We Are All Avatars!

What makes good entertainment? If it was easy to know, then I would be… Well, the fact is, it’s not easy to know. But, if anyone would know, it would be James Cameron. The chap directed two consecutive films that made both film-making and financial history worldwide. Worldwide. I’ve heard that music transcends culture, but the reception of film is based, largely on the cultural context for entertainment. I saw the film in the U.A. E. and it wasn’t opening night, but the theatres were packed! The Emirati who didn’t speak English had to read the subtitles in Arabic at the bottom of the screen, which, in my opinion limited their experience. But, Avatar broke records in the United Arab Emirates, and in other non-Western countries like Bahrain, Qatar, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Latvia, and the list goes on…

I didn’t come early, but there were only a few seats remaining in the front row. It was the first time I was seeing a film in 3-D. Throughout the movie, was fascinated by the visuals and I couldn’t believe how time passed y so fast. After it was all over, my sister said it was the best film she’d ever seen, but all I could think was that I’d seen—or at least read about this in real life—I mean, it drew almost practical parallelisms to colonialism, with a slightly better ending.

I read that 20th Century Fox (South) Korea modified and released Avatar in 4-D version. Their version included "moving seats, smells of explosives, sprinkling water, laser lights and wind." It would have been interesting to study the cross-cultural reception to the film. Cameron has confirmed that a sequel of one or two parts will follow Avatar. It took over ten years to develop the technology for Cameron’s vision (the script was actually written since 1994), and I hope the next one or ones, if anything, will live up to their predecessor. It would be sad to see an excellent filmmaker put out rubbish only because of the reception to the first one... but then again, it's Cameron.

Anyway, considering how our class received the movie, I wanted to let the class know about their response to the film. Names weren’t included in my paper, so I’ll simply let everyone know what audience they fell into, if they care to know.

Factor 1- “Film made me reflect on life” Abhay, Benson, Morgan (PS 101), and 2 unidentified females. Led by: Unidentified Female & Benson.

Factor 2- “Eye candy” Justin, Abi, Sondra (PS 101).Led by: Abi

Factor 3- “Only good part is 3-D imaging” D.T, Joe & unidentified male. Led by: D.T

Now, if you’re going to see the sequel to Avatar, you know who to go with J

P.S: I had fun doing this. Thanks, D.T!

Savages, savages, barely even human!

This evening I saw the film Avatar. Perhaps many of you have seen it already. It is about a group of people who have basically destroyed their planet and go to a new planet to seek a valuable mineral. However, on this other planet there are people who live above the most mineral-rich part of the planet and who are attacked in order to extract the mineral.

While films with similar ideas (Pocahontus, for example) have been made into big media releases, nothing compares to this. Not to mention the 3D is really amazing. But I hope that the message from the film gets into the minds of those who see it. I hope people can discuss it afterwards.

Many aspects of the film can lead viewers towards the idea that the conquering group could represent the United States in the world today. They even mentioned "we will fight terror with terror." Something we could say today in all honesty. And what kind of a philosophy is that? But I digress. In the film, there were military units, scientific units, and cultural units. Each maintaing their own duties, which some crossover between units. The ones who studied the culture ended up being ignored. Has this not been the case in history? The problems that have been most grave have mostly been due to misunderstandings of cultural differences and values. Greed and other evils have worked their way in too, obviously. But cultural misunderstandings are something that can be prevented.

After leaving the movie I stepped outside into a dark and foggy night. My car was alone in a nearly vacant lot. It was very eerie. Then I was reminded of the world in which we live in here on earth. The differences that exist between places. In Waterloo, Iowa I felt no fear going to my car with my companion. But as we approached the car, my companion from a "developing" world country expressed to me his fear in approaching the lone car in the dark lot. Saying that we could be robbed or the car could blow up. I laughed but realized that this could be a potentially dangerous situation.

It is hard not to take things for granted. Habits turn into a type of dependancy. In the "developed" world so many things are taken for granted. And somehow there are times when we think things are improving, progressing, moving forward, those are the times when we as a society have been the most childish. I take for example the idea of time. Faster has become better. Has it not? Fast food, fast solutions, etc. While in Argentina I learned the importance of proper nutrition and how it affects one's body. It is highly underrated in the United States. To make themselves more healthy and attractive, people eat better and sleep when they are tired. In the United States people take the quick solutions (that somehow may not always be so quick) of getting special medicines or buying certain products to improve their hair, acne, blemishes, under-eye circles, wrinkles, teeth, etc. Why is it that the symptoms are getting treated and not the source: malnutrition and lack of sleep? Now if "backward" had to be used to describe one of these societies, which would you choose?