Comments on: Avatar (Take 2)

By: jessica onvlee

jessica onvlee — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:37:30 +0000

The message depicted in the movie ‘Avatar’ is one we seem to be hearing more and more frequently, simply put: take action, save our planet.
Early on we learn of the troubles of future Earth; referred to as the ‘dying planet’, and we are made aware of the fact that no-one seems to be doing anything about it.
In the film we find the humans in the process of(whether intentional or not) the eradication a race of creatures (perceived obstacles) and exploiting planet Pandora’s resources for profit (greed). What they should be doing is harvesting knowledge; learning about the Na’vi’s culture and enriching their own understanding of how the planet’s components work together as a singular entity. This information should be seen as far more valuable than any possession could be, but unfortunately is not.
Perhaps grasping the concept of how it functions could give insight as to adopting possible solutions for reviving their own fading planet.
Ultimately the humans are the bad guys and are eventually forced off the planet without having learned anything, with the exception of hero Jake, who came to realize the potential for enlightenment.
We should, like Jake, take a step back, and absorb the world around us. It has been holding secrets for millions of years; waiting for us to tap into them. We’re playing the main part in destroying what we have, when all we need to do to prevent it is to open our eyes.

By: Terri Baisley

Terri Baisley — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:35:21 +0000

(continued…)

To quote Ekhart Tolle again: “…there is no casual connection between synchronistic events on our surface level of reality. It is an outer manifestation of an underlying intelligence behind the world of appearances and a deeper connectedness that our mind cannot understand.” Only upon Jake releasing his preconceived ideas on how things function and giving himself over to the factual “myths” of the Na’vi (to refer to and agree with an earlier piece) can he save Pandora (insert here: the Earth!)

By: Terri Baisley

Terri Baisley — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:30:15 +0000

The theory that the Earth can (or rather is) functioning as an entity (or body) is entirely possible and I think that this message is quite clear in the film. To me, it is its most important message and which is the underlying point in the various other messages it holds (which I hope to explain below).

The recent high occurrence of natural disasters, disease and weather changes have been termed global warming, called it what one likes the point is Earth is taking caring of itself. Colonies of ants function as an entity with no apparent “science” guiding them, just like the cells in our bodies do. Similarly to this, the idea that Earth is functioning as an entity, “guiding” us as its “cells” is not so farfetched.

Moving on to my next point, it has been pointed out that Jake Sully chooses to rather be his virtual self. I would like to provide a different side to this argument. What if the message is rather that Jake Sully left his humanly limitations behind to achieve a “higher state of consciousness” (to quote Ekhart Tolle although I’m sure he was not the first to say this) or a state of realizing the complete connectedness of Pandora (Earth) and its organisms?

(continued…)

By: Jean Jacques

Jean Jacques — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:02:47 +0000

Bert, your praise of narrative is founded.
The complexity that is made sharable through narrative is truly amazing.
Narrative conveys meaning. In some instances meaning can be expressed/interpreted intertextualy; through the play between different narratives. In this case there are multiple narratives and meanings. A sense of the connection between meanings is then experienced.
To experience narrative intertextualy can be a valuable experience. As more meanings are woven together; the initial narrative’s meaning is supplemented with a sense of connection to other meanings. To experience this connection is both wonderful and horrific at the same time.
-Wonderful because experiencing the connection of a number of ideas that one has not seen or even thought possible before feels sublime, like walking into a roadside diner only to be confronted by Casper David Fredrich’s ‘Wonderer above a sea of fog’ (i.e. finding something sacred/beautiful in a pile of rubbish).
-Horrific because your mind cannot experience this connection. Which is why the sublime can never be represented, only pointed to.
When a narrative points beyond its meaning it becomes a myth. Myths do not really have meaning in the same sense that narratives do. The myth is more than its narrative. Narrative is just a story, myth points beyond the story.
In embellishing/focusing on the ‘story’ of Avatar one can easily miss the myth.

By: Pamela B

Pamela B — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:03:45 +0000

such as in the movie ‘unobtanium’ but nature itself. Just by studying the processes of nature we can learn a great deal. Nature does not waste, everything is utilised in a neverending cycle. Imagine if we could harness this technology!

