Avatar, The War on Terror and US Foreign Policy

I have just return from my local cineplex having seen the new film Avatar and was struck by some of the blatant symbology throughout the film which seem to point towards the 'War on Terror' and US Foreign Policy in Iraq.

The humans (Americans) arrive to a far off land (Iraq), and are protected by ex-military mercenaries (Private Security, Blackwater, PSD's) who mission is supported by a large corporation (KBR, Oil/Gas Companies, etc) who despite trying to implement a program of civilising to indiginous people with schooling, roads, etc with a view to taking away the highly prized natural resource (oil).

I supposed the film could also be see could also been seen as a spin-off of a number of conflicts in recent history such as the Russian Invasion of Afghanistan, The Cecil Rhodes/De Beers led invasion of Zambia and Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) or the Chinese invasion of Tibet but the most world changing of these is the War on Terror and even the mentioned didnt think that she would end her life as a 'martyr'.

I may be reading too much into it but was intrested in what other people had seen the film of it thought of this theory.

thats not symbology its subtext.

edit: now i think about it, there was a documentary about it on the other day and the maker of the film was saying how the script and the whole thing sat around for like 20 years before hollywood had the cgi/special effect abilities to make it happen.
appropriate timing probably has something to do with it, usually does.

[edit on 9-1-2010 by james420]

One must remember that James Cameron wrote the script for Avatar over a decade ago. While I will agree that there are some similarities between what is happening in our world today and the movie, I dont think it was meant to be a direct comparison. James Cameron himself has come out and said this is an anti war movie so maybe this is why so many are drawing comparisons to US policy and the Avatar story line.

I don't see what all the hype is about this movie. They look like tall smurfs.

Originally posted by SuperSlovak
I don't see what all the hype is about this movie. They look like tall smurfs.

I enjoyed the film immensely but they were Smurf like

Originally posted by The_Archangel

I may be reading too much into it but was intrested in what other people had seen the film of it thought of this theory.

I see it as a stereotypical Cameron plot: big corporations causing big problems, hero/anti-hero saves the day. The visual effects in this case far outweigh the plot.

Actually, there is an awesome part of the Movie that's exactly what you are talking about.

the Wheelchair guy picks up a book and says something along the lines of -

It's the way it's done, if someone has something you want, first you make them your enemy, then you move in and take it

I thought after the movie, i wonder if any world leaders feel guilty after seeing this part of the movie??!!



awesome movie by the way, loved it!!

Originally posted by SuperSlovak
I don't see what all the hype is about this movie. They look like tall smurfs.

with a statement like this I conclude you have been reluctant to go see it

I got more of a Native American vibe from the "smurf people". They were very spiritual and in-tune with the planet/nature. It's like a new version of cowboys and indians but with better visual effects.

Originally posted by Brydaws
I got more of a Native American vibe from the "smurf people". They were very spiritual and in-tune with the planet/nature. It's like a new version of cowboys and indians but with better visual effects.

I agree, that was my impression anyway. The way that the Navi(sp?) lived reminded me very much of Native Americans, with the Earth people going to the "New World" representing the invasion of the Europeans.

The plot is ancient, really. Shogun, Dances with Wolves, etc.

How ever it was well told and visually such a treat, a real work of art! So much so you enjoyed being in the story and not wanting to hurry it.

The script may have sat around for ages waiting for Special effects to catch up, but there was some quotes and other things that did seem to out right scream about the war in the middle east. One that sands out was when the Sgt got the troops riled by calling the indigenous populous "Terrorists."

reply to post by MadameGuillotine


I do agree with you and all the posters, and was mearly picking up on some of the terminology and characters in the movie which did seem to resonate with the situation we now find ourselves in the the Middle East.

Except the nartive Americans warred and killed each other long before the white man ever came along.

I don't think he needed Iraq as a reason . Americans have been pulling off that same scam for the past 60 years on nations . Only difference between Iraq and previous , is this time you know about it .

Originally posted by DerbyCityLights
One must remember that James Cameron wrote the script for Avatar over a decade ago.

Scripts can and are modified up until shooting. Unless he is psychic, I find it hard to swallow that Cameron would know all the paralells with our current time that were embedded in the movie in the year 2000. He might have had the idea or a preliminary script of doing a Dances with Wolves in outer space back then, but all the details are very telling.

There is little comparison...

The "native" culture most resembles that of the Native cultures of North America, a genuine tragedy that we did not stop to mix with that culture, absorb the good it had to offer...

While I recognize the innate truth of "make them your enemy take what you want"

Our current situation offers no real comparison to this movie...

We aren't fighting the peaceful Earth respecting spiritual culture of Native Americans we are fighting against an oppressive religion with a spirituality that has as far from truth and relative decency as our own had at the time we found the New World, a philosophy that would do with us what we did to the natives here hundreds of years ago...

This isn't a culture that will evolve into the Navi like the Natives of these lands would have, it's a culture that fails to recognize the spirit in anything but dogma...

What we fight today...

Is the kind of mentality that behaved as we did to the GREAT cultures of North America.... a HUGE Loss to everyone...

It's simply not the same...

I wouldn't say what we are doing makes us "good guys" but we would be fighting a culture, less spiritual, less intellectual and with far less tolerance and respect for the planet than we currently have...

This si simply NOT the same as the tragedy that we unfolded on the Natives here...

The American natives were NOT soaking up the Black Blood of the Earth and selling it over seas for massive profits while contributing to the destruction of the environment...


Now...

If in the Movie Avatar

The Navi had cut their own tree down, started selling the Onobtanium from under it to the highest bidder... turned on their own people, had a philosophy of oppression of women, were involved deeply in the slave trade that created the Monster we call America in the first place had zero tolerance for belief and had over time turned their continent into a vast resource less desert that can hardly grow food after thousands of years of war...

well yeah, then your point would be correct...


Sorry....

NOTHING TO COMPARE

The Female Alien in Avatar... was wonderful and free and living in Nature... like our Native North Americans WE were the bad guys...

Afghanistan?

If her role was based on a woman in Afghanistan...

She'd have been married to an old man, her Clitoris would have been circumcised, she would wear a Mask over her big beautiful face, she wouldn't be allowed to teach a man anything let alone choose her own mate, nor would she be allowed out of her hut for long to ever live in the woods...

We were DEAD WRONG in regards to the North American natives, that is what this movie is about... we SHOULD have valued THAT culture...

The culture we currently fight?

It sucks worse than our own, they have destroyed the cradle of civilization time and again, they are merchants in death and oil at least as much as we are and their idea of spirituality is a cage...

There is no comparison...

reply to post by mopusvindictus


Very well put! Star for you