Avatar

Directed by: James Cameron

Starring: Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Sam Worthington

Go visit Roger Ebert or Manohla Dargis or...anyone else, apparently, and they will all disagree with my response to this film. But, I don't get paid the big bucks to agree with everyone, right? I started this film unengaged, silently daring James Cameron to convince me to get involved in the story. By the second act, I had to grudgingly admit that the polished and sweeping effects were being put to some use, creating a world where we could finally indulge in rich, sparkling fantasy, and I was melting. Finally, I thought, we are giving into imagination. When so many films are mired in gritty realism or jam-packed with action to cloak the vulnerability and depth of what true imagination and fantasy offers, this film took 20 minutes to allow us to experience another world, and it was beautiful. A message, though somewhat confused, about connection, nature and spirituality, James Cameron, you almost had me. Then the third act descended in a thunderous shower of bombs, gun-fire, destruction, and nihilism. Operating with all the subtlety and sensitivity of a nuclear bomb, Avatar screams out a message so confused and contradictory, it left me seething at its blatant ignorance.

In his review, Ebert writes, "You are free to find this an allegory about contemporary politics. Cameron obviously does." This is a terrifying thought. There is clearly a message here about foreign occupation and conquest, the destruction of other societies for the reward of resources. What does it say, then, that we are meant to enjoy watching US military being killed, with a graphic and sick ruthlessness that anyone who feels Iraq in the back of their minds should be deeply disturbed by? One of the characters, a grossly caricatured military general, states, "We fight terror with terror" a quote whose irony and applicability we are clearly meant to absorb. Yet, look at the final acts of this film, where the "terror" invoked by the military are matched with equal violence and hate which are meant to be applauded (and heartily were, in the theater I was in) by those of us watching. Can Cameron really claim to have a message of peace here?

What is fascinating is the way in which Avatar joins the ranks of a surprising number of recent films which, directly and indirectly, delve into the American psyche concerning the current state of many countries in Africa and, more specifically, our role therein. This film is as much about Africa as Invictus, though it may not be as obvious, and joins District-9 in an allegorical reinterpretation of such, through the telling of stories about aliens (literally). It portrays our guilt, inherited from the colonial legacy left by our ancestors, and our deep seeded fears about getting involved. Avatar and District-9 now join such films as Blood Diamond as horribly misguided, however well-intentioned, films concerning Africa which only perpetuate the stereotypes, simplifications, and misconceptions that contribute to the inability of countries in Africa to empower themselves. Stories are a crucial way for us to express ourselves and the freedom to tell your own story is an integral part of empowerment, in which case these films only further the oppression of developing nations.

And now I will step off my soap box...

Obviously, my critques here concern the content of the film, but Cameron's real fame comes from his cutting-edge visual technology, which I also found unimpressive (although I'll admit that I did love the planktonic and feathery seeds that drift through the air). To read an interesting (but scathing) article about this aspect of the film, check out Jim Emerson's blog at the Chicago-Sun Times: www.blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2009/12/avatar_plummets_into_the_uncan.html#more

Conclusion: There's no denying the breathtaking and ground-breaking effects, but those come with James Cameron territory. If you see this movie, watch it with a critical eye.