Some see racist theme in alien adventure 'Avatar'
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0
thepro
I think Americans have become obsessed with 'racism'
0
Fadamor
Ya think? Prior to the Civil Rights movement of the 50's and 60's, racism wasn't thought of in America. It was just "the way things are". Since then the goal has been to eliminate racism though all the major ethnic groups still perpetuate racism to this day in their own little ways.
Nothing good will ever come from the arguments presented about this film. If they had chosen a black actor for the lead, then the Hispanic, Oriental, or Native American communities would have complained. No matter who you choose, some group is going to scream racism. It's the old "You can't please everybody all the time" situation.
0
ahocchau
I agree with this quote: "Can’t people just enjoy movies any more?"
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Scotch
I think the main issue is this film wouldn't be considered racist if the actor was black .... which is racist in it self. I'm fed up with all the rubbish where they claim something is racist. They hired the best people for the job and lets face it for the na'vi you need lots of people who can speak with a certain accent. To do this it is easier and cheaper to hire one set group of people. Heck I heard they hired Maori people to base the Na'vi on. So where the heck do they get this to mean native americans or black people? What are they the only people on the planet that ever used bows and arrows or dressed like that? I think not. My own people used to act VERY similar to that when we were invaded. Pfft fed up of all this "this is racist" rubbish. ..... rant over
0
Ultradude
Movies are made to put butts in seats and sell popcorn, nothing else. Debate historical, cultural and other issues all you want but unless it is a documentary, a movie is made to sell tickets and that's all. If you don't look at your watch or fall asleep during the flick, it was worth the price of admission.
0
stereoman
How does the white man save the day in Avatar?
SPOILER
The blue chick saves the white guy at the end by shooting bad army guy with arrows. Just before that it was the 'god of nature' that summons all the creatures to help win the fight against bad army guys.
I didn't see any racist element at all in this movie.
0
biglittleman
How many of the posters who made cooments here are White?
SPOILER
All of you. It not surprising you don't recognize racism against any other ethnicity. I don't think the movie was meant to have a racism undertone but it doesn't mean it is not there.
0
diggerdog
the hero has to be a human as the hero has to be some one we can relate to, and i think the film is more a comment on nature and living in tune with it than race. I wish people would stop over analyzing things. You can find anything you want if you look hard enough. How about there being no gay aliens, and these aliens are in tune with nature so is the movie saying being gay is unnatural? See just pick anything and you can find it. Wish these idiots would just shut up. Ok ill stop now.
0
2020hindsight
Who save who in the movie? I've seen it and it looks to me that the white macho guy is saved by an appreciation of nature by the blue people. So maybe it is racist against white people. Dunno
0
dbung10
Its just a movie with cool special effects. Racist undertones are only there if you want them to be. You can find them in any film if you want to. But why would you want to?
0
tkoind2
Reality check. If you look at our world history you will see that any time a culture with better weapons meets one with something they want but less ability to defend it the weaker power loses. It often results in genocide, enslavement or marginalization and poverty for the future.
As much as we might want to dismiss these facts, history proves that they are absolutes. Just ask the destroyed cultures of the native peoples of just about any country on earth subjected to imperialism or manifest destiny.
Is Avatar racist or realistic? I say it is closer to realistic. We have seen advisors and activists come to the aid of indiginous communities in our own history. Does portraying such a true scenario show racism? I don't think so.
My take on the movie is this. It has several messages that are pretty clear and do not require digging to arrive at.
Sustainability and Balance: It clearly advocates preserving the real treasure of nature and natural balance over industrial exploitation of resources.
Community: It clearly advocates a return to a more natural balanced community in harmony with the environment, respectful of nature and deeply connected and supportive of its people.
Greed is bad: I work for a bank and see all the time the green monster of greed. It blinds people to caring for community, for each other, for peers and often for family. Money and ambition replace empathy and common sense. I think the movie makes this clear.
Imperialism is evil: We see when business wants something, military and political power are equally focused to attain that goal. Think about the peak oil situation and declining reserves and look where the US military is focused today (Iraq, Afghanistan - see pipeline, pressure on Iran and now Yemen.) Imagine a world with almost no oil and imagine what the major powers would do to keep what is left for themselves. Avatar does a good job of warning about this.
In the end Avatar is a story with some morality tales of good and evil. Like most fantastic stories it is grounded in both reality and myth. Racist, no.
