The Definitive Film On Native Americans and Manifest Destiny?

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2009)

For all its visual proficiency, "Avatar" is not the apex of cinematic achievement some reviewers would have you believe it is, and the primary reason is this: the wobbly script is about as old as cinema itself -- the abundance of flat dialogue like "You're not the only one with a gun, bitch" doesn't help either. For this reason (and others discussed below) I still rank Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy as superior to "Avatar" -- Cameron's film may be technologically superior, but it lacks the intelligence and subtle emotion of Jackson's expertly crafted cinematic trio.
"Avatar" is filled with familiar characters, from the rebellious outsider and hero Jake Scully (Sam Worthington) to noble human scientist Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) to a cartoonish villain (Stephen Lang) invoking the imperialist bloodlust of Bush Cheney Co. to the wise and peaceful Na'vi chief (Wes Studi) and shaman (C.C.H. Pounder) who happen to be parents to the Na'vi princess, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana).
Neytiri is the sole standout among the film's characterizations as aspiring to something more than cliché: she is not cast simply as Jake's mandatory love interest or the raison d'etre for the switching of his loyalties. She is a fierce warrior, a defender of the environment, and a potent force of nature whose love and life are at the center of the film. The film makers spared no effort in crafting her as authentically as possible; there are moments (i.e. the destruction of the Great Tree, her animalistic cries over the body of her father) when she seems more real (even more human?) than the human characters, which is testimony to the fact that she is the greatest technological achievement in a film boasting of literally millions of special effects and synthetic manipulations. Indeed, when all else about the film may be forgotten, it is her image which persists in the memory, so powerfully is she depicted.
It is difficult to watch the onslaught of attacks on the Na'vi without thinking of how closely this scene of unadulterated horror and depraved violence resembles what the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam have endured throughout the U.S. led invasions of those nations. It is clear that Cameron views those invasions as immoral and evil. Should there be any doubts, he has his villain proclaim his desire for "preemptive attack" by fighting "terror with terror." I wonder what arch conservative Rupert Murdoch (whose Fox produced "Avatar") thinks of this not-so-subtle bit of Bush bashing . . .
It is impossible -- yes, impossible -- to view the film without thinking of real, historical, flesh and blood Native Americans who lived in North America long before Jamestown was ever a colony. The Na'vi of Pandora are the Native Americans of the 16th and 17th centuries, complete from their tribal lifestyle to the markings on their bodies.
To be sure, there is much in "Avatar" that borrows from earlier films about Native Americans, namely Disney's animated musical "Pocahontas" and the Kevin Costner epic "Dances with Wolves". Neytiri IS Pocahontas, and if Jake isn't John Smith, he is most definitely John J. Dunbar/Dances With Wolves. The dominant themes of environmental oneness, natural spirits, and kinship with all of creation abound in stark contrast with the "human" values of greed, war, and destruction. Cameron even managed to reincarnate Grandmother Willow as a divine tree called Eywah.
The film also delves into the issues of race, genocide, and manifest destiny (admittedly, not always with subtlety or sophistication) in ways that many will decry the film as blatant anti-American propaganda, or as some have described it, as a liberal apology for genocide inflicted upon the indigenous peoples of the Americas by Europeans fueled by white guilt and a visceral hatred of all things neocon. Clearly, much more unfolds on the screen than simply the greatest collection of cinematic visuals you've ever seen.
Thus the question naturally arises, is this the definitive mainstream Hollywood film about Native Americans and what they endured under siege of the settlers in the founding years of America? The truth is I do not know. But if what is essentially a popcorn blockbuster can encourage the average film-goer to reassess how they view their place in the natural world and what it really means to invade another nation and unleash war, then Cameron will have far exceeded his goals. What I do know is that "Avatar" is an AMAZING piece of entertainment (cheesy dialogue, superficial characterizations and all). You've never seen anything like it -- and likely won't for a long, long time. A definite must-see.