My turn on Avatar
Finally saw it today: Friday morning shows are a great solution to crowds.
I must also confess that having to take in an Imax 3-D film whilst on Klonopin adds an extra dimension to the experience denied to those who lack this medication. Still, reflection reinforces my first impressions, rather than the contrary.
Americans are raised on the idea of popular and overmatched uprisings against overwhelming power. Behind the narrative of the Revolution lies that of the Scottish Highlands, of the Northern Irish, of Owain Glyndwr, of Harold of England, of King Arthur, of Boudicca. When the Caucasians landed here, the resistance of King Philip, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Geronimo fed into the same myth.
It doesn't really matter where the protagonist is from: the idea that the little guy can stand up to the big guy is in the national DNA. The storyline that seems so familiar was old before Dances With Wolves. The theoretically uniform British culture that provides the underpinnings of American mythology is a story of unceasing conflict between the small peoples and the large nation-state. It's familiar because the story is 2000 years old, and no screenwriter can ignore it, whether the motivation is conscious or not. I can't fault Cameron for re-telling it on an interplanetary level. It's also a narrative we ignore, in the present, at our peril.
Possibly I should try to see the film again when I don't have chemical assistance. The reality of the special effects seemed to be a logical extension of the somewhat altered state I was in when I was viewing it. However, I don't entirely see this working the same on an ordinary screen, much less at home.
I think Avatar was a better choice for me than Sherlock Holmes. I could approach the film de novo, whilst I've read Sherlock Holmes front to back about 43 times. I know already that liberties were taken: big ones.
Note: I must be off my feed or something. The only comment came in Japanese. When I ran it through the translator, I got back enough to see it was spam. Gotta love those engines.
I must also confess that having to take in an Imax 3-D film whilst on Klonopin adds an extra dimension to the experience denied to those who lack this medication. Still, reflection reinforces my first impressions, rather than the contrary.
Americans are raised on the idea of popular and overmatched uprisings against overwhelming power. Behind the narrative of the Revolution lies that of the Scottish Highlands, of the Northern Irish, of Owain Glyndwr, of Harold of England, of King Arthur, of Boudicca. When the Caucasians landed here, the resistance of King Philip, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Geronimo fed into the same myth.
It doesn't really matter where the protagonist is from: the idea that the little guy can stand up to the big guy is in the national DNA. The storyline that seems so familiar was old before Dances With Wolves. The theoretically uniform British culture that provides the underpinnings of American mythology is a story of unceasing conflict between the small peoples and the large nation-state. It's familiar because the story is 2000 years old, and no screenwriter can ignore it, whether the motivation is conscious or not. I can't fault Cameron for re-telling it on an interplanetary level. It's also a narrative we ignore, in the present, at our peril.
Possibly I should try to see the film again when I don't have chemical assistance. The reality of the special effects seemed to be a logical extension of the somewhat altered state I was in when I was viewing it. However, I don't entirely see this working the same on an ordinary screen, much less at home.
I think Avatar was a better choice for me than Sherlock Holmes. I could approach the film de novo, whilst I've read Sherlock Holmes front to back about 43 times. I know already that liberties were taken: big ones.
Note: I must be off my feed or something. The only comment came in Japanese. When I ran it through the translator, I got back enough to see it was spam. Gotta love those engines.
Labels: Avatar, James Cameron
posted by Uncle | 01:22
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