Posted on 12/25/2009 12:41:36 PM PST by Schnucki
There is no denying the breathtaking visual beauty of the $400 million 3-D sci-fi epic Avatar. It is already a global box office smash, taking in more than $200 million worldwide in its opening weekend. The special effects are simply stunning, and some of the action sequences are spectacular.
But Avatar is also a distinctly political work of art, with a strong anti-American and anti-Western message. It can be read on several levels – a critique of the Iraq War, an assault on the US-led War on Terror, a slick morality tale about the ‘evils’ of Western imperialism, a futuristic take on the conquest of America and the treatment of native Americans – the list goes on.
As I blogged earlier, director James Cameron has made it abundantly clear that the film is linked to both the war in Iraq and the War on Terror. In an interview with The Times he declared:
“We went down a path that cost several hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives. I don’t think the American people even know why it was done. So it’s all about opening your eyes.”
“We know what it feels like to launch the missiles. We don’t know what it feels like for them to land on our home soil, not in America. I think there’s a moral responsibility to understand that.”
The story is set in the year 2154, and centres on an attempt by a US conglomerate to exploit valuable mineral wealth on the planet of Pandora. In the background, earth is dying with limited resources, no doubt because a climate change deal could not be finalized at Copenhagen.
The American firm employs an army of marines to fight on its behalf against the Na’vi, who seem to be modeled loosely on native American tribes. Slogans such
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...
Almost every great work of art is created to work on multiple levels, including an “actual” story or theme and a subtext. This movie falls into that category. Writer James Cameron shows old school racist colors as well as extreme hypocrisy way in this admittedly visually spectacular film.
1. White man saves primitive species–PLEASE, James, not this pat Hollywood formula AGAIN. I know it makes money but give me a break–I threw up a little in my mouth when I saw this coming one more time.(p.s.–I’m white).
2. White man flips seamlessly between his white world and the more compelling primitive world (Cameron living vicariously through the Na’vi (NBA?), as he no doubt wishes that he, like many white libs, were black). OK man, got it, but the expiration date on that one was about 1989 and now it’s really starting to stink up the place.
3. I loved the makeup of the military defectors–a Latino dude, a handicapped white dude, two white academics, and a probable Lesbian. Man, I love that Democratic party! James, do you have any other paint by numbers coloring books you can share?
4. Closing scenes show almost every single bad human to be white men. Certainly no women, and few if any Latinos, Asians or Blacks. Hmmm.
5. Worst of all, the real story of the film is not the taking of the precious metal from the Na’vi, or about the taking of oil from Iraq, or about the stripping of the the rain forest. It’s about the James Cameron mining our uncertainties about race in order to make an insane amount of money. This kind of maneuver will blow up your emotional Hometree whether you realize it or not, and most people will never how completely they have been manipulated by this film.
One more point regarding race while I’m on a roll — I’m perplexed as to why people of all colors continue to beat white people up over the issue of slavery. Folks, the slave trade TODAY as perpetrated by Arabs and Africans against native Africans is ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE larger than the slave trade in the colonial U.S. African governments have been selling their own people across the world for centuries. MANY, MANY more slaves ended up in South American vs. North American. Don’t let your professors play you for a fool with their revisionist history as the world has been a nasty place for a long, long time and non-white faces have played a huge part in the nastiness.
I prefer to live in a post-racial world where I don’t really give a damn about anyone’s race. I don’t care if you are white, brown, green, black, purple or see-through, if you’re a good person I’m going to like you, and if not then I’ll be seeing you later.
That’s my take. Happy Holidays and God Bless.
Almost every great work of art is created to work on multiple levels, including an “actual” story or theme and a subtext. This movie falls into that category. Writer James Cameron shows old school racist colors as well as extreme hypocrisy way in this admittedly visually spectacular film.
1. White man saves primitive species–PLEASE, James, not this pat Hollywood formula AGAIN. I know it makes money but give me a break–I threw up a little in my mouth when I saw this coming one more time.(p.s.–I’m white).
