{"id":748,"date":"2009-12-20T14:35:50","date_gmt":"2009-12-20T14:35:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theredphoenix.wordpress.com\/?p=748"},"modified":"2026-04-26T15:32:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T20:32:34","slug":"review-of-avatar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/2009\/12\/review-of-avatar\/","title":{"rendered":"Review of\u00a0\u201cAvatar\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"avatar1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(Warning: Minor Spoilers)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Avatar<\/span><\/em>, the latest film by James Cameron, lives up to the hype. Throughout James Cameron\u2019s career he has created blockbuster after blockbuster, from <\/span>Aliens<\/span><\/em> in 1986 to the famous <\/span>Titanic<\/span><\/em> in 1997. Cameron\u2019s movies usually are long, expensive epics that combine humor, action, adventure and of course, romance, notwithstanding the groan-inducing romantic subplot of Titanic which took too much away from the tragedy of drowning \u201cThird Class\u201d passengers. His latest movie, reportedly his personal baby for 15 years, has finally manifested on screen, and it does not disappoint. <\/span>Avatar <\/span><\/em>is a predictable film, but it\u2019s also a damn good one.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Plot Summery<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2154 A.D., humanity has discovered Pandora, a lush rainforest moon that orbits Alpha Centauri A, located 4.3 light years from earth and the closest star to the sun. Pandora is home to the Na\u2019vi, an indigenous sentient species of humanoids who are considered primitive technologically, yet are physically superior to humans. The Na\u2019vi appear as blue, ten-foot-tall feline creatures with long black hair in the film, though the CGI conceals real actors and actresses in the cases of the main characters. The Na\u2019vi are CGI, but the way they move and the manner in which their faces express emotion are animated so well that the viewer forgets he\/she is watching computer animation. This also applies to the plants and animals of Pandora.<\/span><\/p>\n

The planet has been found by the humans to be rich with unobtanium, an incredibly valuable mineral that acts as the most efficient superconductor in the known universe. Humans are unable to breathe the atmosphere of Pandora. In order to interact with the Na\u2019vi, scientists have created genetically engineered human-Na\u2019vi hybrid bodies called \u201cAvatars.\u201d A human who shares genetic material with the avatar can be mentally linked to it, allowing them to control its functions and experience what it experiences. The story\u2019s protagonist, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is a former U.S. Marine who was wounded and paralyzed from the waist down in combat on Earth. Jake is extended the opportunity to inhabit an avatar. The movie\u2019s main villain is Colonel Miles Quaritch, an Ex-Marine who is put in charge of the corporations\u2019 \u2018SecFor\u2019 PMC-Type Military force, which wants nothing more then to destroy the native population. Jake\u2019s assignment for him is to contact the natives and gain their trust for a \u201crelocating operation\u201d that will allow the humans to mine the mineral.
\nJake travels to Pandora and after assuming control of his avatar body is sent deep into its jungles as a scout for the soldiers that will follow. Jake encounters many of Pandora\u2019s beauties and dangers alike. He meets a young Na\u2019vi female named Neytiri (Zoe Salda\u00f1a), who teaches him the ways of her clan. Despite having originally been sent to gain the trust of natives and convince them to abandon their Hometree, which sits above a large deposit of unobtanium, Jake finds himself caught between the military-industrial forces of Earth and his newfound love for his adopted home and people. He is forced to choose sides as the humans grow increasingly violent in their mining activities, and the oppressed Na’vi rise up to protect their home, resulting in a battle that will decide the fate of an entire race.<\/span><\/p>\n

