Meaning, I watched Avatar (James Cameron, 2009) [144 on the list].
~~~ WARNING: Possible minor spoilers ahead. ~~~
This was the second time I've seen the film, and I admit - I wasn't quite as awe struck as I was the first time. Granted, that time I saw it on the big screen and in 3D. But then I also managed to dive right into the story and didn't mind being able to guess what was going to happen next. I just enjoyed the ride - and it was an experience that stayed in my mind for a while.
This time I watched Cameron's grandiose sci-fi epic in 2D on TV. Sure, even though it was in HD it didn't have quite the same effect when watched on a 32 inch-ish flat screen with just 2.1 sound system (I'm still only dreaming of a good home theatre with 5.1 surround sound and a video projector). But I have to admit, it was still an enjoyable two and a half hours since it truly is a visual treat.
However, since this time I wasn't blinded by the sheer visual gradeur of the film, I did manage to concentrate better on the story. Like so many before me have declared, it is a story that has been told many times. The basic ideas of the storyline should be familiar to everyone, since they have been repeated over and over again in films, literature and plays throughout the ages.
Avatar is a story of two peoples at war, it is a story about the oppressor and the oppressed, it is a look into the ways of an alien people and most importantly, it is a story of a hero. These are all themes and basics of storylines that we are all familiar with and have seen or read since we were children. Still, they are also just as important portrayals of human nature now as they were, for example, a century ago.
Sure, there isn't anything really surprising in the storyline. Even the "great twist" is something you'd expect to happen when a desperate hero has gotten down to his last shot at being recognised by "his people". But if that ultimate leap of faith han't been included, the journey would not have been quite complete.
But besides following through the hero's journey, Avatar is in its way also a very critical film. You cannot watch the film and not be disgusted by the way the hired guns and the greedy corporate bastard handle the situation they're facing. It is just as difficult not to relate that to "the American way" of dealing with such a predicament. They have found untapped reserves of a higly valuable energy source and this they have to have no matter what the cost. If diplomacy does not work with the natives, there are other ways to make them understand - with presumed superiority and heavy machinery.
The corporate side follows the ideology of finders-keepers. They find the resources, if they are not already used by the natives - or the Americans figure they can use them more efficiently and more importantly have "a bigger need for them" - it is the right of the superior people to take hold of the resources with any means necessary. The military side seems to follow a mentality that is just as brutal. They are there to do the damage and clear out. If they can enjoy the fireworks in the meanwhile, ever the better.
Of course, things have to be rectified and balance needs to be restored. It simply wouldn't be right if evil were not punished and the unguided steered to the right direction. And an epic would be slightly lacking without a hint of a romance - even though "a hint" is a definite understatement in this case.
In the end, Avatar is easy to figure out and if you are looking for something completely original considering the storyline, then you're out of luck with this film. However, it is still a story that will never be completely outdated or inaccurate in its portrayal of different aspects of human nature. And this will definitely not be the last time this story finds its way to the silver screen.
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