Avatar (James Cameron) [SPOILERS]

[Reno]

Saw this last night and absolutely adored it! Yes! This! Although... you make it sound as though our hero's human body was meant to be a metaphor for a crippled human society. Hadn't thought of it that way and I do hope it wasn't.

That would have been so clumsily symbolic, not even the occasionally ham-fisted Cameron would have stooped that low. The reasons why the hero is a paraplegic have purely to do with the character and plot. Films aren't necessarily puzzles of hidden symbolism that is supposed to be figured out by the audience. Using disability as a metaphor for a sick society would have been so crass and offensive it would have suited a Nazi propaganda film.

 

[girasol]

I don't think that was the case either, and it certainly didn't occur to me.

A lot of it was predictable but not in a bad way, it was so much better than I thought it would be!

Glad I went to see it, I started to think it was too long after about two hours but then it went bonkers! (in a good way)

The song at the end nearly ruined it though

 

[revol68]

That would have been so clumsily symbolic, not even the occasionally ham-fisted Cameron would have stooped that low. The reasons why the hero is a paraplegic have purely to do with the character and plot. Films aren't necessarily puzzles of hidden symbolism that is supposed to be figured out by the audience. Using disability as a metaphor for a sick society would have been so crass and offensive it would have suited a Nazi propaganda film.

But it was a body disabled by war, by the failings of human society, and the very first time the lead "steps into" the Avatar it is made massively clear that he is overjoyed to have found a freedom from his disabled body, I'm thinking especially on the shot that focuses on the Avatar's feet sinking into the soil
Furthermore it is made clear that the technology to give him legs exists in human society but that it is locked under an economic key, something which see's our leads hopes and aspirations chained to the brutal dictates of the Mining company.

I don't see what is offensive about using such disability as a metaphor for capitalist society, I mean are we going to pretend that losing your legs isn't a negative thing.

 

[girasol]

Did anyone notice the human avatars had 5 fingers but the real ones only had 4?

 

[Mation]

Did anyone notice the human avatars had 5 fingers but the real ones only had 4?

No.

 

[Reno]

But it was a body disabled by war, by the failings of human society, and the very first time the lead "steps into" the Avatar it is made massively clear that he is overjoyed to have found a freedom from his disabled body, I'm thinking especially on the shot that focuses on the Avatar's feet sinking into the soil
Furthermore it is made clear that the technology to give him legs exists in human society but that it is locked under an economic key, something which see's our leads hopes and aspirations chained to the brutal dictates of the Mining company.

I don't see what is offensive about using such disability as a metaphor for capitalist society, I mean are we going to pretend that losing your legs isn't a negative thing.

Cool, I misunderstood how it was meant.

I was overcoffeinated when I wrote that.

 

[likesfish]

so we've got this world full of really dangerous things and pissed off natives but theres a natural room tempraute superconductor

mmm we could try to fight them or we could just drop an smallish asteroid on them game over

not much of a story though

or slightly more sutble get the natives hooked on drugs/drink shiny things and get them to work the mines

 

[Pingu]

But it was a body disabled by war, by the failings of human society, and the very first time the lead "steps into" the Avatar it is made massively clear that he is overjoyed to have found a freedom from his disabled body, I'm thinking especially on the shot that focuses on the Avatar's feet sinking into the soil
Furthermore it is made clear that the technology to give him legs exists in human society but that it is locked under an economic key, something which see's our leads hopes and aspirations chained to the brutal dictates of the Mining company.

I don't see what is offensive about using such disability as a metaphor for capitalist society, I mean are we going to pretend that losing your legs isn't a negative thing.

tbh that may be reading too much into it

 

[revol68]

tbh that may be reading too much into it

Whether Cameron explicitly meant it or not, it's still in there, we aren't transparent self contained entities, we always say more than we mean to. Or more to the point the overarching narrative will produce such subtexts organically even if the writer/director isn't fully aware of them.

Though having said all that I think the film is very explicit in it's subtext about the leads disability, infact the General says quite few times about 'getting his legs back' and the scene where he takes control over the Na'vi really beats it into us the fact he has found an empowerment in this body that he lacks in his own. I don't doubt for a second that Cameron was well aware of this.

