REVIEW: ‘Avatar’ Proves James Cameron’s a Secret Conservative

by Leigh Scott

So I saw Avatar. I dug the CGI and thought the 3D was cool. As always, James Cameron delivers with the action sequences. Sam Worthington is really likable. Sigourney Weaver is good as always. Michelle Rodriguez kicks ass, which is pretty much what she does.

As I left the theater however, I found myself quite disappointed. Not because my conservative “propaganda sensor” was going into overdrive. No, I pretty much knew what to expect based on Cameron’s resume and the synopsis of the film I read eight or ten years ago. I was disappointed because the film, with it’s cheesy, hippie message left me feeling empty and unaffected. I thought about all the films I’ve seen, films that cost a fraction of Avatar’s budget, that were so much more effective emotionally. Even if I didn’t agree with the political message.

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A big problem with the film is the simplistic and superficial way that it tries to convey its themes. I think a lot of the conservative critics of the film have made a mistake by analyzing it in a similarly simplistic way.

I made the point in an earlier post that when filmmakers add subtext to their screenplays they often inadvertently add conservative messages and themes. These themes and messages are universal, they cut to the very core of humanity and appeal to our basic instincts and emotions. Leftist thought is predominantly contradictory. It is overly emotional on the surface, but attempts to deal with issues from a theoretical and intellectual perspective. “We need to save the polar bears, so let’s establish a complex and unfair wealth redistribution system.” Enough said.

While simplistically trying to attack American corporate greed and take pot shots at the Bush administration, Cameron accidentally reinforced many conservative beliefs and advocated many conservative policies.

Avatar is one of those films written by fifth graders for third graders.

But what if an eighth grader takes a look at it?

There is the evil corporation and its mercenary force made up of ex-Marines. The corporation follows a “profit at all costs” mentality in its pursuit of “unobtanium” (see, I told you, fifth grader). We are led to believe that it is this cold-hearted greed that leads to the massacre of the Na’Vi.

Even Cameron knows that “greed” is a weak motivator for a character. I can be “greedy” all I want, but so what? You have to do something to amass power and wealth. Ahhh, power. Isn’t that what the cardinal pursuit of the antagonists really is? Power and ego? The bloodthirsty Marine commander is full of power lust and an ego bigger than his biceps. Even Giovanni Ribisi’s sniveling bureaucrat is an egomaniac.

So the real villains are egomaniacal, power hunger, bureaucrats. Now, if you weren’t in college during the 1960s, you can quickly deduce that the main “hive” of these types of people isn’t in the corporate boardroom, but in Washington and every state capital. Politicians, not businessmen, are more likely to be ego driven sociopaths bent on domination. Hence, the conservative and libertarian dislike and distrust of big government.

Most films that portray corporations as “evil” fall into the same trap. A bunch of accountants sitting around debating spreadsheets and profit margins doesn’t make for thrilling drama. Evil corporate types are really ego driven, power freaks.

Cameron’s film hypothesizes that egomaniacs with unchecked power are a bad thing. I agree Jimbo! Does that mean you will join me in voting against Obama in 2012?

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The corporation is dismissive of the Na’Vi. They refer to them as savages. They think that their society and their technology makes the Na’Vi no match for them. They do not live in fear of the Na’Vi.

This actually reinforces the leftist notion of non-white societies. Conservatives carry no such notions. White people, or America as a whole, always have to help the poor, brown savages who are incapable of democracy or self-sufficient economies according to the left. If you want to hear racism “straight up” just listen to your average, leftist, white politician condescend to the black and Hispanic communities.

Make no mistake. I think Islamic fascists are savage scumbags, but I don’t dismiss them or the threat that they pose. I don’t think George Bush did either. But Barack Obama sure does. Just listen to his speeches, especially the one he just gave about that knucklehead underwear bomber.

So, Jimmy C, you think that it is wrong and dangerous to condescend to foreign, non-white cultures? Me too! I’ll forward you those emails from Sarah Palin’s PAC.

And about the Na’Vi. Like most fifth graders, Cameron endows them with a nobility and honor that he thinks the Native Americans possessed. Fine, whatever. What is important is that he presents an “idealized” society. A society based on respect for the planet and the creatures that inhabit it. In one scene, Neytiri kills some freaky Doberman looking thing and then cries about it later. She had to kill it because it was attacking Jake. To save one life, that she deemed more important, she took another.

The entire Na’Vi society is based on a code of honor and achievement. The members must “prove” themselves to the tribe by accomplishing things like riding dragons. When Jake tames the big mofo dragon, a great accomplishment, he is rewarded by being made the leader of the tribe despite the fact that Tsu’tey was next in line to be chief.

Cameron’s idealized society is one based on individual achievement. When individuals take great risks, they are often rewarded over people who have seniority. Fairness is determined by accomplishments, not by rules. There are winners and there are losers amongst the Na’Vi and they manage to be a happy society. Oh, and when they are forced, they kill to protect themselves and their loved ones, an action that they don’t take lightly. They have honor and nobility. They have strong traditions.

Sounds good to me. In fact, it sounds a lot like the conservative view of what America stands for. I’m in. Hey, Cameron, beers at my house, I TiVo’ed Glenn Beck for you.

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Of course, Cameron never intended to explore these themes or send these messages. But, the number one thing to remember about leftist ideas, propaganda and policies is that they produce unintended consequences. The conservative throughput of Avatar is not unlike the economic fallout produced by “Cash for Clunkers.”

Yes, Avatar is annoyingly preachy in its attempt to spread hippie notions about the military, the environment, and the motivations for war. Yes it is condescending to non-white cultures and further explores the already tired idea of the white man who immerses himself in a foreign culture and experiences their plight through their eyes.

But Cameron is a good enough filmmaker to understand that his preaching and personal beliefs alone do not make a good movie. In his quest to create identifiable characters and emotionally impact his audience, he inadvertently tapped into the very lifeblood of conservative thought and principles.

In many ways, an in-depth analysis of Avatar exposes it as a stealth conservative manifesto wrapped up in leftist gobbly gook.

I give it two thumbs up!

As a side note, I debated about writing this. While I do not feel the need to hide my political beliefs I’ve never written disparagingly about anybody that I respect as much as James Cameron. His body of work (specifically The Terminator films and Aliens) is part of the reason why I am a filmmaker. The way he deals with studios and the “suits” makes him the William Wallace of filmmakers.

But look, he started it.

To spend a half a billion dollars on a movie who’s thematic fiber is as flimsy as one of Howard Zinn’s undergrad’s term papers is borderline criminal. I may admire and agree with Mr. Cameron’s business practices and filmmaking skills, but politics is a different matter.

So, should we ever meet Mr. Cameron, let’s discuss the semi vs. motorcycle chase scene from T2 or Ripley vs. the Queen in Aliens. Let’s leave your lame politics out of the action movies.

You know, like you should have done with Avatar.


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Posted Jan 4th 2010 at 4:50 am in Featured Story, Film, Politics | 239 Comments