2. White man flips seamlessly between his white world and the more compelling primitive world (Cameron living vicariously through the Na’vi (NBA?), as he no doubt wishes that he, like many white libs, were black). OK man, got it, but the expiration date on that one was about 1989 and now it’s really starting to stink up the place.
3. I loved the makeup of the military defectors–a Latino dude, a handicapped white dude, two white academics, and a probable Lesbian. Man, I love that Democratic party! James, do you have any other paint by numbers coloring books you can share?
4. Closing scenes show almost every single bad human to be white men. Certainly no women, and few if any Latinos, Asians or Blacks. Hmmm.
5. Worst of all, the real story of the film is not the taking of the precious metal from the Na’vi, or about the taking of oil from Iraq, or about the stripping of the the rain forest. It’s about the James Cameron mining our uncertainties about race in order to make an insane amount of money. This kind of maneuver will blow up your emotional Hometree whether you realize it or not, and most people will never how completely they have been manipulated by this film.
One more point regarding race while I’m on a roll — I’m perplexed as to why people of all colors continue to beat white people up over the issue of slavery. Folks, the slave trade TODAY as perpetrated by Arabs and Africans against native Africans is ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE larger than the slave trade in the colonial U.S. African governments have been selling their own people across the world for centuries. MANY, MANY more slaves ended up in South American vs. North American. Don’t let your professors play you for a fool with their revisionist history as the world has been a nasty place for a long, long time and non-white faces have played a huge part in the nastiness.
I prefer to live in a post-racial world where I don’t really give a damn about anyone’s race. I don’t care if you are white, brown, green, black, purple or see-through, if you’re a good person I’m going to like you, and if not then I’ll be seeing you later.
That’s my take. Happy Holidays and God Bless.
Why did you write your post to me? I think you wrote to the wrong person. My only comment was to correct the person who misstated the title of the movie, The Blind Side - his post #2, mine #39.
In Cameron’s case, seeing Avatar, as apparently he did, as a way of criticizing the U.S. in its war on terror merely prostitutes the story and fails to offer any enlightenment about our own world.
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You are assuming that the story has an integrity apart from its purpose; I assume that the story is ab initio a whore and my perspective cannot prostitute it further.
But you are full of Christmas generosity of spirit, and I should follow your example, in humble thankfulness for good and intelligent friends. Happy Boxing Day!
Could not have said it better myself!
Without a doubt some people will watch Avatar and not pick up on the political allegory. Like I’d say most children would be unaware of it. But anyone familiar with politics and the Left will pick up on it — unless they willfully choose not to, or if they truly have a gaping lack of discernment.
Yeah, Magoo won, but he was pretty clueless about what was going on around him wouldn’t you say?
We worry precisely because those without the background to discern will accept Cameron's message without knowing they're being fed a message, or without understanding his agenda. The concern isn't that Avatar will sway savvy conservatives (or savvy liberals for that matter); it's that it will sway unsavvy apolitical types and young people.
It's hard to believe anyone could think that propaganda is only effective when it is recognized as propaganda, when in fact it's just the opposite.
Everyone sees the same movie. The difference is whether or not it’s viewed critically. Is this really so hard to understand?
A college freshmen reading Howard Zinn could take away something very different than, say, a Freeper. There is nothing magic about this.
The North Korean propaganda ministry is probably at this moment creating stories that portray righteous collectivist heroes crushing the wicked American imperialists. I take it you would be okay with this propaganda. After all, the bad guys are getting what they deserve, right?
Your patience is inspiring. To some people all is subjective allegory.
...director James Cameron has made it abundantly clear that the film is linked to both the war in Iraq and the War on Terror. In an interview with The Times he declared: "We went down a path that cost several hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives. I don't think the American people even know why it was done. So it's all about opening your eyes. We know what it feels like to launch the missiles. We don't know what it feels like for them to land on our home soil, not in America. I think there's a moral responsibility to understand that."
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