I just saw the headline ‘Avatar: Biggest. Film. EVER.’ And it made me wonder what it is about this film that is drawing so many viewers. If I didn’t know better, I may go so far as to suggest there is something hypnotic about the blue stare of Sam Worthington’s humanoid. However, I’m not going to make such a ridiculous suggestion, because their eyes are actually greener in colour; it is just their flesh that glows blue.
Clearly, from the view point of setting / scenery and special effects in general, it is an amazing movie. Visually, it is captivating, even by normal viewing (i.e. for those of us who have only seen the film in 2d, as defeating-the-purpose as that is). However, there have been many other films in the past with scenery and effects just as incredible, and the storyline isn’t exactly original (many comparisons made to Pocahontas and other older films), so what exactly is it about this film?
Is it a case of psychology; we see our everyday lives in 3d, yet the idea of experiencing the same perspective of a fantasy world is compelling? Perhaps, instead of simply being a spectator, it creates the illusion for the audience that they are indeed part of the drama (minus the risk of being killed or the opportunity for that perfect romance). I was taught a while ago that watching a movie isn’t the same as escaping reality; it is simply experiencing another version of it; or a version of another reality. I see a lot of truth in that, since we apply our own memories and experiences to whatever image or animation we see; whatever story we investigate via words, performances or recordings.
So, Avatar is a film that was 15 years in the making, mainly because it was originally designed to be a 3d film, and the technology wasn’t available a few years ago. That’s something that straight away distinguishes this film from the others; it is in its own category, a form of technology that has no competition in its level of advancement. As humans, we are naturally curious about new inventions, technological feats and so on. That’s obviously one of the main reasons for the overwhelming popularity of this film; because it successfully evokes curiosity in those areas.
In saying this, would it be fair to hypothesise that a film could have the most generic, predictable storyline, but with the most advanced special effects possible, could overshadow any other successful film, owing simply to the power of human nature?
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