I just saw Avatar.Kindly ignore what I said about Avatar having alternative worlds, time travel etc. What it is about is a wonderland, like how earth once might have been, but a world who's existence is threatened by humans who seek to secure wealth at the expense of a civilization, and who will leave no stone unturned to seek what they desire, which is eerily similar to our reality.
It's also a movie that opens our eyes to a world so rich and vivid and teeming with life that our planet seems to be fucking dull when you leave the theater and for that, for freeing our minds for 2.5 hours and allowing us to bask in the splendor of James Cameron's creation, it should win Best Picture and Director Academy Awards hands down.
A must see.
3 comments:
If you really want to critically review the movie, there are several loopholes in the plot. Before we all go human-bashing, we need to consider the 'politics' behind the whole endeavor of reaching an alien planet & start mining their resources. Yes, the situation on earth isn't very rosy at the moment with corporate entities arm-twisting governments into passing absurd laws so that they destroy entire eco-systems just so that they can fill the company coffers as well as their deep pockets but the fact remains that governments are cracking down, coming hard on such companies & in their own way trying to stem this practice, but, agreeably there is still a long way to go. On the other hand there are many out there thinking up alternate energy sources, promising new technologies that do work, inexpensive & highly efficient. These will take some time before they hit the mainstream but we surely are getting there.
Coming to the plot of the movie which happens between June-August 2154, it is hard to believe that a mining company can freely go to an alien planet & systematically rape it of its resources just for monetary gains (unobtanium - which sells for 20 million a kilo!). You did mention the Copenhagen Climate Summit, also dubbed 'Hopenhagen'. On the back of such summits, one can hope that changes will be brought into governance, in decision making such that governments do not fall soft prey to the MNCs. So, isn't there any regulating body 150 years into the future preventing such eventualities of one company to go do what they consider is in the interest of stakeholders?
The stunning visuals the movie shows of the alien world & the indigenous people with their spiritual approach to all facets of life endear us to them. It sure makes our present concrete world pale in comparison. It also reminds of an early Earth, the beauty & splendor of how our planet might have appeared a million or so years ago. It frees our minds & we sadly think to ourselves how we have abused our planet & it is this 'sympathy vote' which makes the movie more painful to us humans. Also, the premise that we humans will attack a race far inferior militarily only shifts the focus right onto the aliens.
What the picture depicts is in no way right & everybody should condemn it but is it going to be true? Will we deteriorate to such an extent that we won't learn from our mistakes on Earth & keep money as our soul goal? Like the protagonist adds in the end, “The aliens (referring to the humans) were sent back to their planet…” when he himself is a human, will we be kicked out of a planet come such a day? Only time will tell.
Give us humans a chance, as I know there are a lot of people than before working hard for a solution to save our planet form the brink of disaster in earnest.
I hope in the end I didn't step on anybody's toes, especially you Dr. Rao. :)
While I do agree that the film on the whole is a feel-good one that had definitely overlooked many aspects of a reality that is 150 years into the future, I do have the utmost hope that our world leaders, and ourselves, will work towards avoiding the rape and destruction of natural resource that is depicted in the movie.
I have also mentioned that it's what the earth might have been like many many years ago, and I would agree that the director has very cleverly made a hotly debated topic the crux of the film-point taken.
Nice to hear some comments!! Regards.
MGR - now let's hear you review some of the real movies you watch after 1am...hahaha...i just saw your blog, now you're jacked buddy boy! - adith
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