Avatar: A View from the Inside: James Cameron's Avatar (Critical Essay‪)‬

[1] One of the most surprising aspects of the success of James Cameron's Avatar is how surprised Cameron appears to be at its success. At the time of my writing, Avatar has made the same sort of exponential box office leaps as Titanic,1 and yet Cameron, possibly seeking to overcome the impressions of egotism left after the success of Titanic, feigns disbelief. My guess, and it's only a guess, is that Cameron knew prior to his efforts that he had a winner, as his finger is tuned to the pulse of the concerns many viewers share. If Cameron knows anything, he knows what will draw a crowd. [2] What is it about this film that draws viewers? What is its gravitational pull? For starters, Avatar is an absolute spectacle. It is well known that Cameron has spent anywhere from 300-400 million dollars and several years of his life developing the technology to create an unending series of visually magnificent images onscreen, and in the estimation of most people (myself included), his time and money paid off. Or, second, one could point to the unlikely romantic relationship between the film's two central characters, a paralyzed veteran and a soon-to-be-mated native. Unlikely relationships are a theme in Cameron's movies with which viewers seem to resonate. Third, one can point to the politics of it all, the use and abuse of power, and the moral depravity of exploiting cultures that have a commodity the dominant power wants. It's no coincidence that Cameron began writing Avatar in the aftermath of the first Gulf War, and it's no coincidence that he finished it in the aftermath of the second. Fourth, fewer people will point to the music and its composer, but I think James Horner is the unsung hero of Cameron's success. Without even recognizing it, the viewer is immersed in the story beyond what even 3D can accomplish by the majestic orchestrations operating behind the scenes. For many moviegoers, this package of goodies makes for a truly engaging, repeatable activity.