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Avatar; Industrialization and Pollution
- 1. Avatar Written & Directedby James Cameron Industrialization and Pollution
- 2. Introduction • Release 18December 2009 • Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, SciFi • Staring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver • Rated PG-13 • Innovative in computer animation and visual effects *No opening credits other than the title
- 3. Summary Started off dreamingof a place like Pandora and flying freely around, Jake Sully, an ex- marine, was sent to continue his twin brother’s mission in the Avatar program, who passed away. He was introduced to Pandora and especially his Avatar. He was able to use his twin brother’s Avatar because they shared the same DNA as twins. The connection between the Avatar and a human is through DNA. The Avatar, is an exterior manifestation of the human brain into a body like the natives of Pandora, the Na’vi. The Avatar program was used by humans from Earth to study, experience, and understand Pandora. Pandora, being a foreign planet, was extremely dangerous because the animals and natives were much larger than humans. The Avatar program allowed the humans to live without fear of suffocation from the air that was toxic to humans and as a more appropriate size for the planet. Jake’s militant mission was to figure out where the rare element, unobtainiam, was found and persuade the Na’vi people to leave. During the process he went through a personal transformation while learning the ways of the Na’vi people and became a believer in the importance of preserving the trees in Pandora and also became a member of the tribe. He was the taught the ways of the Na’vi people and their spiritual value for nature. After Jake learned new values from the Na’vi people and becomes one of them, Jake finds himself battling the military he was once apart of to protect the Na’vi people and the planet of Pandora from destruction.
- 4. Important Characters Jake Sully– paraplegic former marine Na’vi – native species of Pandora, blue, 10 ft. tall, humanoids, in harmony with nature Eywa – the “mother earth” of Pandora, worshiped by Na’vi Neytiri – Jake’s teacher of Omaticaya culture and Ewya, eventually Jake’s mate Avatars – Na’vi/human beings genetically connected to the humans in the Avatar program Colonel Miles Quaritch – head of private security force on Pandora Dr. Grace Augustine – head of the Avatar program, scientist Omaticaya – the Na’vi clan
- 5. Avatar Basics • Basedon a planet called “Pandora,” which is strikingly familiar to Earth (Done on purpose) • Antagonist wants to obtain “Unobtainum” for pure profit, regardless of the damage to the wildlife and inhabitants. – So the humans attack, killing and damaging the Na’vi’s home • Jake, main character, disagrees, rebels, and leads a revolution/assault on the humans, rebuffing them away from Pandora – Jake then becomes a Na’vi (Tall blue guys)
- 6. Industrialization & Pollution •The movie portrays the battle between mankind and nature • Earth devoid of natural resources • Humans expand to Pandora • Try to insert themselves into the Na’vi’s culture and society to get to the valuable resource “Unobtainum” • Humans exploit the Na’vi people violently • Destroy their sacred land for resource • By the end of the movie, death, destruction, pollution and harm befalls Pandora
- 7. Unobtainum • Cleverly namedmaterial – Equal to the damages that Coal and Nuclear waste have – Obtained through war, fighting, and coercion • The consequences of industrialization, which haven’t touched Pandora quite yet, are used to symbolize the beginning industrialization on Earth. • These conditions being brought to Pandora are a metaphor to the pollution and destruction industrialization has on environments. • Extremely Valuable
- 8. The Struggle • Thefight between the Na’vi and the Humans is a symbolic fight between man and Nature – Nature (the Na’vi lost), but unlike nature on earth, retaliated and ultimately conquered the Humans and exiled them from Pandora • Industrialization is an incomprehensible force that often drives a world to the brink of disaster, much like it has done throughout history. • The driving force of industrialization is wealth and acquiring resources. • Pollution is often a consequence of industrialization. • Ultimately, had Jake and the Na’vi not worked together, Pandora, like earth, would have become an empty shell of itself due to the acidic and greedy affects of industrialization and pollution.
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- 10. Awards Academy Awards 2010 •Best Achievement in Cinematography • Best Achievement in Visual Effects • Best Achievement in Art Direction Golden Globes 2010 • Best Director of a Motion Picture • Best Motion Picture – Drama
- 11. References Alter, Ethan. "FilmReview: Avatar." Film Review: Avatar. Film Journal International, 15 Dec. 2009. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. Anna Haines, "How do Lan Use and Development Practices Affect the Environment? " 2002 <http:// www.epa.gov/greatlakes/greenacres/landuse.html>. Costanza, Robert, Lisa Graumlich, Will Steffen, Carole Crumley, and John Dearing. "Sustainability or Collapse: What Can We Learn from Integrating the History of Humans and the Rest of Nature?" AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment 36.7. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http:// www.bioone.org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/doi/full/ 10.1579/0044- 7447%282007%2936%5B522%3ASOCWCW%5D2.0.CO%3B2>. Dominic Alessio. and Kristen Meredith. "Decolonising James Cameron’s Pandora: Imperial history and science fiction." Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History 13.2 (2012). Project MUSE. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. <http://muse.jhu.edu/>. Rome, Adam. "The Genius of Earth Day." Environmental History 15.2 (2010): 194-205. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://envhis.oxfordjournals.org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/content/ 15/2/194.full.pdf+html>. Starosielski, Nicole. "'Movements That Are Drawn': A History of Environmental Animation from The Lorax to Fern Gully to Avatar."International Communication Gazette 73.1-2 (2011): 145- 63. Sagepub. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. http:// gaz.sagepub.com/content/73/1-2/145.full.pdf +html.