However, the Na'vi in Avatar were miraculous. They seemed totally natural, and I didn't find myself thinking, "That's an awesome effect," but, "That's an awesome character."
Speaking of characters I adored Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and her shaman mother Moat. I always love Sigourney Weaver, and even though her part didn't give her a lot of room to work, she always drew my attention when Grace was onscreen. Steven Lang as Col. Miles Quartich and Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge were reminiscent of the dynamic between the military and amoral corporate interests/greed Cameron set up in Aliens. Since I mentioned Aliens, while I'm not a big fan of Michelle Rodriquez, I did like her Trudy Chacon, even though when she and Sigourney were onscreen together, I couldn't help but think that Chacon was a watered-down version of Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein).
Now, you may be thinking, "Barb, what about the negatives you mentioned as you started out? Aren't they still issues?" The answer to that is, "No, not to the extent that people have been going on about." Remember, this is my perspective, so your mileage may vary, but here are my thoughts.
Isn't Avatar just a bunch of SF clichés all wadded up in a sticky little ball? Well, that depends on whether you see the story as clichéd or archetypal. I see it as the latter, in the same way I see Star Wars as archetypal. It's a hero's journey, plain and simple, and despite the SF trappings, it's a fantasy film at its heart. In fact, it's about what makes fantasy more powerful than science fiction. It's about deep dreams that swim in our collective subconscious, and while we tend to tell those sorts of stories over and over again, if they keep their wonder and awe and power, they aren't clichés.
Jake Sully's (Sam Worthington) hero journey as he becomes one of the Na'vi is one that audiences take with him, since we are all strangers in the same strange land. The parts of the film I liked best were the ones about the Na'vi culture, where we come to learn them and their stories. We come to love and respect The People, their beliefs and culture, and Pandora as Jake does, and that is what makes moments like the destruction of the prayer tree grove and the Great Tree so devastating. It's also what had me distressed over the danger posed to the Tree of Souls.
Isn't this just another white dude saves the poor noble savages (and I'll concede the noble savage thread) story? Perhaps if you see Avatar as a cliché, you might feel that way. I did not. Despite all the debate about the film itself, Avatar is not a film whose primary concern is race. It is a film that condemns the exploitation of people and the environment, that condemns militarism and warfare. It's a film that shows us the wonder of a life lived in harmony and deep connection to all living things. Those are the issues that Cameron is focused on in Avatar, and he's not subtle about it.
And while many have talked about the Na'vi and comparing them to Native peoples (and I'm not denying those parallels), can we think of other equally valid parallels? Keep in mind this is a fantasy film, okay? I didn't think of this until [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] asked me who the Na'vi were, and then it clicked. Think about it: talker and more agile/graceful than humans, talk to/in tune with nature/trees, mate for life... Elves anyone?
What about the Vatican's disapproval of the film? This is the criticism I understand best. I confess that the film touched me so deeply because, spiritually, I'm very much like the Na'vi. While Jake might have started yearning to be Na'vi because it gave him back his mobility, I wanted to be one because of their connection to their world and to their goddess Eywa. Some have argued that Avatar was about the white guy saving the day. However, while Jake played a key role, that view dismisses the part Eywa played in defending herself and all her children. Jake and his allies, who were getting their asses kicked, would have been wiped out if not for Eywa's intervention. This is a film that touched and stirred my Wiccan soul.
Oh, before I forget, the 3D? It was the best I've ever seen. It was less about things bursting out of the screen at you (though that did happen a few times) and more about making the images have more depth and feel more real. And the film itself was vintage Cameron. You can see things that he cares about in terms of theme and storytelling reflected in Avatar.
Like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings, Avatar is going to leave a lasting mark in film history and popular culture. It's steeped in wonder and archetype, and its stories--all tied to our deepest dreams-will always resonate with audiences. It's a film I wish I had seen weeks ago, so I could see it as many times as possible before it leaves theatres.
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From:
no subject
Yes, it's a story that's been told a thousand times. But so has EVERY OTHER STORY. It's all in HOW you tell it. And James Cameron manages to tap into primal emotions like no other big-budget writer/director out there, precisely because he focuses on the characters & their journeys.
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
Ditto the fantasy story with only trappings of SciFi. It was like JRR Tolkien and George Lucas had a baby, and Anne McCaffrey midwifed.
There's so much more I want to say about it, but in a nutshell:
- Incredible CGI. You forget that it IS CGI, which is the entire point.
- Character-driven storyline (my favorite)
- Nature working the way we'd like it to work, instead of how it does work. This is perhaps the most wonderful thing about the movie. What's in there are our dreams of being able to become measurably closer to Gaia, to being able to forge a tangible, visible connection with the force of nature, for it to validate our existence and belonging in the web of life, even. True, we've seen time and again how things are connected in nature, but not to the extreme the Na'vi have. That's what we want to feel.
I think I will thinky some more about this...
From:
no subject
Yes, yes! Absolutely, yes.
From:
re: the plot
When Jake goes back to the tribe to warn them and tell them about the "coming evil"? Right then was NOT the time to tell them he'd been a spy all along, which virtually guaranteed they'd never listen to a word he said. I mean, FFS, there's a time for everything, Jake. Your conscience could have waited to be unburdened. There were more important things to consider! Jeebus, I couldn't figure out why the other rebel humans weren't smacking him on the head, saying "NO JAKE! Do that LATER! We have work to do right now!"
From:
Re: the plot
From:
no subject
Cameron is so technically adept that I think a lot of people over look how lyrical he can be. The Terminator's arrival, Titanic tail up under the stars, the Abyss. Avatar was just a culmination of all of that.
From:
no subject
I thought about Titanic after I left the theatre, but oddly enough, it was Aliens that I was thinking of most during the movie itself in terms of comparisons.
From:
no subject
And, like several others, am glad you've finally seen it. :)
From:
no subject
And part of me just wants to keep going back to Avatar. ^_^