

The Chinese Perspective of Avatar - cwan
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/01/08/a-chinese-take-on-avatar/

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rbanffy
Science fiction is largely about telling one story while pretending to tell
another.

In the case of Avatar, it's a couple stories as old as man (and perhaps older)
- use of violence and cohesion of the powerful against the weak, impossible
love, hero warrior enlightened and betraying his original allegiances and
religious experiences are just the few that pop up after 2 minutes of thinking
about it.

And, of course, you get a big reaction when the audience perceives it as
telling their story while pretending to be about blue aboriginals of an alien
moon.

~~~
pmichaud
To add to this point, Avatar is actually more than an old story: it's a
boilerplate movie plot. Anyone who is educated about script writing knew
exactly what it was by minute 20 because it followed the formula to a T.

The reason the formula exists is that it's versatile. Anyone can plant
themselves inside and understand it from their worldview. That's why it's so
similar to other movies, and that's why people can see the Vietnam war and
Chinese real estate developers in it.

~~~
EAMiller
"Anyone who is educated about script writing ..."

I am to the extent that I've seen enough movies to recognize the patterns...
but are you suggesting those formulas are taught somewhere as a formalized
script-writing practice?

~~~
Keyframe
Not only is monomyth the first thing you learn when you learn about script
writing formulas, there are actually applications out there that can assist
you in developing dramatic arcs. Sort of like a sketchbook for writing.

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stcredzero
_“For audiences from other places, barbaric eviction is something they simply
can’t imagine–it’s the sort of thing that could only happen in outer space and
China.”_

If you look at the bottom of the water reservoirs for New York City, you will
find _entire towns_! Yes, the state government of New York disappeared _whole
towns_ so that New York could have enough drinking water. There's a lot of use
of the "Eminent Domain" in the US too!

I have an unfavorable impression of Han Han for this quip.

~~~
jimbokun
"If you look at the bottom of the water reservoirs for New York City, you will
find entire towns!"

This could be a great device for a horror movie plot.

~~~
pavel_lishin
Please, that's just a suburban legend. _snort_

~~~
gojomo
I don't know about New York, but once-inhabited structures were submerged
under dam-created Lake Travis (near Austin, TX) -- and their ruins have become
visible as the lake receded late last year.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwjg0jUtIuU#t=0m40s>

"Most of us thought a lot of it was urban myths, but then, the lower the water
gets, they aren't so much of a myth anymore."

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zephjc
Interesting take on it, though really it's a tale as old as man - a powerful
group trying to push aside/enslave/wipe out another, weaker group.

Avatar is quite clearly about the north American Indians, since that is likely
what Cameron knows best.

~~~
chipsy
If you didn't know who made Avatar, would you still be so confident about this
interpretation?

A major part of art is its ability to be a "reflecting pool" and generate
discussion about current topics, even if the resulting analogies go far beyond
author's intent.

Avatar does very well at this because it's so focused. The focus makes the
story simplistic, but also metaphorically powerful. It makes a valid
interpretation of the story - any valid one - feel much stronger.

~~~
elblanco
I agree, my wife, who is not from North America originally, saw the Na'vi as
"Africans".

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jimbokun
I think this shows just how well Cameron understands how to make movies people
want to see. He outright said that Titanic gave him his "F-you" money in the
Wired interview, so I doubt he cares much anymore what the critics say. But
I'm guessing his ego still enjoys making a movie that untold millions of
people around the planet see and feel that it especially resonates with their
particular cultural situation.

In this way, I believe Cameron exemplifies the YCombinator mantra of "Make
something people want."

