Avatar the first movie in the universe created by James Cameron, will return to theaters in September. The reissue, which will partly pave the way for the long-awaited sequel to the film. Avatar: The Meaning of Water is more than an advertising strategy. It’s a reunion of the public with one of the most popular stories in contemporary science fiction.
Cameron’s production moved entertainment cinema into more philosophical terrain, particularly in the realm of science fiction. It was also the before and after of creating convincing universes using digital effects. Not only the environment, but also the characters and all the possibilities that this can offer.
Avatar is a large-scale allegory of human relationships with the environment, awareness of others and prejudices. These are common themes in cinema, which the screenplay also written by Cameron explores with a poignant point of view. The director, known for his ability to turn science fiction into emotional scenarios have explored moral reflection in new ways. The film allowed him to analyze the power of ideals and the will to survive, without resorting to a restrained or harsh tone.
Avatar a great digital spectacle, but with heart
After all, Avatar also celebrates the spectacle of cinema. Which made this story a lasting mass phenomenon. The decade-long box office success it was the highest-grossing film in history came with a huge imprint on the film industry. After all, the story wasn’t just a colorful and dazzling visit to new ground of cutting-edge technology. At the same time, Avatar was the epitome of an experience that stripped itself of its cynicism to ponder meaningful ideas in subtle ways. The result was an unprecedented success that created a milestone in science fiction storytelling.
Its return to theaters is therefore an experience that binds audiences of several different generations. But specifically, celebrate the fact that Avatar is an examination of the impact of the “blockbuster” on mass culture. However, the big question is how the production will impact an audience that will no longer be surprised by the digital effects or its message between the lines: will the re-release of the feature be the big litmus test for the imagined franchise? by James Cameron?
Pandora and a new realm to explore
In reality, the question is more complex than just the theatrical experience or the reaction of the public to the return to the big screen of a film that was part of many people’s childhood. Avatar was at the origin of a more elaborate discourse in science fiction, which, without reaching authoritarianism, questioned relevant subjects. Its long shadow, moreover, has allowed genre cinema to evolve in unprecedented ways.
In the same way as before Jurassic Park by Steven Spielberg Avatar was a revolution. More precisely, in the way of conceiving a type of cinema with a marked personality without forgetting the visual spectacle. But now it will have to confront a new collective sensibility on its central themes.
How will platforms and social networks react to his exploration of colonialism, racism, exclusion and ecological exploitation? These are all topical issues that, moreover, give rise to public debate that even involves sharp political commentary.
Avatar ahead of its time
Avatar which happened long before the big talk challenged established elements of pop culture, has a concrete message. It coincides with contemporary views on the search for identity, the idea of social and ecological.
Even today’s revival of spirituality, linked to the perception of nature as a creative whole, could be reflected in Avatar. Does this mean that the film will experience a renaissance in taste and collective debate? The probability is high, not least because, despite its apparent simplicity, the film has a complex background.
Although it is often compared to the story of Pocahontas and the scarified Dancing with the wolves, Avatar has a definite identity. It’s the one that delves into how the Na’vi are convinced that nature is alive.
In the plot, the way in which the only human character among the natives of Pandora contemplates this mystery is surprisingly sensitive. For the tribe of blue-skinned creatures, the flora and fauna of their planet coexist in harmony with their identity.
The concept, at the time of the great debates on the responsibility of our culture in the damage caused to the environment, takes on a new dimension. Which could make Avatar a discovery for a new audience who could also fully understand its importance.
The flight to the magic of an unknown planet
Avatar came to the screen as the conclusion of a long journey by its director and screenwriter to achieve an amazing project. Cameron began production in 1994, with the prospective plan to release the film in 1999. But by then, the technology he needed was not yet advanced enough. Or at least not to the levels required by his vision of an unknown planet with an environment totally different from Earth, and therefore impossible to recreate with practical effects. The digital component was mandatory for the creation of a new world, and the director refused that the result was not absolutely convincing.
Unable to find the necessary resources, the director set out to create them. Cameron invented motion capture technologies that dazzled with their precision. He also worked on software for texturing digital images which remains revolutionary and constitutes a significant advance in the use of color in digital effects. As if all of this weren’t enough, it brought a new relevance to the 3D format, which is sure to happen again with Avatar: The Meaning of Water.
But the greatest legacy of Avatar is to demonstrate that so-called spectacle cinema, also has spiritual depth. An element that could make its reissue one of the highlights of the new experience that will be its sequel. A future legacy for the rest of the franchise and a celebration for fans of a much-loved sci-fi epic.
Avatar returns to theaters to revive the franchise for a new generation