Post #8 Avatar

I didn’t get caught up in all the hype for the film when it was released and still didn’t get what the big deal was until I had to watch it for this class with my ecocritical lens. To be completely honest I didn’t know much about ecofeminism before reading Legler’s piece. From this, I gathered that ecofeminists are concerned with the “ways representations of nature are linked with representations of gender, class, and sexuality.” James Cameron’s Avatar broke box office records and was an absolute hit when it was released. Avatar is a famous film that is acknowledged because of the environmentalism aspects throughout the film. The movie follows an ex handicapped Marine who has been sent on a mission to aid the process of finding a rock that sells for millions, and that could solve problems on Earth. The rare rock is on another planet where the people of Pandora are living on. The Marine is tasked with going undercover by housing an Avatar body to spy and convince the Na’Vi population to move in exchange to fix his crippled lower half as he is paralyzed from the waist down. Jake, the ex-marine, ends up bonding with the Na’vi’s and falls in love with Neytiri on his quest. To sum up the ending, Jake helps fight with the Na’vi’s when humans try to take over. Throughout the film, we can see that people on earth have destroyed their environment and are seeking to harm the balanced ecological system of another realm. It is a direct portrayal of the relationship between humans and nature. In the movies, women are also given more power, authority, and strength. This ecofeminist film showcases how humans are on a quest to destroy the world of others after disrupting the ecological systems in the earth. The women are in charge of things in the film. Moreover, we can still perceive the interconnectedness of ecology and people’s way of life (Meyer). In addition to giving women influential roles through the film, Cameron centers on themes about environmental conservation, and human actions can destroy the ecological systems. It presents perspectives that demand environmental action that may be lost in the hero-villain view of the movie. It is a presentation of the realities that have harmed our world. In this regard, one of the film’s moving aspects is the ecofeminist presentation of issues, with women being the key players in the movie plot (Pike). Moreover, the environmental woes we face can be conquered, as depicted by the power given to women. It is a battle between good and evil, the sublime harmony of divine nature against the pride, greed, and unchecked ecological exploitation. When we consider the presentation of people, gender, and the environment in the film, we can say that it serves as a cautionary film. It reveals the ills of modern society and how women can be central in the battle to restore the environment.