What made Avatar (2009) so successful that it held the record of highest-grossing film for nearly a decade after its release?
Director James Cameron explains,“ ‘Avatar’ is about finding our home, finding our family, finding our clan. And fighting to protect that which we found and earn our place in it.
That turns out to be a more critical part of it than people realize,” says Cameron.
‘That’s why it spoke to every culture in the world and shot to No. 1 in every market.
It was dealing with a universal truth of the human condition that transcended culture.’ ” (Alexander)
Beyond the story, Avatar featured an unprecedented display of special effects. Specifically, motion capture and CGI were used to bring the Na’vi people to life.
These groundbreaking advancements in CGI paved the way for modern superhero films to incorporate fight scenes with CGI.
In addition, Avatar spurred audience interest in movies in 3-D or IMAX. This is thought to be due to CGI making the film so immersive.
The sequel comes out this December and promises to make even more advances in special effects.
Avatar (2009) was the most advanced film of the 2000s, but how does it hold up a decade later?
Pandora
The film’s still essential to the history of special effects, and the world of Pandora is still immersive.
Walt Disney World has created Pandora in Animal Kingdom, including Flights of Passage, where guests can ride a banshee. The ride is hugely popular.
IMDB summarizes Avatar (2009):
“A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.”
It has been criticized for having a generic plot that revolves around a white man saving native people who are presented as less advanced.
“In the post-Global War on Terrorism era, there are increasingly more
representations of contemporary disabled veterans.
These representations reflect a cultural desire to integrate and appreciate veterans while at the same time
expressing larger anxiety, hate, and fear about both disabled veterans and disabled people in general.” (Schalk, 403)
Photo by Richard Catabay from Unsplash
Films are often rooted in real-world social and political issues happening at that time.
Disabled people are often seen as weak or lesser, but this view conflicts with the image of a strong patriotic soldier.
As medical advancements allowed more soldiers to come home disabled with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, the idea of a veteran evolved.
Still, the image of a disabled person didn’t.
Disabled veterans conflicted with societal expectations. This conflict created cultural anxiety.
“Avatar attempts to alleviate cultural anxieties about contemporary disabled veterans by representing protagonists who exist at the top of a disability hierarchy.
And can therefore be more easily integrated into society.” (Schalk, 407)
The disability hierarchy is defined by the norms of society. The standard protagonist is a white, cisgender, straight, able-bodied man.
The disability hierarchy compares people with disabilities against these traits.
The less you match that description, the lower on the hierarchy you are.
“Disability hierarchy is not about disability type alone, but rather it is a complex, intersectional differential valuation of disabled people.
Regarding who can and cannot or should and should not be accommodated and integrated into a society based on a variety of factors”(Schalk, 408)
Jake Sully is the stereotypical protagonist with a disability.
Sources
Alexander, B. (2019, December 31). James Cameron predicts ‘Avatar’ will ultimately top ‘Avengers: Endgame’: ‘I think it’s a certainty’. usatoday.com. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2019/12/18/avatar-10th-anniversary-james-cameron-predicts-beating-avengers-endgame/2680090001/?subId1=xid:fr1576780607704hjf
IMDB. (2009, December 18). Avatar. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/
Schalk, S. (2020). Wounded Warriors of the Future Disability Hierarchy in Avatar and Source Code. Journal of Literature & Disability Studies, 14(4), 403-419. https://doi.org/10.3828/jlcds.2020.27