Monday, February 08, 2010

Two reviews of the movie Avatar


Dances With Aliens: James Cameron’s Avatar Movie and White “Saviors”


By Hernan and Andrew
In our book Screen Saviors: Hollywood Fictions of Whiteness (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003) we discussed two types of white hero that often appear in American movies: the white messiah and the racial masquerader. The narcissistic fantasy of the a white hero who leads people of another color in a struggle of liberation presents whites a pleasing images of themselves as saviors rather than oppressors. The racial masquerade is another fantasy solution to white guilt in which the white hero crosses over and pretends to be black or native American. Full review:
http://www.racismreview.com/blog/2009/12/30/dances-with-aliens-james-camerons-avatar-movie-and-white-saviors/

When Will White People Stop Making Movies Like"Avatar"?


excerpt: Jake is so enchanted that he gives up on carrying out his mission, which is to persuade the Na'vi to relocate from their "home tree," where the humans want to mine the unobtanium. Instead, he focuses on becoming a great warrior who rides giant birds and falls in love with the chief's daughter. When the inevitable happens and the marines arrive to burn down the Na'vi's home tree, Jake switches sides. With the help of a few human renegades, he maintains a link with his avatar body in order to lead the Na'vi against the human invaders. Not only has he been assimilated into the native people's culture, but he has become their leader. Full review:
http://io9.com/5422666/when-will-white-people-stop-making-movies-like-avatar