#problematicrepresentation

What made Avatar (2009) so successful that it held the record of highest-grossing film for nearly a decade after its release? Director James Cameron explains," 'Avatar' is about finding our home, finding our family, finding our clan. And fighting to protect that which we found and earn our place in it. That turns  out to be a more critical part of it than people realize," says Cameron. 'That's why it spoke to every culture in the world and shot to No. 1 in every market. It  was dealing with a universal truth of the human condition that transcended  culture.'" (Alexander) 

Beyond the story, Avatar featured an unprecedented display of special effects. Specifically, motion capture and CGI were used to bring the Na'vi people to life. These groundbreaking advancements in CGI  paved the way for modern superhero films to incorporate fight scenes with  CGI. In addition, Avatar spurred audience interest in movies in 3-D or IMAX. This is thought to be due to CGI making the film so immersive.  

The sequel comes out this December and promises to make even more advances in special effects. Avatar (2009) was the most advanced film of the 2000s, but how does it hold up a decade later? The film's still essential to the history of special effects, and the world of Pandora is still immersive. Walt Disney World has created Pandora in Animal Kingdom, including Flights of Passage, where guests can ride a banshee. The ride is hugely popular.  

IMDB summarizes Avatar (2009): "A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon  Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and  protecting the world he feels is his home." 

It has been criticized for having a generic plot that revolves around a white man saving native people who are presented as less advanced. "In the post-Global War on Terrorism era, there are increasingly more representations of contemporary disabled veterans. These representations reflect a cultural desire to integrate and appreciate veterans while at the same  time expressing larger anxiety, hate, and fear about both disabled veterans and  disabled people in general." (Schalk, 403)

Photo by Richard Catabay from Unsplash

Films are often rooted in real-world social and political issues happening at that time. 

Disabled people are often seen as weak or lesser, but this view conflicts with the image of a strong patriotic soldier. As medical advancements allowed more soldiers to come home disabled with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, the idea of a veteran evolved. Still, the image of a disabled person didn't.  

Disabled veterans conflicted with societal expectations. This conflict created cultural anxiety. "Avatar attempts to alleviate cultural anxieties about contemporary disabled veterans by representing protagonists who exist at  the top of a disability hierarchy and can therefore be more easily integrated into society." (Schalk, 407) The disability hierarchy is defined by the norms of society. The standard protagonist is a white, cisgender, straight, able-bodied man. The disability hierarchy compares people with disabilities against these traits.  

The less you match that description, the lower on the hierarchy you are. "Disability hierarchy is not about disability type alone, but rather it is a complex, intersectional differential valuation of disabled people regarding who can and cannot or should and should not be accommodated and integrated into a society based on a variety of factors"(Schalk, 408) Jake Sully is the stereotypical protagonist with a disability.

Sources

Alexander, B. (2019, December 31). James Cameron predicts 'Avatar' will ultimately top 'Avengers: Endgame': 'I think it's a certainty'. usatoday.com. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2019/12/18/avatar-10th-anniversary-james-cameron-predicts-beating-avengers-endgame/2680090001/?subId1=xid:fr1576780607704hjf

IMDB. (2009, December 18). Avatar. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/

Avatar (2009) ends with Jake transferring his consciousness to his Avatar body, ultimately erasing disability in this society and planet. Angry Hippie  emphasizes the ability to move consciousness is a profound question and says, "While many thought they were being clever by dissecting this movie to exploit  its' flaws, they were merely peeling the first layer of the onion." (AVATAR: In-Depth Analysis) 

In my opinion, there are layers of ableism that Angry Hippie missed. His favorite scene is when Jake (who has paraplegia) runs for the first time in his Avatar body. This scene I dislike the most falls into tropes of disabled people wanting to be "fixed" or "better." I cannot speak to how it feels to become disabled later in life, as Jake was. But I can say that these ableist messages portraying disabled people as weak and valuable only as inspiration are not helpful for anyone, disabled or not. 

Internal ableism comes from society. Angry Hippie points out that Jake running as a person with paraplegia is only surface level. This I agree with, but he goes  on to say, "it was a brilliant way to build an emotional connection to the  audiences" and "on a deeper level, however, the visual representation of Jake, a  crippled man, is a reflection of the state of the human race."  (AVATAR: In-Depth Analysis) 

In my opinion, the word "crippled" is somewhat offensive, but others have reclaimed it. The comments here demonstrate ableism because he's saying that Jake running is inspirational or at least emotional for the audience. Inspiration is what disabled characters are usually meant to convey on screen. My first impression of the film was that the disabled representation was adequate because the film did not revolve around disability. 

That is a double-edged sword highlighting the line between erasing disability and presenting a fully realized character that happens to have a disability.

Sources