By: Pamela B

Pamela B — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:03:25 +0000

On a quantum level, everything is made of atoms and everything is the arangement of these atoms. Looking at entanglement theory whereby if you do something to one atom, another one will react in the same way, starts to hint at everything being connected like that of the belief of the Nav’i people. Galileo put forward his belief that the sun was the centre of the universe, in a time when the prevailing belief/myth was that the earth was the centre of the universe and the catholic church persecuted him for this. If myth is rationalised it is no longer myth but science.
When Einstein says, “imagination is more important than knowledge.” He emphasises the need to have an open mind to question existing myths of the time. To see beyond what is put before you. Could it be possible that the prevailing myth of our time is that we are unable to live symbiotically with nature?
On another point entirely, the message that I got from this movie is simple. ‘Connect back to nature’ The first thing I wanted to do after watching this movie was to climb a mountain. We are all part of nature even though due to technology and the effect it has on the way we live today it disconnects us from it. As a result of the alienation of nature from ourselves we have lost the value of nature. The greatest resources we have or seek are not the ones we are mining

By: Pamela B

Pamela B — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:01:33 +0000

‘Myth comprises a framework within which people can find answers to their “existential” questions.’

One must have faith to believe in myth. Once myth is questioned it loses it’s power. Already in todays society we see a shift in social value or beliefs and religion. The internet favours the rationalist and people are more likely to question religious groups which will lead to their downfall.

I think what intrigues most of us about this movie is that it is a fantasy and appeals to us because it has that storeytelling element that correlates with myth. In the last 10 years 9 of the top 10 money producing movies have been fantasy including that of avatar. Humans would rather be happy than right, they like to escape to a world of phantasy rather than deal with reality. This is why religion appeals to so many of us.

In the movie ‘Avatar’, Grace the scientist, discovers there is an an underlying magic in nature where all things are interconnected and she sees more value in this than mining unobtanium. Unobtanium also comes with a price, the destruction of nature. This draws parellels with the way we live on our planet earth.

Where are we now? science and myth are beginning to be one and the same. Greeks, who pretty much invented myth came up with this notion of connectedness two and a half thousand years ago.

By: Tshepiso Kapele 206009097

Tshepiso Kapele 206009097 — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:40:56 +0000

planet itself. In the movie Avatar, what modern humans do to the planet of Pandora is exactly what these rich corporations do to third world countries, they exploit their resources and sell them back to them unbelievable prices.
If money is the root of all evil then greed is the seed. So a new technology is possible, but only if humanity could overcome their desire for power, this would lead to a much better world, for all its inhabitants.

By: Tshepiso Kapele 206009097

Tshepiso Kapele 206009097 — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:39:31 +0000

Human beings have over the years forgotten that science/technology is only a means to an end; it is a way to understand the world that we live in. A certain scientific concept which suggests that energy is never created nor lost and that it is only transformed from one form to another. This concept attempts to explain another “myth” that I personally believe; and that is “life is an ongoing, never-ending process of recreation of self” and this applies to all inhabitants of this gigantic organism we call the universe. And as clearly expressed in Avatar there is an energy that flows through all organisms, and that is life. I believe that this interconnectedness of the Na’vi people as expressed in a movie is “science” basically explaining the “myth” that human beings are connected to nature and that they are actually parts of nature. Humanity has over the years, with pressures of greed, capitalism and their eternal desire for power over nature; their desire for absolute control over nature (the world) forgotten this myth.
Technology today, propagated mainly by CAPITALISM; is no longer a means to an end but an end in itself. Today, technology dictates life to us. The parameters of possibilities are dictated to us by technology and not nature, we have become slaves to modern day science. With the modern day technology, fuelled by our capitalist mentality; we strive to exploit the planet and enrich ourselves by any means necessary with no regard for the

By: Odirile Oleseng

Odirile Oleseng — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:40:30 +0000

Man used technology to maximise returns from ploughing, transport, constuction e.t.c, but as time went by, we crossed the line.
Capitalisim, greed and competition for dominance by the western world, started to create a great conflict with mother nature.

The African culture has several “myths” of the same belief in deceased ancestors and animals, the same concept of the Na’vi of planet Pandora. Not to sound racist, the invasion of planet Pandora despite being fiction is not new, it actually happened here on planet earth ‘Africa’, and to this day the exploitation of the natural environment, animals and people for economical reasons continues.

Now to answer the question, “is a new type of technology possible?” Can nature and humans be in harmony, i do not think so, the outcome of the G8 summit on environment bears witness to my statement.