0
Scotch
Nice comment about being white means you don't know anything about racism! You know that people are also racist to white people don't you?? Racism is not a one way street and it's about time people admit that. EVERYONE needs to cut it out and this film has no racism in it at all.
0
DenDon
"How many of the posters who made cooments here are White? SPOILER All of you. It not surprising you don't recognize racism against any other ethnicity"
How much of a clue do you have about other people and how they think?
SPOILER
none whatsoever
0
Farmboy
Well yes, that character is supposed to be racist...duh. Other themes might be the imposition of the Western capitalist world on everyone else...maybe the film is pro-insurgency as well. One could envision the call for jihad against the West mapped out upon the blue guys, or you could map it out to characters from some successful revolutions in the past..countries that are now independent. It's not a terrible film, and has cool special effects, but it has nowhere near the depth of, say, Star Wars. It could have gone there, but it didn't. I wouldn't take any "themes" too seriously. It's just entertainment. “Can’t people just enjoy movies any more?” I think they do, and then they want to enjoy arguing about it.
0
pawatan
This. I'm amazed at all the negativity people find in a movie designed for entertainment. I think it says a lot about the people who see such negativity.
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tkoind2
DenDon. "SPOILER All of you." Wrong!!
I am of mixed cultural background. I grew up a mixed race kid in a community with very polarized ethnic groups. I have experienced racism from all because I was not clearly a match for any of the dominant racial groups. I have seen my African American cousins in the south treated by white shop keepers as thieving threats while my light skin and eyes allowed them to tream me as white. Likewise I have have African American school kids attack me because I was not clearly black, despite my mixed heritage.
So you know what mate I do know what it is to experience racism from Caucasians, Hispanics, African Americans and Japanese. I know very clearly what it is like to experience prejudice just because I have or do not have a certain skin color or am from some other country. So before you make such a brash claim, you should consider that racism does indeed take many forms including the insensitivity to understand that there may diversity on this discussion board.
As for Avatar, if you are seeing insideous racism in this movie, then you should probably spend more time studying the realities of history to see that the scenario in the film has been played out many times in history. Sadly with rare positive result on the side of those defending the weaker power.
0
Wolfpack
When I watched the film it was obvious to me that this was one of those 'white people bad, indigenous people good' kind of movie. As if no indigenous peoples ever dominated other indigenous people. This is a tried and true formula for Liberal Hollywood. Any movie that pits one race against another it will always be the whites that wear the black hats - that is just the way it is. Given all that and ignoring the race dimension, it was a good movie with outstanding special effects. I enjoyed it.
0
NeoJamal
Why is it a surprise for many people, when you look at how Hollywood makes films that pander to the White-American audience?
0
tkoind2
One more thing. A lot of people have died over the centuries trying to protect weaker communities from more powerful and agressive ones. Whether it was Europeans hiding Jewish families, activists trying to save people from genocide or volunteers trying to protect South American tribes, there has been a lot of selfless sacrifice for just causes by people of many races and backgrounds.
The saddest thing is that we don't see more people standing up for the rights of weaker communities. Instead we buy shoes made by children paid nearly nothing per day. We care about cheap products and oil while people are forced off their land or killed. We continue to support governments that go to war to achieve their economic objectives. And how many of us are guilty of profiling other races when we are afraid?
We need more stories that make heroes of people who stand up for what is right and risk their own lives to help others. Why not look at the film from this perspective and try to let it inspire you to do something instead of trying to dig in and find some racist message. Must be cup half empty thinking at work there.
0
DeepSpace
I am amazed people see racism everywhere. I guess they see racism in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, on white bread? why not whole wheat? too dark perhaps? Definitely not toast! I thought it was a good movie. Can't go to a movie and forget reality for a while. Your a bunch of humbugs!
0
tokyochris
Absolutely spot on in my opinion - I think that the people who actively search for things to find racism within are part of the reason it's still a problem in most countries!
0
DenDon
tkoind, that was not my message. I was replying to biglittleman, scroll up
0
gogogo
You need to put a spoiler alert before reading this!
0
tkoind2
tokyochris. Racism exists everywhere. Examples? I and many others have been refused apartments because we are foreign despite language ability, income and status. Just because we are foreign. This has happened many times.
Planning events I have been told that the owner will not work with a foreigner but will do so with our group if I send someone Japanese. Again despite no barriers to communication or ability to pay.
