If you haven't seen "Avatar" yet, beware of mild spoilers ahead. The principal antagonist in the movie is Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), a gruff career military man charged with waving a proverbial Big Stick at the indigenous Na'vi if diplomatic solutions break down.
Many have noted the similarities between how this particular plot point plays out and the age of Imperialism, when European forces spread their influence into the Americas. Lang, who spoke to MTV's Josh Horowitz at the "Avatar" junket in London recently, is aware of the concerns, as you'll see in the video below.
"I think that the parallels, the kind of allegorical nature of the film, is quite overt in a way," he explained, adding "I don't think that it's particularly profitable -- for myself -- to get all that explicit about it."
Lang is obviously not the man portrayed in the film, a xenophobic, slightly unhinged leader of soldiers. And while he can be forgiven for not wanting to engage in the dialogue too much, given the nature of the character he plays, he certainly understands the subtext at play.
"[The situation between the RDA and the Na'vi] breaks down very, very quickly," he explained. "I do believe that the analogy of the opening up of the west is not at all inaccurate. I think the blood and thunder campaign that my character is at the tip of the spear of is not unlike what was done to [indigenous tribes in native America.]"
There are other interpretations of course. Movies Blog reader Steve Real commented that "Avatar" compares with the likes of "District 9" and "The Way of the Samurai" in the way it plays on themes of White guilt. "A white man who was one of the oppressors switches sides at the last minute," he writes, "assimilating into the alien culture and becoming its savior."
It's also hard to avoid drawing parallels between the RDA/Na'vi conflict and the long-continuing disputes over oil and land in the Middle East. The RDA's sole purpose on Pandora is to mine for the valuable mineral known as Unobtainium. Unfortunately for the Na'vi, many of the richest Unobtainium deposits are situated beneath their homes and holy grounds. Looking at this, it's hard to argue against the idea that writer/director James Cameron's commentary references the Middle East conflict, at least on a certain level.
Ultimately, Lang prefers to stand mostly apart from the discussion. "I'm not particularly sensitive about bashing our people, but on the other hand I don't do it," he said. "You know, we all come from somewhere and [imperialism] has been around a lot longer than the 200+ years our nation has."
How do you read "Avatar"? What are the most glaring bits of discussion-worthy subtext? Do you think people should just shut up and enjoy the movie as a pure action/adventure tale?
Tags avatar, james cameron, Stephen Lang, Video
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Exploring The Political Subtext In 'Avatar' With Stephen Lang
Posted 12/24/09 10:15 am EST by Adam Rosenberg in Commentary, Hot Stuff, News
If you haven't seen "Avatar" yet, beware of mild spoilers ahead. The principal antagonist in the movie is Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), a gruff career military man charged with waving a proverbial Big Stick at the indigenous Na'vi if diplomatic solutions break down.
Many have noted the similarities between how this particular plot point plays out and the age of Imperialism, when European forces spread their influence into the Americas. Lang, who spoke to MTV's Josh Horowitz at the "Avatar" junket in London recently, is aware of the concerns, as you'll see in the video below.
"I think that the parallels, the kind of allegorical nature of the film, is quite overt in a way," he explained, adding "I don't think that it's particularly profitable -- for myself -- to get all that explicit about it."
Lang is obviously not the man portrayed in the film, a xenophobic, slightly unhinged leader of soldiers. And while he can be forgiven for not wanting to engage in the dialogue too much, given the nature of the character he plays, he certainly understands the subtext at play.
"[The situation between the RDA and the Na'vi] breaks down very, very quickly," he explained. "I do believe that the analogy of the opening up of the west is not at all inaccurate. I think the blood and thunder campaign that my character is at the tip of the spear of is not unlike what was done to [indigenous tribes in native America.]"
There are other interpretations of course. Movies Blog reader Steve Real commented that "Avatar" compares with the likes of "District 9" and "The Way of the Samurai" in the way it plays on themes of White guilt. "A white man who was one of the oppressors switches sides at the last minute," he writes, "assimilating into the alien culture and becoming its savior."
It's also hard to avoid drawing parallels between the RDA/Na'vi conflict and the long-continuing disputes over oil and land in the Middle East. The RDA's sole purpose on Pandora is to mine for the valuable mineral known as Unobtainium. Unfortunately for the Na'vi, many of the richest Unobtainium deposits are situated beneath their homes and holy grounds. Looking at this, it's hard to argue against the idea that writer/director James Cameron's commentary references the Middle East conflict, at least on a certain level.
Ultimately, Lang prefers to stand mostly apart from the discussion. "I'm not particularly sensitive about bashing our people, but on the other hand I don't do it," he said. "You know, we all come from somewhere and [imperialism] has been around a lot longer than the 200+ years our nation has."
How do you read "Avatar"? What are the most glaring bits of discussion-worthy subtext? Do you think people should just shut up and enjoy the movie as a pure action/adventure tale?
Tags avatar, james cameron, Stephen Lang, Video
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