Avatar made history in 2009 when it became the highest grossing international movie. Avatar was set in 22nd century science fiction. This unique concept made it an exceptional film. James Cameron was the filmmaker, director and producer of the film. This paper examines how the movie Avatar shows the evil side of the human species. This paper examines Cameron’s use of cinematographic elements in Avatar to demonstrate how he has carefully highlighted the differences between Na’vi and humans. We’ll first discuss the film’s story. This will give us a better understanding of the elements and their relationship to the overall theme. We will then examine how Cameron has used lighting to enhance his plot. The next section will discuss mise-en-scene, which will help to determine.
The visual differences in how characters appear. This will allow us to understand Cameron’s motives. We will also discuss the camera angles. This is because the angles show us Cameron’s vision and manipulate our perception according to the plot. This paper will focus on the film’s sound effects. Cameron wanted to portray humans as evil, having destroyed their planet and now wanting to destroy another planet’s mineral resources. This paper will discuss the topic in depth. This will provide some background information on the topic. The Na’vi, an alien race of beings that appear primitive but have evolved to a high degree, inhabit Pandora’s lush and exotic world. To explore Pandora’s Biosphere, scientists use Na’vi hybrids of Na’vi humans called ‘Avatars.’ Jake Sully, an ex-Marine paraplegic, takes over the role of his deceased twin brother and operates one. Dr. Grace Augustine heads the Avatar Program but considers Sully an unsuitable replacement. He accepts however, his job as a security guard. Grace, along with Dr. Spellman, are escorting their avatars. Norm Spellman while collecting biological data. Jake’s avatar was attacked by a terrorist and fled into the forest. Neytiri is a female Na’vi who rescues him. She witnesses an auspicious sign and takes Jake to her clan. Neytiri’s mother is the clan’s spiritual leader. .
Colonel Miles Quaritch of RDA’s security forces promises Jake that he will be able to get information on the Na’vi and their gathering place. This is Hometree, a gigantic tree which towers over the most valuable unobtanium deposits in the area. Jake starts to understand the Native Americans over the next three month. Jake is welcomed into the tribe. He reveals his new loyalty to the natives when he tries to stop a bulldozer from destroying a sacred Na’vi site. Selfridge orders Hometree’s destruction. The Na’vi are hit hard by the subsequent battle. Grace, Tsu’tey and Trudy all become mortally wounded. However, they are saved when the Pandoran wildlife joins in the fray and overpowers them. This allows them to win the battle.
All humans are expelled from Pandora once peace has been restored. Norm and Jake are the only exceptions. Jake is permanently transformed with the help of Tree of Souls. Avatar has more to offer than just cutting-edge technology. This film is about greed, disconnection and arrogance as well as violence. It also shows us how far people will go to achieve their goals. This message is clearly communicated by James Cameron throughout the film. It is used by lighting, mise en scène, camera angles and shot length.
The lighting is an important aspect of this. Lighting plays an important role in the film’s plot. It reflects the mood and genre. It creates a visual experience for the audience and makes them feel the things Cameron wants. James Cameron’s striking juxtaposing lighting has highlighted the difference between Na’vi humans and evil humans. Cameron uses grey lighting as a way to show Jake’s arrival on Pandora. The lighting creates a mood of melancholy and foretells the future. It increases the suspense and mood. Another striking aspect is that the Na’vi people’s characters are extremely detailed, whereas the light around them is dim.
At 7:00, the Colonel gives the talk. The light source behind the Colonel makes it difficult to see his face. This contrasts starkly with scenes depicting the Na’vi. Even though they are not shown at night (46:49.00), their faces can still be clearly seen. Its effect simply makes a distinction between humans, Na’vi and non-humans. It suggests that humans are all human with different levels of greed. There is also a dark background that appears whenever humans appear on the screen.
The darkness symbolizes the gloom brought on by humans. Contrary to the Na-vi’s bright light which is often a combination between blue, yellow and green that we recognize it as coming from sun, plants, fire, and when they appear on screen, the Navi people are a brighter version of that light. This is a sign that humans don’t respect nature, and are not at peace with it. This shows that humans cannot live with what they have, and is why they are called evil. Cameron’s lighting effects are so brilliant that we have to ask: What is it really mean to be human?
Cameron used costumes to raise questions about humanity. Cameron gave dark clothes to the colonel as he was most evil. Grace, Jake, Noam, or Noam were given light-colored clothing. The contrast between white and black demonstrates the binary distinction between good and bad. Parker was wearing a mixture of light and dark clothing, even though they were wearing them. This is a great representation of the humanity that constantly harms nature, but also shows their human side. Parker is an example of how we should feel. Parker is meant to be evil, but he also has the reluctance to destroy Na’vi culture.
Cameron shows us that being human is always a dilemma. In this example, we only have two options. The choices we make will affect how much human we become. It is clear that humans can be dressed up in many different ways. However, the choice you make will determine which side you join.
Cameron and his cinematography staff made bold choices in regards to the planned use of different camera angles. Most often, human beings are photographed from below. They appear larger and more powerful than they actually are. This is how humans see themselves in comparison to all other creatures. The Na’vi are shot straight ahead or from above. This shows how the Na’vi view themselves. Cameron wants us all to see the differences between humans’ arrogance and the Na’vi people’s humbleness. The close-up shots of human beings usually show them in a single shot, with no emphasis on the background. A machine or a room can also be used to show human beings. This is a way of cutting off their natural environment. The majority of shots with Na’vi people are either long or medium-long shots. The surroundings are well-focused. This shows how beautiful nature can look when we are in peace with it, as the Na’vi are.
Cameron uses the same sound effects to highlight Na’vi’s vastly different sounds. He uses silence, background music and foley. The background score used for Na’vis is soft and soothing. It is not used for humans. This contrast makes it difficult to understand Cameron’s intentions. Cameron wants to improve our understanding of the crumbling humanity through silence. Silence can sometimes feel uncomfortable, but dialogues can break it down. This is meant to show the differences between the Na’vi and human natures. Foley is more detailed in Na’vi worlds than it is in humans. In the human world you can only hear guns and machines.
Cameron contrasts the evil and good natures, by changing lighting, scene, angle, camera length, sound and sound. The darkness of humanity is revealed by lighting. Mise-en–scene allows us to distinguish the good from the bad in human beings. The human arrogance, greenness and unlikability were enhanced by the shot length and camera angle. The Na’vi are distinguished from humans by their sound. The narrative gives viewers more reason to hate people who want to destroy another planet. It didn’t take long for the story to be revealed to the audience. The narrative had been shown through all cinematic elements. It’s clear that humans must look at their actions before it is too late.
