Avé Avatar
Radbam January 20th, 2010
The hype was borne out, despite the narrative retread. Visually, and thus emotionally and experientially, Avatar is out of this world (typical pun for movie critic-types)! Though it took a few minutes for my 8 year old son and I to adjust to the weirdness of 3D Version 2010, the technology has definitely improved since the goofily splashing wax of Vincent Price’s 50’s foray into the next dimension.
Others have commented extensively on Cameron’s resort to tried, true and perhaps even trite plot tropes: the White Messiah, the rapacious corporation backed by sadistic mercenaries, and the innocent indigenous more thoroughly in touch with God-as-Nature than we, the deracinated “civilized.” Indeed, the pitch for this movie was probably: ”Dances with Wolves meets Close Encounters with Smurfs.”
Much has been made of a few urban legend-sounding struggles with depression and suicidal ideation amongst viewers so immersed in the experience of Pandora that they are crestfallen to return to the Peoria AMC-Cineplex parking lot. Credit is equally divided between Cameron’s successful creation of the next generation of escapism and an enervating real world of economic malaise, war fatigue and bleak weather.
And though the storyline was as hackneyed as any Star Wars remix and as timelessly trotted out as any Campbellian monomyth, there is merit to the ability to do the oft-done well. And there is insight for all observers and analysts of contemporary culture in the film’s phenomenal success despite its unoriginality. We still need myth to face the mundane!
Even the seemingly interminable previews evidenced this need. Many upcoming films regurgitated by the creatively-retarded Hollywood money machine fall into 2 categories: Some variant of Fox’s 24 and an update on classic mythic literature. The next few months will bring a remake of Clash of the Titans, something called Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Russell Crow’s grizzled up Robin Hood (you could count on Errol Flynn to shave….everything!)
While I am a great advocate for the confluence of the themes of sacred, mythic tradition and pop culture, I am an equally vociferous critic of modern iterations becoming complete substitutes for more substantive spiritual lives. The longing for faith, spirituality, the transcendent or whatever you call it is clearly enduring if not hard-wired physiologically. Yet the forever-seeking will frequent the Church of Cameron multiple times before ever setting foot in or lending heart to the deeper, richer, more nuanced experience of established traditions and communities. Can it be the 3D glasses alone (I’d happily put them in the pews if it were that simple)? Are today’s faithful so shallow, so atrophied of attention-span and so diminished of mind and spirit that they are only engaged by a spirituality that comes in 2.5 hour chunks, pop corn and Red Vines not included? What do you think?
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Thank goodness for Wikipedia…Campbellian monomyth? How do you know these things?! I have to find a way to use that. BTW, Anna and I didn’t make it through Avatar, 3D just doesn’t agree with the Levin girls. Perhaps I’ll fortify myself with dramamine and give it another go.
Great insight, as usual. I think the spectacle is a bigger draw than the spirituality in Avatar. The latter is pretty much a high-tech version of Disney’s circle of life, which is vague enough to appeal to most everyone. The letdown on leaving the theater is that reality can never be as enthralling as hyper-reality. Maybe it’s just a new, improved version of escapism. It’s the first movie I’ve seen in a long time where I left the theater with that sense of wonder I used to get as a kid at the movies. I think that’s much of the appeal for those of us of a certain age. Not sure there’s a lesson for the spiritual side, unless you decide to add a lazer show to Rock Shabbat.
BTW, Percy Jackson is big with the 5th grade set in our house. It’s funny hearing the kids discuss Greek mythology.
We haven’t ventured to see it as our family is more the ‘24′ set rather than sci-fi, although the boys are intrigued by 3-D. Our last experience with that was at Disneyland a few years back when they went screaming out of “Honey I shrunk (something I can’t remember” but there was a snake that almost jumped out of the screen at you. So there’s not a lot of demand to go see Avatar by the family and not high on my list either.
Anyway, I do tend to think it’s escape-ism rather than a replacement for spirituality, especially in these challenging times…isn’t that what movies are intended to do is take you away from your reality for a couple of hours and hope that there’s some reflection afterwards if there’s a film that allows that these days (Crazy Heart and Precious to name two).
Although I guess you could argue the same for getting lost in your ipod which you previously spoke about. And that all these things allow us to block the spiritual path.
Interesting idea to put 3D glasses on for Rock Shabbat…will have to think about that! Or Monte’s idea of a laser show. Either way, it’s making that time for real prayer and reflection.
PS — Percy Jackson big in our household too…my 9 year old just finished all 5 books in the series. Yes funny to hear perspectives on it!
All great comments…and the Percy kudos from the kids evidence my point…good fx + timeless myth = escapist blockbuster….which is great…big fan…as long as it’s in perspective, right?