Corinne

However, didn’t anyone else find it troubling that the sky person had to come in and be the leader over the indigenous people? As soon as I saw the giant red dragon-like creature skeleton (forget its name) and heard that only 5 others had been chosen, I knew that Jake would be the sixth. And my spirit sank. Oh, right, I thought. He can’t just assimilate, he has to preside. Any deeper meaning was negated for me at that point.

[Heather's REPLY]:

To me, that was symbolic of Jake making the final transition from sky person to Na’vi. And after all, he was the ONLY being who could have saved the Na’vi that way. The stakes were high for him, because he was partially the cause of the coming destruction. The Na’vis didn’t even believe him, so none of them would have stepped up to the same challenge.

The fact that he risked his life to save the lives of those he had grown to love represented the ultimate sacrifice, and is a classic part of a hero’s journey.

And yes, I too knew he would be the 6th… but my spirit rose in excitement rather than sinking.

Heather

I believe the misadventure on Pandora was a corporate debacle, with the personnel being mercenaries/soldiers of fortune (think Blackwater) as opposed to being regular army. (There was a quick mention of “the company” right in the beginning, which reminded me of “Alien”.)

Be that as it may, I really liked this movie. The story was very good, a bit predictable IMVHO, but better than most run of the mill sci-fi’s. It did have the depth of which you speak and I think that is just lost on so many people who either don’t have the ability or don’t care to use their brains to that level.

You assessment is right on, Heather and while I don’t think I’m necessarily better or smarter than those who don’t “get” it, I wonder in amazement about them and at them. I have no idea what it will take for them to see that it’s time to get on the train. Nothing short of human health and happiness, not to mention survival, are at stake. We can’t go on raping our own planet at the present rate without serious consequences. Again, too many of us just don’t get it.

As to the 3 hour length, I didn’t even realize it. The pace was on point and the story moved right along. I don’t understand how anyone could have found it boring. What exactly was it they were expecting?

For one, I’m glad Cameron made “Avatar”. I seems it had been a dream of his for a very long time. How about THAT for a successful ‘manifestation’????

Thanks for your insight. As per usual, you hit the nail on the head.

I had read some of the ‘to and from’ analysis of the movie and its ‘message’ and was getting highly fed-up with the over analyzing going on.

I took my kids to see it and my daughter turned to me at the end and said, “You see, this proves that God is everywhere and in everything!”. I don’t know what ‘message’ she got from this but I believe it was a positive one and I, for one, was very happy this outcome.

My son, being older (15 going on 40), got philosophical and commented that we ought to learn to respect the earth we live on and everything and everyone on it cos all of it came from God – no matter what he/she/it looks like! I could go off on another tangent about the movie but I think I’ll just stop here. Keep up the good work Heather!

[Heather's REPLY]:

Randy says that about a lot of movies and TV shows… Spiderman is also the most evil movie ever made, with some of the most evil lines ever uttered. Same with the TV show House.

Usually it has to do with people saying that money doesn’t matter, that it’s spiritual to be poor, and so forth.

So, I’m thinking: WWRT? (What Would Randy Think?)

He may think it’s a bad message that in Avatar the “spiritual” people, the Na’vi, don’t really spend money on anything, while the “bad” people are motivated by money.

The key, with anything, is to learn to recognize those sorts of messages so you can look past them instead of being consumed by them… just like being able to watch the news without enveloping yourself in negativity.

After all, Randy watches the movies, or he wouldn’t be able to analyze them. He teaches awareness, not avoidance.

cheers
Heather

I appreciate and agree with the discerning thought that went into your piece on Avatar. I wrote a piece that resonates with your view, though much shorter and less eloquent 8 >) (http://paulandlayne.com/blog)

Among the comments we received, again similarly echoing the conversation here, we had one reader respond by e-mail rather than comment on the blog itself with the following:

“Avatar would not exist without its cold technology.
It would not exist without the very capitalist system it hypocritically decries and uses to make money for Mr. Cameron. It’s message of dualism, antagonism and makewrong is both maladaptive and unsustainable. Your huzzahs for it expose you as leftwing fundamentalists first, and only THEN folks interested in relationship.”

I am reminded of a fundamental psychological and metaphysical tenet expressed most succinctly in A Course in Miracles; “Projection makes perception.”

It only appears that outer things and events produce our perceptions of them. In truth, our perceptions and interpretations are actually produced by projecting outward our own beliefs and attitudes, especially our own sense of self.

There’s just no way around it except through our own unique experiences of personal and spiritual evolution.

Of course everyone is entitled to their own perceptions, interpretations and beliefs. And, unpopular and spiritually incorrect as it may be to NOTICE, people can be and often are WRONG! (But see, I can say that, having been wrong so many times myself – recently, even – LOL)

The world is not flat and never was, though it was the prevailing world view for a really long time. We still have “flatlanders” among us today.

Anyway, we saw the movie twice, both times in 3D. We found it even better the second time because there was the opportunity to see deeper into the metaphors and symbology that can be somewhat obscured by the dazzling special effects.

I’m sure we’ll see it, again. On many levels it stands as the best movie we have ever seen.

I “see” you,

Paul