History repeats itself

Rating: 8/10 (14 January 2010)

This movie has been praised for its graphics and at some instances criticized for its plot. I have not watched Pocahontas but I do believe that many of the main ideas have been repeated in the past. To me this isn't necessarily a flaw. History repeats itself and just as we haven't learned from our past crimes we do not seem to be learning from our current ones either. So I think Cameron tries to make some crucial points clear for once more to a wide pop-corn audience which expects mainly visual sensations.
Expressions used in this film such as 'Shock and Awe' and 'Terror' reveal, even to the unsuspected, the parallels drawn here with current irrational warfare mostly for the control of markets and resources.
There is a strong environmental agenda and ultimately there is revolution. The messages are clear and relevant. Yet they may fall short in being convincing. The natives bear too many cultural similarities to humans. They speak in polysyllabic words, are monogamous, use similar tools, gather and sing to evoke something spiritual, the women's concept of femininity is similar to ours etc Of course all this is done in order for us to relate to them as much as possible.
Some cheesy disneyish romance, along with romantic views on natives that look like North American Natives and sing to African tunes, make also part of the Hollywood gloss.
What chiefly kept me interested was the ongoing switching of the marine's world from that of the artificial human environment to the natural non-human one. It is within those transformations that his dilemmas are understood and his character develops.
Overall, it was an entertaining experience with beautiful imagery and pertinent messages. There is room for more character development and intricacy, especially from the part of the natives.