My friends of Asian descent are stopped all the time by police and asked for their ID, while our European friends do not experience this problem.
But I have experienced a lot of racism in the US as well. So maybe this is one of the primative remaining traits of human beings.
The same racism that allows people to look at foreigners as somehow incapable of understanding garbage or of being reliable to rent a place to live is the same thing that allowed people to subjugate the Koreans and Chinese in their history. It is the ability to apply blanket misconceptions to a group of people based upon race, creed or nationality.
Sorry DenDon. Please shift that response to the right guy biglittleman.
Moderator: All readers, back on topic please. The subject is whether "Avatar" has racism themes. Posts that do not focus on "Avatar" will be removed.
0
meloveulongtime
give me a break!
0
SiouxGirl
“the Indian woman leads the white man into the wilderness, and he learns the way of the people and becomes the savior.” LOL. If I ever talk you guys into letting me lead you into the wilderness, count on us all dying, probably the next day. And I did marry the white guy, but he couldn't save a squirrel in a chipmunk fight. I still love him. Not because he's white, but it does help me find him in the semi-dark. Racism! We've got to start taking ourselves less seriously or life's going to get harder. All of this will go away once we mix and mix and mix and mix until we're one color and we can call ourselves earthling or something. The last movie I took major issue with was the old French movie Jules and Jim - the female lead is characterized as a dimwit who constantly needs tending to and saving. I couldn't even watch that. I might come back after I see Avatar. Or not. I'll probably be wowed by the special effects.
0
Scotch
I'm very happy to see almost everyone on here sees this "racist" mark on avatar is stupid. Made me proud of the world for once .... been awhile since I've seen so many people agree on something like this :D
Thanks guys and girls. You put a smile on my face today!
0
dbung10
SPOILER In the end its the blue alien woman, played by a Dominican that saves the day by killing a white guy and saving a nother white guy. I find this racist toward white people, sexist toward men and discriminatory toward disabled people (the male lead is paralysed). Also when i was walking into the cinema the lady checking my ticket spoke to me in english - thats so racist, how does she know i speak english, just because of the colour of my skin?
Also yesterday I went to a toilet and one of the doors had a picture of a woman on it - I asked the attendant why and she said it was only for women! I was astounded that such blatant sexism exists in this day and age, in a 'developed' country. Why is everyone so sexist and racist at me? Avatar just perpetuates this, it should be banned immediately.
0
Junnama
Good guys win, everyone goes home happy. A billions dollars in ticket sales. How Racialist can it be?
0
dr_jones
haven't watched it and never will but so what?! It wouldn't be the first movie with a racist ambiguity.
0
dr_jones
People really have issues with white people don't they? I wouldn't complain if a black director makes an Avatar movie with a black main actor, or a Japanese director makes one with a Japanese actor (which again could be mis-understood by Chinese or Koreans)! The problem is that so many non-white people have a reflex when there could be the slightest something indicating that a white director makes a movie where a white main character could be somehow linked to a fascistic ambiguity.
0
tkoind2
"People really have issues with white people don't they?" Truthfully I would say the answer is not really. Our most admired stars are mostly white. Many top singers, models etc... white. CEOs etc... white. Seems to me people DON'T really have issues with white people. On the contrary much of the world wishes they were white or admire white western culture.
What you are hearing is natural criticism that it to be expected from minorities against any dominant group. You will find the same between ethnic minorities in China and the majority Han population.
The anxiety about racism does reflect the fact that reality does tie white, corporate culture to conducting most of the corporate exploitation and western extension of military power. Which if you look at who runs and owns these things the majority in the west are white.
Likewise the anxiety reflects that the powerless are often ethnic minorities who lack corporate, political, economic or military power to resist and win against larger more powerful entities.
So Avatar very realistically portrays dominantly white westernized corporate and military power as it exists today. But it also portrays the more liberal and activist characters and also majority white. Again revealing the real balance of educated minorities vs whites in western culture.
These are facts not racist suggestions. Just like the broader presence of minorities on the fighting front of the military rather than in the driving control of it.
If we don't like these real, social facts, we should change them instead of defaulting to calling it racist.
0
bokudayo
lol @ DeepSpace racist PB&J, indeed!
Perhaps it is just a parody of Pocahontas after all?
Maybe because.....he's a racist?
