James Cameron's Deep Sea World

Flawed "Avatar 2"

Despite its status as the highest-grossing film of 2022, "Avatar 2" is not considered an outstanding movie due to several issues.

The treatement of the theme of environmental protection in the film has received harsh criticism. Many reviews argue that it is too contrived, lacking in subtlety and naturalness. For instance, the main conflict between the protagonist and antagonist revolves around the capture of whales on Pandora, seemingly included for the sake of "political correctness."

Critics also argue that "Avatar 2" superficially addresses environmental themes without delving into the complexities of environmental conservation. They feel the movie fails to provide sufficient perspectives and insights, merely scratching the surface. For example, the motivation of the business people in the movie is to kill alien whales because their brains contain a substance that grants eternal youth to humans. However, this plot design confuses me. Would anyone dare eat an extraterrestrial creature? Could such a substance pose safety hazards to humans? How could a potentially dangerous substance fetch a high price in human society? This kind of design appears shaky and goes against the laws of nature.

While watching the movie, I made an effort to understand the intentions of the main characters and the director, attempting to see things from their perspective. However, despite my efforts, I found it difficult to empathize with the Na'vi characters.

The film's plot contrivances hinder the audience's ability to empathize with the Na'vi. At times, I even sympathize more with the humans, who are the film's antagonists, for their unfortunate happenings. These mismatched emotions prove the failure of the storytelling.

But how could such significant problems arise in renowned James Cameron's work, a screenplay he spent ten years crafting?

In my previous article about Cameron's deep-sea diving, I reflected on his passion for the ocean when a new idea hit me: As an expert on the ocean, Cameron has a different perspective than us ordinary viewers. which leads to the gap bwteen our understanding of the story.

A Different Perspective on Avatar

People may have different perspectives when observing and interpreting things. For example, should one support a politician's proposed welfare policy reform? Whether to purchase a new drum washing machine? Is it a wise chocie to collect a particular antique painting? People's opinions vary in this issues.

Previously, James Cameron's environmentalism in his films strike me as hypocritical, because I'm nothing more than an ordinary viewer. My dislike of pretentious environmentalism derives from two types of fake environmentalists. The first type consists of trendy fashion brands that claim to be environmentally friendly but engage in environmentally damaging activities, with their so-called "environmentalism" being merely a facade to cater to the public. The second are religious individuals who resist anything that goes against nature.

Cameron, on the other hand, approaches the issue of whaling from the perspective of an ocean scientist. Yes, in addition to being a film director, he is also an expert in ocean studies. Prior to filming "Avatar 2," he personally explored the oceans, much like the scientists in the movie. He even organized a team of scientists to explore the deep sea and personally dived to the deepest part of the ocean, becoming the world's first deep-sea explorer.

He is an explorer with a spirit of discovery. As a firm champion for science, he advocates for actively pushing the boundaries of knowledge of the world. Through explorations, he has come to truly understand the ocean and realizes how humanity's excessive exploitation has disrupted the ecological balance.

Exploration and Awe

James Cameron's passion for the ocean is fully expressed in his work. Whether it's his latest film, "Avatar 2," his legendary masterpiece "Titanic," or his earlier film "The Abyss," these movies revolve around the theme of the ocean and showcase Cameron's profound love for it.

In "Titanic," Cameron takes the audience back to the ill-fated luxury liner in 1912, whose sinking is intertwined with a romantic love story. However, the ocean also plays a significant role in the movie. Through meticulous recreation of the oceanic environment and landscapes of that time, Cameron allows viewers to experience the infinite allure for humanity, not only the beauty and grandeur but also its power and brutality. This exploration and reverence for the ocean permeate the entire film, instilling a deep respect for it within the audience as they appreciate the story. The modern deep-sea exploration at the beginning is a good example, where the key prop, the Heart of the Ocean, is introduced. Cameron included this exploration in the epic film because it was based on his personal experiences. He had dived numerous times to observe the wreckage of the Titanic. The stark contrast between the dilapidation of the sunken ship and its former glory deeply impacted Cameron and inspired him to conceive the story of the Titanic.

Furthermore, certain details in the film suggest Cameron's attitude toward nature. For example, dolphins are shown leaping alongside the ship on the ocean's surface, and a massive iceberg suddenly appears, ultimately leading to the sinking of the Titanic. These scenes imply that Cameron views the ocean as beautiful and humans as minuscule in comparison. As a result, it should be revered.

"The Abyss" represents an earlier breakthrough in Cameron's protrayal of the ocean. The film tells a story set in the depths of the sea, where characters explore a mysterious underwater abyss. In 1989, Cameron made full use of the limited technology available at the time to immerse the audience in a whole new underwater world.

At the time, Cameron had not yet started his solo diving adventures. Hence this story reflects merely his imagination of the deep sea, an abyss as pitch black as to trigger claustrophobia, an unknown world beyond human endurance that most people tend to avoid.

The movie features a scene where a diver experiences equipment failures while stranded in a submarine. This results in limited visibility and restricted breathing, causing intense anxiety. The film vividly portrays the fear of being trapped in the darkness of the abandoned vessel struggling for breath. Additionally, it shows details such as the trembling hands of the Navy SEAL in the deep sea, further amplifying the fear of the abyss.

On the flip side, beneath the fear lies tranquility and serenity undisturbed by humans. In the movie, intelligent beings inhabit this realm, perhaps where their civilization was born, or maybe they deliberately chose to reside there to avoid humanity. The protagonist, who is determined to sacrifice himself and plunges into the abyss, unexpectedly encounters these intelligent underwater creatures.

More than Environmentalism

Audiences who are unfamiliar with Cameron's intentions may mistakenly believe that his movies are simply about environmentalism, but his message is much more intricate.

There are two themes present in his works. The first is solitude, which is shared by all extreme adventures. Whether exploring deep space, the depths of the ocean, or embarking on a solo and unsupported climb up a mountain, reaching the boundaries of human existence brings a heightened awareness of our insignificance and fragility. Cameron, who loves nature and has personally reached the deepest parts of the ocean, must understand the solitude better than anyone else, as evident in the film "The Abyss".

The second is nature's retaliation against humanity. In "Titanic," while the sense of solitude in the deep sea is not as strong as in the one discussed above, there is more emphasis on the power of nature, showcasing how insignificant humans are in the face of its reprisal. In "Avatar 2," despite being set on the planet Pandora, the root of the conflict is similar: the clash between humans and nature. Ultimately, it is the alien whales and the indigenous Na'vi people who triumph over the human whaling tribe.

Nonetheless, despite the flop of "Avatar 2", "Avatar 3" is still highly anticipated as Cameron's next film.