Avatar: PG-13 for some language, action-violence, and some sexuality (though I am unsure how to categorize the CGI, National Geographic type, near nudity of the alien characters throughout the movie)I knew it would happen. One of my first thoughts as I left the theater was, “Christian culture warriors and political conservatives are going to hate this movie.” Sure enough, I wake-up today to read articles in the New York Times and other places critiquing James Cameron’s Avatar as pantheistic, profoundly naïve about human nature and anti-corporate.; critiques that are not entirely undeserved, but certainly predictable.
The vagaries of Cameron’s worldview do flavor the film and his own viewpoint is also predictable. Anytime Hollywood has some primitive tribe prominently featured in a movie (in this case, the Na’Vi, natives of the forest moon Pandora), you can be sure there will be some technologically superior culture coming to exploit them and destroy their culture. However. I really liked this movie.
It was a holiday season blockbuster, and it did not disappoint in the entertainment factor (a feat for any movie 2 hours and 40 minutes long). First, the new “performance capture” technology is pretty amazing. While I could still tell (most of the time) that I was looking at digital characters, the ability to capture the facial expression of the actors was very compelling.
The world of Pandora was dazzling, imaginative and simply fun. While the story fits the mold of other films (Dances with Wolves comes to mind, where a simple soldier who is adrift spiritually finds meaning and belonging in a primitive culture), it works. And though the storyline of David & Goliath is a well-worn path, I still love it when the powerful and arrogant go down at the hands of the small and simple who believe in something bigger than themselves. It’s just feel-good fun.As for the critiques of Cameron’s worldview, it is true that he depicts the primitive Na’Vi culture as this idealistic Eden where the people live “in balance” with their world/goddess. There is no hint of disease or tribal rivalries. Death is portrayed as a peaceful surrender of the life “energy” back to the All-Mother, Eywa. The culture and religion of the Na’Vi seem almost directly transferred from a modern and liberal understanding Native American spirituality, with all its white-guilt baggage.
However, tempting though it might be to dismiss the movie’s message on this basis, it would tragically miss things that we should all affirm in the movie. There are two themes that I found thought provoking. The first is the tendency we have to take what we want when we can get away with it without respect to the rights and dignity of others. The corporation looking to mine Pandora for an energy source gives the appearance of engaging in diplomatic negotiations with the Na’Vi but is more than willing to resort to military force to simply take what it wants. Of course, this is directed at corporations, but the lesson is true in whatever context you can imagine: politics, personal relationships, or work place dynamics. The person in power will face extraordinary temptation to disregard the dignity and rights of those in a weaker position. The Bible is filled with cries for justice against oppressors. Corporations often get a bad wrap as immoral by definition, but the faceless nature of corporate actions often results in brutal behavior in preserving the bottom-line. But again, these sins are not exclusive to capitalism. Fascism in Germany and communism in both Russia and China have produced their share of atrocities because some in power deemed weaker people as “getting in the way.” In an attempt to justify their actions, the stronger party usually dehumanizes or demonizes the weaker party. They are “savages,” “less-than-human,” or “devils.” This logic is present in our personal relationships as spouses are discarded because they no longer us “happy” or fulfilled.” It is present in our national politics. I would even say this is the brutal logic behind abortion.
Another theme that I found interesting was the juxtaposition of secular (godless) materialism to spirituality. The bare pursuit of wealth divorced from moral conscience is soundly condemned in this movie, and rightly so. The corporate representative and the mercenaries on Pandora regularly scoff at the god of the Na’Vi while displaying no spirituality of their own. For them the natural world is something to be exploited. While I am not a pantheist, (indeed I think it is essential for human dignity to recognize the distinction between the material world and God) I do recognize the relationship between humanity and the surrounding world. Strangely enough, even though Cameron shows greater explicit sympathies with pantheism in Avatar, he cannot completely abandon Western theism. Eywa, at the request of the main character, seems to intervene on behalf of the Na’Vi, expressing will and a sense of justice (or at least loyalty to the indigenous people of Pandora). This is not reflective of eastern Pantheism. Regardless, even in the Western faith of Christianity, humanity is commissioned as the caretaker of the world. Cultivate, manage, even master the natural world: yes. Exploit, exhaust and violate: no. But materialistic worldviews will inevitably exploit nature because there is no basis to appreciate or value nature on its own merits. The natural world is only a collection of resources. These values can only come from some form of spirituality. If anything, this film reflects Hollywood’s continual search for a moral foundation. If the film proves popular, perhaps it will be in part because the people of America are also looking for a basis for moral clarity. I find this encouraging. Even if I don’t agree with the form of spirituality extolled in this film, we have more common ground for interaction than I do with the secular materialist, just as Paul found common ground with the people of Athens on Mars Hill (“Men of Athens! I see that I every way you are very religious….” Acts 17:23ff).
There is more I could write but I will bring this to a conclusion. Not a great film (I don’t think I will buy the DVD, but I may go to see it in 3-D) but it was fun and it made me think some. No spectacular performances (though Ben Worthington was great) but the acting wasn’t bad. And it’s something that you would need to see on the big screen to really take it all in. Go see this movie, if only to talk about it with all your friends who will see it. And they will.
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