Imperialism as Plot Device<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

In Avatar<\/em>, humanity has come millions of miles from its dying world for one thing\u2014profit. The Na\u2019vi are targeted by capitalist adventurers who care only for capital and the expansion (the leader of the expedition is actually the CEO of the company). Throughout the film we are exposed to an increasingly desperate attempt by this corporation to mine more and more of the resource, that we are told \u201csells for 20 million per kilo,\u201d ultimately resulting in more violent solutions. These are encouraged by Colonel Quaritch, a chauvinist and human supremacist. As Marxist-Leninists we respect the right of self-determination and autonomy to nations without fear of repercussions. In this age of imperialism, that is considered a radical position.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"avatar3\"<\/a>Anti-Imperialism<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Avatar<\/span><\/em> is very much an anti-imperialist film. This movie does its job properly\u2014it shows the suffering of the people and the destruction they face due to the invasion by the humans. It correctly puts forward the idea that oppressed peoples have the moral right to violently rebel against their oppressors.<\/span>
\n<\/span> The relationship to Native Americans is simply the most prevalent example that can be seen, but <\/span>Avatar<\/span><\/em> can be related to nearly every atrocity of imperialism. Imperialism, the expansion of economies and nations through force, is the driving motive of the story. The humans attempt to trick the Na\u2019vi into letting them exploit the natural resources of their planet, and when that doesn\u2019t work they resort to violence, a pattern that has been repeated many times in history. Most movies that attempt such a thing would end up taking a moralist approach and thus taking the safe path\u2014teaching its American audience to sympathize with the Na\u2019vi while refusing to connect it with real events\u2014but <\/span>Avatar<\/span><\/em> does no such thing.<\/span>
\n<\/span> It does not show the brutality visited upon the natives as incidental, or disconnected from the capitalist-imperialist system which spawned it. It shows it as institutionalized and inherent in the system the humans have set up. Many real parallels can be found in different parts of the movie:<\/span><\/p>\n

Native Americans<\/span><\/em><\/span>: The portrayal of the invasion of Pandora by the humans as motivated by resources is possibly an analogy for the extermination of the Native Americans, whose culture could be roughly related to the Na\u2019vi (more on how this portrayal is carried out this later).<\/span><\/p>\n

War on Terror<\/span><\/em><\/span>: The connection to the War on Terror is strengthened later in the film when the racist, genocidal Colonel makes a speech about \u201cfighting terror with terror.\u201d This echoes the major propaganda weapon in the ongoing genocidal imperialist wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Colonel Quaritch announces \u201cThis is your enemy!\u201d to a room full of assembled imperialist soldiers as he shows a picture of one of the Na\u2019vi. This is a clear reference to actual slideshows shown to members of the US army deployed to the Middle East depicting Muslims and Arabs as a savage, dirty and evil people.<\/span>
\n<\/span> At another point, the Colonel justifies attacks on them by calling them \u201cflea-bitten savages.\u201d They also mock the Na\u2019vi\u2019s faith and religion to a chorus of laughter from the soldiers, much how America has made a \u201csavage and backward\u201d characterization of Islam for their own purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anti-Colonial Struggles<\/span><\/em><\/span>: One of the methods used for the relocation of the Na\u2019vi is the use of biological weapons. The Colonel in charge of the operation calls it \u201chumane,\u201d much like imperialist politicians such as Winston Churchill, who famously wrote, \u201cI do not understand this squeamishness about the use of gas. I am strongly in favour of using poison gas against uncivilised tribes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Vietnam War<\/span><\/em><\/span>: In the battle scenes during the climax of the movie, the humans under the command of the Colonel launch missiles and firebombs onto the Na\u2019vi resistance. The scenes of futuristic helicopters dropping incendiaries on the surrounding jungle and forest heavily reminds one of the \u201cbrush-clearing\u201d policies pursued by the US in Vietnam, in which more shells were dropped by the US military than by the entire Allied forces during WWII.<\/span><\/p>\n

Criticisms of <\/span>Avatar<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

We must note, however, there are several negative aspects of the film which we will deal with in turn. Our criticisms are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n

