Avatar

SELFRIDGE: Look, Sully -- find out what these blue monkeys want. We try to give them medicine and education. Roads! But no -- they like mud. I wouldn’t care except -- Their damn village is sitting right over the richest unobtanium deposit for a hundred klicks in any direction. Which sucks -- for them -- because they need to relocate.

Avatar is a blockbuster hit. Amazing visuals, 3D effects, and some straight up crazy graphics. Behind this fantasy flick is a construed political message. I think a big focus of the movie is the controversy over imperialism. I first saw this stand out about fifty minutes into the film. Jake Sully has just returned from his visit to Pandora and he will be going back soon to learn the ways of Na'Vi from Neytiri. Jake meets with Quaritch and Selfridge where they hover over a map of Pandora. They encircle the map and Selfridge starts to complain in outrage. He is thoroughly confused and pissed off. Pissed of because the Na'Vi refuse to simply hand over their land and confused because The Avatar Program is willing to offer them so much (roads, medicine, education) in return.

This scene really stereotypes indigenous populations and imperialism as a whole. Populations who feel superior and advanced compared to others immediately believe that they have some duty to help the "lower class." The Na'Vi culture is stereotyped as the indigenous class. They are nature loving, simplistic, spiritual, and tribal. The Avatar program assumes that they want to change because they live this simplistic lifestyle. They are the "other body" and are considered the "docile body," the population can change, advance, and grow with the help of the normal body. But why are the Na'Vi considered the other body and why should they change. Over the years they have preserved their natural resources, remained in harmony within the culture, and appreciate the simplistic lifestyle. On earth, the people have run out of natural resources and complain and fight about the problems they are facing. Right away they feel the need to "help" (attack and steal their resources) the Na'Vi because in general they are considered the white body and we all know that is the norm. Imperialism is what they hope to establish. Imperialism, it has existed forever and this reminds me of what Native Americans experienced when Columbus ventured over. He was helping the Native Americans and in reality he massacred the population, stole their resources, and took the credit.

Yes, this fantasy film was really cool and well made, but it kind of made me sad while watching. It holds such a strong political message that basically slams the events that have taken place in the past. It makes me question my intentions as well as our intentions in other countries currently. Not everyone wants to be like us. People are different and sometimes its better to let a population or culture figure out their problems on their own. The Na'Vi had a much better way of life even though they spent their days a little differently. Why change that? Let them do what they are good at? Earth should have formed good relationships with the culture and tried to negotiate instead of demanding change and bribes in technology that they have no interest in. It makes me think about the concept of "white bodies" and "the other body." How do we decide who is what? Everyone has their own way of life and everyone I think in the end is the other body.