Posts Tagged ‘moral’

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/

Dir. James Cameron

I’ve been debating what I’d like to say about Avatar. It’s a cinematic event that’s bringing criticism and praise in almost equal measure and I feel that stepping forward with my opinion puts me in an odd position of apparent naivety. I have nothing deep or meaningful to say about the story and I’ve no personally observed analysis of symbolic elements or thoughts on the implications raised by many critics.

This is partly a wilful position, borne from my original viewing of the film. I watched it expecting a predictable sci-fi action romp with cheesy dialogue and fantastic effects, which is what the film was. It’s got a wealth of narrative issues thanks to its simplistic story and broad characterisations but despite these obvious flaws I was drawn in and ended up thoroughly enjoying the film. This initial enjoyment and immersion puts me in a position of feeling unwilling to look deeper into the implications raised by many people. I didn’t feel or think of them while watching, never seeing a racist or malicious intent, but that doesn’t mean these views are invalid. It’s an issue I personally don’t feel qualified, for this film, to insightfully comment on. So for now I’m happier to enjoy it as a simple story and as a tantalising production. This may make me irresponsible as a viewer and a filmmaker, but without feeling and thinking on these points carefully anything I could say would be mired in ignorance.

Much has been made of its technological production elements, it’s well known that Cameron waited till he felt the film could be achieved, and in this regard the film is without peer. The motion capture systems, the digital production systems and the compositing of CGI and live action footage are the most advanced, and convincing, ever seen. The film is a grand spectacle and has quickly become a massive success that looks, as I write this, likely to overtake Cameron’s own Titanic in success. I can happily admit to being taken in by the story for the duration of the film, but I know that I had a deeper enjoyment thanks to its high level of production. It’s a fantastic visual feast, but what it represents is much greater, it’s an advancement of CGI effects and digital acting to an entirely new level. I can feel the weight of a world of ideas that will, as this technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, finally be realised. It’s an exciting prospect, even if we’re only in the early stages.

What didn’t work for the film is well documented, and for me personally it was mostly in the lacklustre story and cheesy dialogue. Yet I enjoyed it, I saw it twice, and I know that I will likely enjoy it all over again despite the objectively correct view that it is a mediocre film. Am I just a sucker for special effects? It’s probable. There is also likely some residual love left for Cameron that I have thanks to Terminator 2, my personal pick for the best action movie of all time. I like to think though that as an aspiring filmmaker, I’m allowed these indulgences of technology.