Chillax people! It's a movie. It's fiction. And MAYBE it reflects a bit of real life. Ya know, the whole art-imitating-life thing? Racism is real. Even if the film was about racism (which I don't believe it to be) so what? Can we not produce films about social issues and problems?
What about District 9? Now, THAT movie was about racism!! Yet we did not have this huge discussion online. (that I'm aware of)
0
sirgamble
Racism aside, I agree with the point that the ending is a bit lame, how the white man (actually an Australian, not an American) saves the day purely by using brute force and numbers to slay the US marines.
I was expecting something more intelligent... I'm not a film writer, so I'm not sure what... but something along the lines of a really intelligent agreement being made between the humans/aliens, or the aliens using their wit (rather than numbers/brute force) to defeat the humans. Again I don't know what, but something along the lines of showing that their land could protect itself.
Of note to all the people pulling the racism card, why was an Australian used as the lead role rather than an American? Does this have any significance? James Cameron said he picked an un-known to save costs, but this was the most expensive film ever, and after his lead role in Terminator, one can hardly say that Worthington is unknown and has never been in a blockbuster film.
0
dbung10
That is what happened. Are we talking about the same film??
0
Goya-Champuru
enjoy it´s only a film
0
dolphingirl
tkoind2: Insightful posts! As you said, this movie is a reflection on historical and present day realities. And race is a factor in these realities. Is there a racist theme in Avatar? No. If anything I thought the main theme was respecting other people's space, ideas and culture. And it was also about a 'foreigner' fitting into and trying to understand another culture and the difficulties he faced. And of course the them of 'save the envirnment'. All good, I think.
This movie was amazing to watch but the plot was actually rather thin and banal; Bad guys/gals want something so they invade good guys/gals territory. Bad guys are greedy, selfish and uncaring. Good guys are gentle, nature-loving, compassionate. I didn't think it was plausible that they accepted this 'foreigner' so readily and trusted him so easily. It seemed like a very short time passed and suddenly he was like their leader. On the whole, very visually stunning not so thought-provoking.
0
Sarge
No doubt.
0
gamera
I enjoyed.
0
norinrad21
people complain just for the sake of complaining. I enjoyed the movie.
0
gogogo
People want attention the best way to get attention now is to create a scene, people love to be the victim, this is a movie about aliens yet people are complaining... next people will complain about the color of products.
0
alphawolf
How is that a racist theme.. read the history of American aid to Haiti.. and watch waht will happen after this earthquake.. the fact is, whites are almost always the race that "comes to the rescue" to non whites..
0
sethwright
this is pretty outrageous.. i have no respect for the people that are so pathetic as to suggest this movie is racist. pick it apart anyway you like and one can clearly see that's it a story told from a perspective that the audience understands and relates to.. and the whole purpose is to bring the audience to realizing the value in another culture.
and whats up with "why cant we save our selves for once?".. she wouldn't be saying this if it was a Will Smith movie (no offense at all to him)
0
alphawolf
This is not a racist theme..it is historical and present day fact. it is the white race that responds with medicine after natural disasters, rebuilds cities after wars etc etc.. no other race does this and if the white race was in trouble, they'd be on their own and infact might be attacked, killing off the men and raping the white women..
0
jinjapan
can't please everyone. there will always be someone to find something wrong with everything.
0
Ah_so
Have not, and will not see the film, so cannot comment. I also do not see strong racism in Hollywood films, if we interpret that as a negative depiction of other races.
I believe that the audience is now race neutral, between black and white male actors. However, I suspect that there is a preference against east Asian starts, except in "Asian" roles. I think it is very unlikely that a male east asian star will break into lead roles, outside of martial-type or Asian-specific roles.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
0
nightvision
Wow, this is the first time in JapanToday that I've seen people comment on how annoying it is to hear people complain about stuff!
0
memyselfI
Why does the hero have to be white ? Why couldn't he be asian ? Or another color except white or black.
0
gogogo
memyselfI: The hero was HUMAN is the point!
0
space_monkey
I just liked how a crippled white male in a cloned alien body had sex with another alien in this sexploitation film.
It may spawn a new genre of porn: Blue paraplegic alien clone sex.
Isn't that what Will Smith when he said get "Jiggy" with it?
The Na'vi also mixed their tails when they had sex with each other as well as when they rode animals and talked to the tree!!! what does this mean??? Did the white male paraplegic in a alien cloned body in fact also have sex with animals and plants?
