“Avatar, the meaning of water” is a parable about the environment for humans in the 21st century. Beyond the beauty of its special effects and the criticism of its excessive duration, there is a clear message that we should all integrate…
James Cameron is, without a doubt, the Leonardo Da Vinci of cinema. Few have brought technological innovation and narrative to the cinema in such a way. titles like Alien, Terminator or Titanic They are a clear example of this. Nor can we ignore the fact that no one has handled the fascinating universe of water in all its forms so well.
In 1989 he gave us abyss, a movie in which a team of divers collaborates with the Navy to find a sunken nuclear submarine. There, in the depths of the ocean, they make contact with an extraordinary race of aliens whose purpose is to save the human race from itself. A message, an idea, which he will finish shaping in the first part of Avatar in 2009.
Because, if there is a concept that has always defined James Cameron in his films, it is the importance of transmitting environmental awareness. And, indeed, there are those who label him sentimentalist, preachy and even idealistic. However, no one can deny his mastery in this difficult job of entertaining the public while trying to convey a message…
“The Sky People have sent us a message: that they can take what they want. That no one can stop them. Well, we’ll send them a message: they can’t take what they want! And that this… this is our land!”
-Jake Sully-
Avatar 2: Journey to the Water World of Pandora
Avatar, the sense of water It is the first film that James Cameron has directed in 13 years. During that period, productions with CGI (computer generated images) have been a constant. Perhaps, for this reason, more than one wondered if the great master of special effects would be capable of surprising the general public by bringing, neither more nor less, than a sequel.
And indeed, it has. The film is a milestone in the evolution of visual effects technology in the aquatic environment. Its box office success is undeniable and it has more than one ballot to be among the Oscars. However, beyond its fascinating staging, there has been no shortage of critical voices and even boycott campaigns.
The reason? We analyze it.
“Our great mother doesn’t take sides, Jake, she protects the balance of life.”
-Neytiri-
The usual story, but more refreshing
avatar 2 brings us back to its previous protagonist, the marine Jake Sully. The body that he previously manipulated mentally is now his only physical vehicle. She lives happily with his partner, Neytiri, raising their children, some of whom are adopted. He is one more Na’vi and also one of the best insurgent warriors in the fight against the colonizers.
Harmony does not last long in the idyllic world of Pandora, because humanity’s colonial mission arises again to undermine peace.. In their desperate attempt to survive, Jake and his family must leave the woods to join another clan. They are Na’vi of a lighter blue color, with fins and riding winged ichthyosaurs. They are the people of the sea, they who will teach them the way of the water.
In this journey they must learn other rules, other ways of connecting with nature, what it is like to establish a symbiotic relationship with an extraordinary whale, Tulkum. In this way, if the forests of Pandora already seemed to us an unforgettable sensory experience, immersing ourselves in these sumptuous marine universes elevates us to another dimension. The path of the water is another Eden in which we would love to live.
Pandora and some colonizers that serve as a mirror
In avatar 2 we were even more captivated by Pandora than in the first part. Its bioluminescent forests, its six-legged predators, its flowers, its marine creatures, the beauty of the reefs… The spectacle makes the skin crawl and excites, but if there is something that James Cameron wants with his latest films, it is to invite an obligatory awareness.
This production is quite an epic to the natural world, to that Mother Nature that Pandora calls eywa. Instead, our humanity is the true enemy of itself and of all its ecosystems. If there is one thing we learn from the Na’vi, it is how they always find the connection to the energy of their planet. to restore balance and harmony. Dimensions that we have broken and violated.
It is true that, so far, we have not yet colonized a planet of blue aliens. However, the race to find new metals outside the Earth is already on. We only have to think of figures like Elon MuskJeff Bezos or Donald Trump, who on numerous occasions have spoken of the need to launch this race that would make us new colonizers.
“The Na’vi say, that each person is born twice. The second time, is when you earn your place among the people… forever.”
-Jake Sully-
Environmentalism and film boycotts
We understand environmentalism as that set of practices that allows us to connect with a scenario or ecosystem without altering it, ensuring its balance and conservation at all times. This is what we learn in avatar 2. It’s more, James Cameron elevates environmentalism to that spirituality from which to see a planet as a deity. A superior being that welcomes us and gives us life.
When seeing the Na’vi it is inevitable to think of all those peoples who, due to colonialism and imperialism, were devastated. Their culture, their way of life and even their lands were plundered to erase everything sacred, everything that was authentic and was also in harmony with the land itself. America, Africa, Australia… There are many Pandoras in our own world.
However, there are several voices that have been raised against avatar 2. James Cameron is reproached for his arrogance unconscious and that he is, once again, telling the story of colonization from the perspective of the white man.
A show with firm values
What avatar 2 It is a spectacle of technology, nobody denies it. However, it has no resemblance to the classic productions of the Marvel universe, where sensationalism dominates everything. The Na’vi serve us as an avatar and as a mirror to see the reflection of our own humanity and what, without a doubt, we should not lose sight of.
Beyond recovering our connection to the nature and respect for the environment, also tells us about love and family. Also of leadership, of the union of peoples and even of the strength of women. Ronal, the pregnant tribal leader, and Neytiri are yet another example of those Cameron-created characters who, like Lieutenant Ripley or Sarah Connor, are hard to forget.
In essence, the three hours of duration may be excessive for many. For others, it is a trip that passes in a breath and leaves us wanting to return to Pandora again. Although the production of the third part of Avatar is already underway.
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