This weekend, I went to see the movie Avatar in 3D. My husband and daughter had seen it previously in 2D and thought that I would really like it because of its environmental leanings. I was a little hesitant, because I’m usually not hugely into Sci Fi (at least not as much as the rest of my family) and wasn’t quite sure about the blue, animated “Na’vi.”
Anyway, I’m so glad that I let my darling husband convince me to go. What a movie! It was not quite as overwhelming as Titanic, but it was close. Two days later, I am still thinking about it and seeing visions of it in my head.
There is no mistaking the fundamental and blunt message of this movie. Director James Cameron, in an interview with The Sun says:
The point is that we are devastating habitat and biodiversity at a terrible rate. We are causing a global climate change that’s going to be absolutely devastating to the coral reefs. Science is unable to keep up with our industrial society. We are destroying species faster than we can classify them. We are destroying the food chain faster than we can understand it.
I just find it terribly exciting that the country’s second-highest grossing movie ever (as of today) is devoted to bringing the message of our environmental crisis to the masses. What a powerful medium! We can create all the liberal documentaries we want, but they will always be preaching primarily to the choir. A movie like this has the power to influence so many people, especially youth, to really think about what we’re doing to the planet. Let’s hope that this will help turn things around!
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