I don't know who but I am sure someone is being exploited or discriminated against somehow....
0
Cliffy
A film is a film is a film. People are just reading too much into it.
0
CandleStickPark
I must say that I did not read the entire article because the first few paragraphs were just ridiculous! What Racism!? When will "White" people be treated as equals? you laugh...Affirmative Action, US has a "BLACK" president...emphasis on Black, do people Emphasize Zimbabwe as having a "BLACK" president? Does Japan Emphasize as having a "JAPANESE" prime minister? When will there be a Black Queen in the UK or a Black Japanese Emperor? Ridiculous...I AGREE!
This is all crap - stop looking at color, including white, and start looking at the person. I'm not saying forget culture, what I am saying color doesn't matter.
0
alphawolf
How about looking at facts.. such as "who" is in Haiti now and a dozen other times in the last 100 yrs to save that race that lives there. Who (race) is always going to the aid of other races.. there are many races of man, and they all have stengths and weaknesses.. don't lump them into one sized fits all.... Doctors use to do that..
0
TheQuestion
I didn't pick up any racist vibe from the movie that I enjoyed enough to watch twice. Although, to be honest, any flick that has mech suits with 10 foot kabars is one after my own heart.
0
vulcan
I always enjoy the Spike Lee movies, he never has any racist vibes..
0
noborito
grammar error. should read "betray your own species" not "betray your own race." surprised no one caught that.
0
Scotch
noborito at 07:45 AM JST - 14th January
grammar error. should read "betray your own species" not "betray your own race." surprised no one caught that.
>
Depends how you look at it as we often refer to ourselves as the "human race" and not "human species". English language is sooooooo full of problems.
Love the non-racist film though
0
tkoind2
Alphawolf, with regard to "...it is the white race that responds with medicine after natural disasters, rebuilds cities after wars etc etc.. no other race does this..."
You are very wrong on this point! Japan and many other nations provide support for nations in trouble. Go to Afghanistan today and you will see volunteers from many nations there helping people and brining medicines and support. To say that only "white people" are helping shows that you have little or no understanding of global politics, the activities of the world's volunteer and NGO agencies nor an understanding of history.
Avatar represents one of many themes that we have seen played out when powerful cultures meet and want something belonging to weaker cultures. The assistance by members of that powerful community is also a common theme in reality as people of conscience frequently rise to help the threatened community.
We have often seen members of colonial cultures change sides to support the local population. Usually at the expense of their own lives or freedom. And we have seen this behavior from many diverse people. Character, not race defines these people. As it does in the film.
0
chubu
The movie is an obvious (too obvious?) metaphor on European colonialism of the Americas and much of the rest of the world. Part of that history included a minority of Whites who took issue with people being colonialised, assimilated into them, and tried to stop them being enslaved or having their land taken from them. Movies like this celebrate those heroes either directly or indirectly, and they remind us that not all Europeans were evil colonisers.
When we see a movie like "Avatar" or "Dances with Wolves", we White people like to identify with that hero, just as we like to read "Anne Frank" and think that we, too, would have hidden a little Jewish girl if we had lived in Nazi-occupied Europe. Maybe we wouldn't really have been so heroic, but the first step to having the courage to conquer the racism inside us is thinking about how we would do (or would have done) things differently.
Is it a movie about racism? Sure. Is it a movie about examining the racism in our society and saying "no"? Sure. Is the movie especially effective because the man turning his back on European-style racism is White? Of course.
0
Gravitybrakes
The movie was freaking awesome! Loved it and will buy the DVD or BluRay. I saw this for pure entertainment value. If you wanna start attaching tree hugger, anti-war, racism meanings to the movie, you are lame. Its just a movie, get over it and dont dig into it. BTW "paranormal activities" sucked!
0
sharky1
It is only the true racists who see racism where it does not exist...
0
WilliB
Good grief, now we have racism about gigantic blue people!
I guess with enough determination I can spot racism everywhere....
0
lovejapan21
My favorite part is when the genearl of the US army called the alien race "terrorists"...
0
wontond
Pocahontas, Avatar is the new Pocohontas.
0
vulcan
tkoind.. no you are wrong because it is the US that has to strongarm other races/nations into providing aid and when they finally do, they privide just a little, arrive last and pull out first. Japan did help however when SanFrancisco had an earthquake.. very generous of them but that was self serving also if you get down to it (trade, relations and all)..
