Storytelling

Posted: November 27th, 2013

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Storytelling

The story in the movie Avatar is a rather unique one. It is set in the 22^nd Century in the year 2154. Humans are in Pandora searching for a precious mineral known as Unobtanium. Avatar is the “body” made by scientists so that they can resemble the Navis, a species that lives in the same area (Wilhelm & Mathison, 2010). This would help the humans easily interact with the Navis hence know their ways. Although the story is not as straightforward as some would prefer, it has an interesting twist of the normal way of life.

The viewer is given the opportunity of perceiving life and the world in two different perspectives. There is the human perspective, which is portrayed by the scientists and the private security force, and the other perspective, which is portrayed by the Navis. Despite these two perspectives on life, the transition between the two worlds in the story is smooth.

Acting

            The actors are not widely known, a call that was made by the director in order to cut on the costs. However, they have portrayed the characters well. Sam Worthington, who plays the character Jake Sully, stands out as a character that can lead and change the world. Sigourney Weaver, who plays Dr. Grace Augustine, portrays a doctor whom one would like to emulate especially when she changes course after realizing what Colonel Miles Quaritch is aiming to do. The impression created by the actors made the movie look rather real. The acting made Pandora look like a real place in today’s world.

Cinematography

            One of the most amazing things of the movie was its cinematography. The visual effects were very impactful on the viewer (Boy Scouts of America, 2008). When viewed on 3D the movie is very interesting and has been described as looking real. In fact, when 3D screens were launched, Avatar was one of the first films to be watched in the cinemas. It actually won an award for best cinematography in the 2010 Oscar Awards (Wilhelm & Mathison, 2010). Done by Mauro Fiore, the combination of computer generated images and live actions of the images put the movie ahead of others movies released the same year.

Editing

            The editing of the movie took three editors since it was more complex than most of the other films. It was done by the editors John Refoua and Stephen Rivkin, who were asked to give a hand by Cameron the lead editor. The movie involved both computer generated images and live action. Apart from winning a cinematography award, the movie was able to win eight other awards, which showed their prowess in editing. The smooth flow of the transition between the two worlds was also portrayed in a good way. The only challenging aspect was grasping the storyline at the initial stages of the movie. There are people who admitted to not grasping the storyline within the first stages of the movie (Irving, 2010).

Sound

            The music in the movie was partly done by James Honer who sang some parts in the Navi language (Wilhelm & Mathison, 2010). This was especially interesting and creative as it enabled the viewer associate with this tribe. Singer Leona Lewis sang the theme song I See You, which created intrigue and suspense in the viewer. The sound was also clear and distinct. There were no echoes, which can be very irritating.

Style and Directing

            The style and directing of the film, which was done by Cameron with the help of other professionals turned out exceptional. This was not a surprise, as he has been known for his works in Aliens and the Titanic. The general character portrayal, visual effects and soundtracks brought the movie to life. However, the storyline could have been made easier to grasp. The transition between the Navi environment and the human environment though smooth, was at times contradicting. For example, there was a time when one was not sure whether Dr. Grace was on the Navi’s side or working for the Colonel. In some instances, unless one reads an analysis of the movie, it is not easy to understand what was going on in some areas.

Societal Impact

            It is evident that the movie was widely received. In fact, it earned gross revenue of $2 billion in the box office (Wilhelm & Mathison, 2010). Unfortunately, many did not see its significance to the society. There was no main lesson to learn from the movie that would be of help to the society. It acted just like an entertainment, as other movies have done in the past. Apart from the undefined creatures and the battle that breaks out at the near end of the movie, it is not very violent and therefore can be watched by majority of the public.

Genre

            The movie is an epic science fiction movie. This means that most of the activities taking place in the movie have not yet taken place in real life. Being a science fiction, it brought out a futuristic theme in a very distinct way. It also brought out a present theme. Greed for power and wealth was greatly portrayed by the Colonel. The ability of humans changing into other species through science showed the strength of the field.

Film Criticism and Analysis

The movie was well received by the people. Majority of the film critics gave the movie a positive review. As stated earlier, the movie collected $2 billion gross, placing it above Titanic, another of Cameron’s works. Titanic had reigned at the top position for the previous twelve years.

Reference

Boy Scouts of America. (2008). Cinematography. Irving, TX: Boy Scouts of America.

Irving, D. K. (2010). Fundamentals of film directing. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co.

Wilhelm, M., & Mathison, D. (2010). Avatar: A confidential report on the biological and social history of Pandora. London: HarperCollins.