1) Firstly, <\/span>Avatar<\/span><\/em> tends to glorify and romanticize the Na\u2019vi\u2019s culture, a clearly liberal image of Native American culture, to the point of ridiculousness. The movie plays on several Native American clich\u00e9s, such as \u201cbeing in harmony with nature\u201d and having the protagonist fall in love with the Chief\u2019s daughter. There are a plethora of scenes with focus on the native customs, culture, religion, etc., which is supposed to be overly exotic to the viewer. As materialists, we found those scenes rather tedious at times.<\/span>
\n<\/span> 2) <\/span>Avatar<\/span><\/em> also focuses on how superior the ways of Na\u2019vi are without much examination of the actual class structure of their society. The contradiction on the screen is between imperialism and natives.<\/span><\/p>\n

3) There is a bit of a primitivist feel to <\/span>Avatar<\/span><\/em>, since the Na\u2019vi\u2019s natural live-off-the-land civilization is associated with construction while technology, machines and industry are associated with nothing but destruction. No distinction is made between machines of production for the good of society (food, clothing) and imperialist death machines (bombing vehicles).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
“Avatar” Supports the Revolutionary Violence of the Oppressed as Righteous<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Organicism & Utopianism<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, there is a Utopian flavor to how<\/span> Avatar<\/span><\/em> proposes to solve the global environmental crisis. As said above, the Na\u2019vi live in harmony with the flora and fauna of Pandora. This is because the animals, plants and Na\u2019vi are literally connected through bio-electric bonds.<\/span>
\n<\/span> Avatar<\/span><\/em> explains this bio-electric connection as being similar to the signals sent between neurons in the human brain. The brain is like a mini generator, sending electric signals all over the body through the spine and nervous system. The animals and plants of Pandora behave much the same way. This allows every species on the planet to interact and communicate. This is an essential part of Na’vi culture\u2014harmony and unity with all around them in a spiritualistic as well as physical connection.<\/span><\/p>\n

From a materialist standpoint, the movie is reinforcing liberal organicist and idealist views of man and nature in harmony, united as one, ignoring the dialectic relationship between man and nature. The ongoing destruction of the ecosystem by imperialism is correctly criticized and conservatives will no doubt throw fits about the environmentalism of the movie. But in reality, there is no such magical or mental connection\u2014we humans cannot connect with plants and animals mentally and the exploitation of nature for its resources is a necessary evil for production for human needs. \u201cConnection\u201d with nature as the movie portrays it is not the solution, nor is a return to primitive forms of society\u2014we cannot liberate ourselves and the ecosystem through liberalism, so we must liberate it through socialist revolution.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusi\u00f3n<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite these flaws, at its base <\/span>Avatar<\/span><\/em> tries to teach liberals and reactionaries to support the justified revolutionary violence of humanities oppressed against their oppressors. The film makes no simpering, cowardly \u201cmoral equivalency\u201d argument that the violence of the Na\u2019vi against the genocidal human corporation and military-industrial complex invading their homeland for financial gain is \u201cjust as bad\u201d as the violence committed by the humans. Unlike most Hollywood trash, <\/span>Avatar<\/span><\/em> does not give any liberal criticism of violence against oppressors as \u201cwrong.\u201d This would amount to a rejection of revolution and the rights of oppressed peoples. There is no attempt whatsoever to justify imperialist actions in <\/span>Avatar<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The final grade is that <\/span>Avatar<\/span><\/em> is a good film with a message that is on the side of progress. Despite flaws such as the Orientalist attitude towards Na\u2019vi culture, <\/span>Avatar<\/span><\/em>\u2019s anti-imperialist merits are primary and its errors are secondary. It is a thoroughly entertaining, enjoyable and well-made film.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Warning: Minor Spoilers) Avatar, the latest film by James Cameron, lives up to the hype. Throughout James Cameron\u2019s career he has created blockbuster after blockbuster,..<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[379],"tags":[228,350,290],"class_list":["post-748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archive","tag-colonialism","tag-united-states-history","tag-vietnam"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/redphoenix.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/avatar1.jpg?fit=540%2C808&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=748"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41225,"href":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748\/revisions\/41225"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}