0
noborito
Agree, EXCELLENT Movie. A must buy!
0
tkoind2
vulcan. You may be right on the governmental side in some cases. But we have seen considerable efforts by many nations to help others in need. And the NGOs are hardly forced into supporting people.
Japan is not a great example of Afghanistan, but they have done considerable good work elsewhere.
The real point is that human beings often reach out to help others in need. It isn't hard to imagine humans wanting to help a race of aliens as in the movie. I would want to. I am sure many of you would. And not all of us are of any specific racial heritage. The will and desire to help comes from our values and those of our families. Therein rests the hope that will help keep us from repeating too many past mistakes.
0
bilinguru
Let's face it; some see racist themes everywhere. When Star Trek came out, the Klingons were the blacks, Vulcans were Asians and Whites ruled StarFleet. Star Wars was also criticized for racist themes, especially the Phantom Menace with the jive talking Jar Jar Binks and the obviously money grubbing Jewish stereotype character of Watto. Give me a break! Art reflects society, and artists shouldn't have to worry about their motivations being twisted to serve some malcontent's paranoia. If you don't like it, don't watch it. I intend to watch Avatar and enjoy the special effects. The rest I will filter through my own judgement.
0
alphawolf
tkoind2, yeah I think Japan does a lot in the "region" but very little outside the region, infact they are the biggest aid givers in Asia..maybe a lot of it is the fact that China and Japan don't have the military carriers/destroyers patroling the world and hence don't have the logistical means to provide first responder aid.. I still think the white/chrisitans do more than their fair share and most of them races they help wouldn't return the favor..
0
Cliffy
It is just a movie.
0
mnemosyne23
As long as one side keeps saying, "That's demeaning," instead of saying, "Thank you," we're never going to get away from the -ism's that plague our society: racism, sexism, ageism, etc. When a man holds a door for me, I say, "Thank you." I don't say, "You're a chauvinist pig." When I see an elderly woman on the bus, the train, waiting at the station, I let her have my seat. I don't hoard it thinking, "This is MY seat. So what if she's 75 and bow-backed as a shrimp? It's MINE." If I see a black child wandering alone in a busy mall, I'll take him to customer service and help him find his parents. Not because I don't think his mother or father aren't perfectly capable of finding the lost boy, but because I want to HELP. Believe it or not, sometimes people really ARE good at heart. I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt until they've proven me wrong.
0
tkoind2
Alphawolf. Your views are far to race biased and lack one key point. Why are western nations providing so much help? One key factor is that they are better positioned to do so. And why is that?
While much of the world labored as subjects of expansionistic countries from the west, the west grew rich on their exploitation. That colonialism is why the west is stronger, more wealthy and better positioned to help.
As for Christian missionaries. Two considerations. First, yes a lot of the efforts abroad by missionaries is indeed selfless and out of empathy for other peoples. But there is a very strong second point. Christianity is an expansionistic religion the mandates its followers to spread the word and convert others to follow the faith. Much of the christian presence world wide is as much an evengelical effort as it is humanitarian. And in this regard it has a long history of cultural imperialism that replaces local customs, religions and cultures with a foreign one, often imposed politically, economically or through dependence.
In Avatar the corporate guy says "we tried to give them road etc... but they just want mud." Late he dismisses their religious beliefs as primative and foolish. It is this kind of cultural imperialism that assumes what locals believe, want and how they wish to live is primative and wrong. When in fact it is as viable and should be as respected as the other cultural alternatives.
Much of the west's aid work is in part cultural imperialism and has been for generations. Especially that where religion is tied to help.
0
vulcan
You're young and idealistic.. sometimes you can think too much and sometimes you can not think enough.. it is I that planted the "logistic" idea in your head because that is what you should have used as an excuse for the facts anyway... but they are one and the same, "superiority" is one reason for the logistical ability.. but I didn't want to go there. Humanity is the other, power breeds arrogance, but it can breed compassion if the right persons are put in place.
0
Soochi
Some see the face of Jesus burnt into their toast.
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dontknockit
Well, I did not see the movie but it sounds incorrect to say the white human saved the blue aliens. It sounds more like he helped them help themselves. It sounds like they fought their own battle and he just gave them guidance.
And if any kind of racism is going on here, it sounds like white people being racist against themselves to me. It sounds like assuage of "white guilt" more than anything else. How else to you explain the white human joining the indigenous people and the indigenous people winning against the invaders?