 

[girasol]

unobtainium

 

[Mation]

But it was a body disabled by war, by the failings of human society, and the very first time the lead "steps into" the Avatar it is made massively clear that he is overjoyed to have found a freedom from his disabled body, I'm thinking especially on the shot that focuses on the Avatar's feet sinking into the soil
Furthermore it is made clear that the technology to give him legs exists in human society but that it is locked under an economic key, something which see's our leads hopes and aspirations chained to the brutal dictates of the Mining company.

I don't see what is offensive about using such disability as a metaphor for capitalist society, I mean are we going to pretend that losing your legs isn't a negative thing.

Hmmm. Ok, yes I see and think I agree, specifically because of the part I've emboldened.

unobtainium

Bloke says that turned up first in the film, the name of which escapes me, where they have to pilot a shit into the earth to restart its core.

(spotted my typo but it's lolling me, so I'm leaving it )

 

[Kid_Eternity]

unobtainium

That one name tells you everything about this film.

 

[Reno]

unobtainium

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unobtainium

 

[revol68]

That one name tells you everything about this film.

It does sort of, afterall what at first appears to be a simplistic and one dimensional thing actually has a lot more going on. Unobtainium has been in use since the 50's and is something of an injoke within the Scientific community but in your ignorance, you assumed it was just a silly name made up for the film.

 

[Mation]

It does sort of, afterall what at first appears to be a simplistic and one dimensional thing actually has a lot more going on. Unobtainium has been in use since the 50's and is something of an injoke within the Scientific community but in your ignorance, you assumed it was just a silly name made up for the film.

to be fair, it does sound like one. I hadn't noticed it before...

 

[kyser_soze]

Have you recently completed a module on film criticism perchance revvy?

 

[Mation]

Have you recently completed a module on film criticism perchance revvy?

 

[revol68]

Have you recently completed a module on film criticism perchance revvy?

have i fuck.

The thing with Avatar is that it's all pretty much explicit as fuck, it wears it's admittedly cheesey heart on it's sleeve, there is no oh so hip self aware winks in it, no breaking of the 4th wall and it's soo much better for it.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Have you recently completed a module on film criticism perchance revvy?

Have you watched the Star Wars review yet?

 

[revol68]

Have you watched the Star Wars review yet?

Avatar is the film George Lucas might of made if he wasn't a no neck piece of shit.

 

[kabbes]

Someone needs to make an alternative set of Star Wars prequels. Call the first one prototyping.

 

[kyser_soze]

Have you watched the Star Wars review yet?

Is the the 70 minute rant against TPM? No, not yet, and I'm unlikely to do so I suspect...unless it's piss your pants funny, anyway.

 

[girasol]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unobtainium

yep, I checked that out too... what will we do without wikipedia?

Unobtainium is a humorous name for any extremely rare, costly, or physically impossible material needed to fulfill a given design for a given application.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Is the the 70 minute rant against TPM? No, not yet, and I'm unlikely to do so I suspect...unless it's piss your pants funny, anyway.

It's one of the funniest things I've ever found on the internet.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Avatar is the film George Lucas might of made if he wasn't a no neck piece of shit.

Agreed. I still say that things like the Batman films are much better, but at the same time, Avatar was a far bigger success than Phantom Menace etc

 

[kyser_soze]

I still haven't seen it yet (probably a boxing day special) but JSF:

Avatar claims worldwide opening of $232 million

So even if, as it's rumoured, the film cost $300m+ to make, JC and Fox are still gonna be in the money (much like Titanic, in fact...so my prediction about it being panned but making $$$s was bang on ) from the theatrical release...

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

It's got about 83% on RT, which doesn't really represent Panneration.

 

[revol68]

I still haven't seen it yet (probably a boxing day special) but JSF:

Avatar claims worldwide opening of $232 million

So even if, as it's rumoured, the film cost $300m+ to make, JC and Fox are still gonna be in the money (much like Titanic, in fact...so my prediction about it being panned but making $$$s was bang on ) from the theatrical release...

Have you not noticed a trend yet, y'know that the vast majority of people who have actually seen it have said it is very good to excellent, infact the only person I can think of who thought it was crap is Kid Eternity but he's a muppet.

 

[ChrisFilter]

Have you not noticed a trend yet, y'know that the vast majority of people who have actually seen it have said it is very good to excellent, infact the only person I can think of who thought it was crap is Kid Eternity but he's a muppet.

KE didn't like Final Fantasy VII either. He doesn't have a soul

 

[kyser_soze]

Yes, much like Titanic - serious reviews marked it down, popular reviews said it was good, public absolutely adored it.