Those Darn Blue People

I thought the winter was going to be boring. I thought I was going to be buried under piles of snow and just hibernate like a giant bear. That was until Avatar hit theaters. Yes, I’ve seen it three times. Yes, I’ve seen it in both 2-D and 3-D. Yes, 3-D is FAR superior in amazement. In short, this thing has given me a reason to get out of the house in the freezing cold and keep the momentum going.

I want to see it beat Titanic for the top spot. I liked Titanic, but I also like fantasy and adventure films beating predictable dramas in box office cash flow. It’s just a thing with me.

In seeing this movie three times I’ve also convinced others to see it. Some people thought the story was weak (there is some truth to it); while everybody agrees the visuals are simply astonishing. There is, however, one comment I’ve heard that made me stop and think. Then I researched it online and found more people feel the same way. What did they say? They said they felt Avatar was a racist film.

My father still hadn’t seen the film. So, I decided to do my proper son duties and take him to see it. While I got a kick out of watching this grown man discover this new world like a child, I was also paying close attention to the racist claims I had heard and read about.

Alright, let’s get to the nitty gritty. There are some elements in the film that are along racial lines. The natives wear braids in their hair similar to the way African-Americans wear it. They also hired Zoe Saldana to be the voice of the Princess and you can tell it is a person of color by her voice. There is also the question posed at the end of the film, “How does it feel to betray your race?” I’m sure this helps put the race issue front and center.

The problem some people seem to have with all of this is the main character, Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington, is white. Not only is he white, but he’s also a paraplegic in the film. In quoting from a blog I read yesterday, “It takes a white, feeble man to show a bunch of native Negroes the proper way to defeat other whites.” Suggesting, of course, they wouldn’t be able to do it themselves.

I have a few problems with this accusation. First and foremost, if you watch this film and honestly believe deep down it is racist, THEN YOU’VE MISSED A MAJOR POINT OF THE MOVIE!!!! You know, that whole “let’s get passed our differences and conquer the evils of the world” theme? Yeah, that one.

Look, I realize Hollywood’s history hasn’t been kind to people of color for many years. But, in my opinion, most of it is in the past. They make all sorts of movies for all different creeds, races, religions, etc. nowadays. Hollywood has come a long way.

Now, some people may just throw me under the bus for that statement, so let me just point out some obvious things from the movie itself. From a visual standpoint, the people in the film are blue. Did you miss that? They are freaking BLUE! Not black, not tan, not off-white, but blue. If that makes you think of African-Americans, then maybe you should check your racist meter.

Second, it has been said they speak a savage language in the film. (BIG SIGH). Ok, it’s a made up language. It doesn’t exist. It was made special for this film. Also, listen to tone. When they are supposed to be afraid, they sound afraid. When they are supposed to be proud, they sound proud. Do people of color sound afraid differently than white people or do we all have fears, moments of pride, and determination?

Third, I really challenge the theory that the white man saves the native people from the larger white man. What I saw was a big blue guy discovering who he is inside while the others around him find their inner strength to defeat the evil element altogether. But, if that’s not good enough, I’ll take you to the end of the movie when the Princess, one of the focuses of this racial debate, kicks the ass of the large white guy! That’s right, it suggests that one native FEMALE can kick the ass of a white MALE. Oh, the sexist horror!! (Smell the sarcasm yet?)

It’s ridiculous to suggest this film is racist. The storyline is far from perfect, but it definitely isn’t racist. In fact, every time I see the film I think about the native people of America and what they must have felt being killed for their land. To me, that’s not a racist thought. It’s a thought about history and what we have to do to keep from repeating it. Is that a negative message?

My father has a way of putting things into perspective a little quicker sometimes. We were talking about the film and I asked him if he thought it was racist. He laughed. “No. Why?,” he asked. When I told him, his answer resonated with me. “Did anybody tell these people it’s fiction?” I thought it would be obvious, but maybe it’s not.