While I do not necessarily dispute this, how many situations can you name where white people were not the principal invader? How many of those were on the scale of taking over whole continents, such as North and South America and Australia? How many occured lately? There is a reason Caucasians are easily labeled the invader race and it has to do with scales and numbers and recent memory. But its not really fair if one is merely a child of such an invader and never took part in such action.
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dontknockit
Speaking of Jar-Jar Binks, the show that demeaned blacks the most that is in my memory was Fat Albert and the Cosby kids! They just about lived in a trash heap, playing musical instruments made out of trash! How is that for an image of black people? I doubt Avatar has anything on Bill Cosby and Star Wars!
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Icewind007
The only "racist" theme I saw in the movie were certain humans thinking that the alien race was inferior in all ways and were simple animals that could be moved.
If you consider humans and the aliens to be two different races, it was wrong that some humans did not respect another intelligent race in their own lands with respect.
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bdiego
The whiners are racist as well, and in any case people will see a Jesus in everything.
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telecasterplayer
it's not racist unless there's a character named "jar jar"
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featherhead
The political themes of the powerful( could have been referring to the U.S., but many other countries which have looted, robbled, and plundered other countries as well) attempting to steal resources from the natives couldn't have been any more obvious. Not that this was bad. On the contrary, it was a part of history, especially U.S. history, which is rarely discussed. Have to go outside of the media to find out such basics. Not even in much of education is it taught, or it's taught in a way which makes it seems reasonable. "Yeah, well, so we pillaged and plundered. So has everyone else." i.e., therefore it's okay(subtext)
Also, the white guy who changed to support the natives is also not unusual, though rarely discussed. They're usually referred to as terrorists or as committing treason. The underdogs, the poor, and most anyone who tries to stand up to the more powerful, and who must/often rely on less than direct means of warfare(arrows and spears don't really match up with tanks, etc...)have historically been referred to as "terrorists". An obvious example is how the U.S. supported the Nazi-like South African Apartheid government for years, and of which the State Department called those folks who were fighting against it, those like Mandela, Biko, etc...terrorists. As a matter of fact, it was only a few years ago now that Mandela was even able to enter the U.S. as he was still on the terrorist list. How many folks here remember hearing about this from the media when Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, or was just recently taken off the terrorist list? Not many I suspect.
Anyway, while understanding how some of those whom perceive this is just another white man going native and saving the day (and this IS a correct observation), it should also be recognized that help should be welcomed by wherever it happens to come from. And, factually speaking, quite often the assistance has come from exactly those who were in more privileged positions, had the resources, managed to extract themselves from the status quo of their own race or country, and help out. Personally, I would have gone for the blue lady as well. But then again, I always rooted for the Indians over the cowboys.
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Altria
I think Avatar was racist - there were no black people in the movie!
Also interesting that the "good guys" featured an Indian dude and Anna Lucia from Lost, who is Hispanic.
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featherhead
You mean black people in the military? You aren't EVEN going to try the "reverse racisim" fairyt ale argument, are you?
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Gombei424Canada
featherhead:"You aren't EVEN going to try the "reverse racisim" fairyt ale argument, are you?"
Bingo! You really could be the next Noam Chomsky,or Roger Ebert.My feeling is the choice is yours.It's just TOO funny trying to watch rightists talk about racism in a Cameron movie.(I LOVE everything he has ever done!)
Well, anyways, Avatar is the perfect movie for the Obama era, which has ushered in a kind of golden age in race relations in America, even though Rush Limbaugh IS still on TV and just spewing hatred all day long.
"Personally, I would have gone for the blue lady as well."
Bingo! Me too. I have always had a thing for other races.I hate my own.
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Tahoochi
I have to agree with the very first post by Thepro.
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womanforwomen
Honestly, we are all waiting to impute wrong motives for the simple things in life. I wish some hindu can comment on this. But from the litle that I know this is just another hindu mythic related movie. There is a blue god and blue people in the hindu mythology. Remember slumdog millionnaire; a blue god tries to help the little boy? It has nothing to do with race or religion. Oh please!
By the way, I usually don't like to watch the movie when people talk too much about it. Watched Titanic after several years of release. The slumdog millionnaire was recommended to me by a friend from China. The Avatar was recommended by a friend from Jamaica. I have learnt never, never to see everything with a racial eye. It simply is wrong.
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