Avatar.
Folks have gone out to see this one in droves.
I can definitely understand why.
Pandora (where the movie is set) is completely gorgeous, the special effects are literally awesome, the characters are well developed, the speed at which the movie moves along keeps you hooked from start to finish…and it’s in 3-D!
Also, the first three quarters of the movie did a spectacular job at making a quite pointed social critique about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our total exploitation of our planet’s natural resources for our own selfish benefit (and noting the fact that this will eventually lead to our downfall), our complete lack of respect for other living beings, the sheer omnipresence of the military industrial complex in our society, our society’s obsession with guns and machines, our “Othering” of peoples and cultures in other parts of the world…
I could go on, but you get the idea.
These commentaries, which were at times subtle and at times, umm, not so subtle, were enough to make any critically-minded, potentially skeptical progressive viewer fall in love with the film on the spot.
But around the last quarter of the movie…things went terribly wrong.
[If you haven't seen the movie and want to judge for yourself, this is definetly a spoiler, so continue reading at your own risk!]
All of a sudden, there’s a huge battle scene. The Avatars are fighting for their lives, their planet, their past, their future.
Except they don’t stand a chance.
Disturbing side note 1: It is now clear that the Avatars are an amalgam of Native American and sub-Saharan African cultures. It becomes appearant that the concept behind Avatars stems from the complete blurring of “Other” peoples into one…Why not? People of color all look the same anyway; why make any distinctionas between us? In other words, Avatars are the ”Ultimate Other.” This may makes sense for the formulaic black or white, good vs. evil Hollywood approach to filmmaking…but does horrors for making us think about race/ethnicity and relations between different cultural groups in any critical or nuanced way…
Disturbing side note 2: At this point in the movie, Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldana’s character) hair has gone from some fierce warrior braids to long, straight hair flowing in the wind. Hmm, interesting sub-commentary about beauty and attractiveness. Also, note the timing of the “hair shift”…it happens right before Neytiri’s romance with Jake reaches its peak.
OK, back to the battle scene.
So the Avatars are fighting tanks and bombs with arrows. Sure, the arrows are filled with poison and could kill someone in seconds, but they’re still arrows. Things are not looking good. The Avatars stand to lose everything they have and be completely wiped out from Pandora.
But wait!
Regardless of the fact that the Avatars already have a leader (there is even another leader next in line!) and that they are well-seasoned warriors who know their planet best, Jake comes and saves the day! You really didn’t think that Hollywood would let the “Ultimate Other” win this battle on their own?!? Of course not, they need a wise white man to lead the way and save them from the perils and dangers of their own world.
Think Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai. OK, stop thinking about it now before you get nauseated.
At this point, I was squirming in my seat. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
And then, to make matters worse, out came rolling onto the screen a triumphant Jake standing at the top of the mountain, leading the Avatars toward victory.
So what does this tell us? “Don’t treat people in other parts of the world with disdain and direspect, they are people too. But obviously, these poor, poor, helpless people can’t do it without us. They need our help. So it’s up to those of us who are good-hearted to go out there and show them the way. Otherwise, they will be lost and will perish.”
Wow.
Patriarchal racism wrapped up with missionary-style follow-me-and-you-will-be saved-ism.
On the big screen.
In 3-D!!!
Deadly.
m.
