The highest grossing film in North America, Avatar has proving itself to be of formidable entertainment value. There is no doubt that, if you have seen this movie, that every conceivable emotion is experienced throughout the film. Some of the majestic scenery was actually based on beautiful mountains in China that have now become tourist attractions. The undertones of harmony with nature reminds me of John Denver’s quest to show that we are all one with nature and that we must care for our planet with much the same fervor that we do our very lives.
The tragedy depicted in this extraordinary film is humankind’s constant need for war. If you study closely all of the interactions and motivations, although at the core of this conflict is a valuable mineral, the end result is that armed conflict is the means used to achieve each sides objective; the ability to mine for a mineral or the defense of one’s homeland.
If you note in the prelude to the final battle, COL Quaritch rallies his troops with harsh words about the savage natives and their assemblage of warriors. You can see how pumped up his troops are getting and even agreeing with him about the savagery they are about to encounter. None of these troops knew the Na’vi as did Jake Sully for if they had, I dare venture to say that they would not have held the same enthusiasm. Unfortunately, on the flip side, Jake had rallied all of Pandora’s forces for a counter attack yet he did not take into account the considerable force they would encounter and that in reality the Na’vi were headed for a suicide mission. In fact, some of the peoples they recruited never had a conflict with or even encountered humans.
If you have seen the film, you know how it ends. The reason for this entry is not to analyze the film (personally I enjoyed the movie), rather I highlight this film since it truly shows the audaciousness required to enter into battle. In war, it is irrelevant the value of the persons being killed, only the fact that they have been killed is important.
Do not misunderstand me, there are indeed those that should be killed, if doing so will save a life or lives. Rather, it is unfortunate that any life is lost. I sometimes wonder if there will ever be a point in our future that intentional killing will cease being a part of our culture as humans. So long as someone wants or envies something that someone else owns with greater fervor than the desire for peace, I think not.
You can become familiar with Avatar (odds are you already are) at: www.avatarmovie.com
Avatar; Entertainment or a prophecy about the future and the continuance of The Audacity of War?
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