Avatar and Romanticism
Transcript of Avatar and Romanticism
Avatar (2009)Joey Ku
Essay Introduction
This assignment will look at Romanticism and how this is conveyed and depicted in James Cameron’s Avatar (2009). The essay will also be looking at Realism and how this is linked to Avatar.
Sources includes Arnold Hauser’s Social History of Art: volume 3 and Onno Oerlemans’ Materiality of Nature which gives a general definition and history of Romanticism. Pam Morris’s Realism and Realism and “Reality” in Film and Media by Anne Jerslev which is a guide to the history of Realism as well as giving its definition. Robert Henson’s Late Modernism: art and culture is also used to as it gives an insight to The Cold War’s history.
Key Ideas
How Romanticism is used in Avatar Use of fantasy worlds, i.e. “Pandora” being a play word for fun.
“Romanticism reflects a new outlook on life and the world and above all, it creates a new interpretation of the idea of artistic freedom.” (Hauser, 1999)
The war between man made vs. nature (reference to the Cold War and Pocahontas) “The physical world has a reality- including a core characterised by predation and carnivores- which lies quite apart from the worlds of beauty and pleasure .” (University of Toronto Press, 2004)
How this links to The Cold War and history of Pocahontas, “We live in an age of transition, an age of overlap, in which the old modern of yesterday no longer acts effectively but still provides means of expression, standards of expectations and tools of ordering.” (Genter, 2010)
How realism is used in Avatar “Inhabits both the realm of everyday usage and the more specialist
aesthetic realm of literacy and artistic usage.” (Morris,2003)
Cultural Context
Romanticism: An art and literature movement
originating in Europe around the 18th century
Characterized by the interests of nature, emotional expressions and imagination.
Movement was seen as a reaction against the Age of Enlightenment.
Mostly used in arts, music and literature.
Realism: Began in France in 1850’s Can be used as a way of showing
the truth behind false imagery. Becoming the opposite of
“Romanticism”. Mostly used in Photography and Art.
Key Individuals
James Cameron, Director Avatar (2009) for the making of the film and its influences
Sam Worthington- Jake Sully(Human Na’vi hybrid)
Stephen Lang-Colonel Miles Quaritch
Portrayals between mechanical vs. nature and status of valuing things
Zoe Saldana-Neytiri (Na’vi)
Historical Examples- Romanticism
Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich
(unknown)
The Voyage of Life by Thomas Cole (1842)
Historical Examples- Realism and Cold War
Realism vs. Abstraction by Deborah Barreau (unknown)
Unknown by Joshua Muravchik and Stephen M. Walt
Contemporary Examples
Avatar (2009) Film poster
World of Pandora fighting for peace (below and left)
Conclusion
The use of romanticism in the film is a mere reflection of the modern world’s society where nature is at risk of being dominated by machinery.
The idea of having a different world can be suggested as another way of escaping from reality and into the fantasy, hence possibly the name “Pandora” is derived.
The events within the Pandora world can be seen as a reconstruction to the earth’s events.
“See the world we come from, there is no green there. They killed their mother.” Jake Sully, Avatar
List of IllustrationsCultural Context: Cole, T (1842) The Voyage of Life (online): http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/thomas-cole/the-voyage-of-life-youth-1842-1 Rosalie Bonhuer,M (unknown) unknown (online): http://www.frontpainting.com/famous-painters-realism.html
Key Individuals: Lopez, M (2011) James Cameron confirms “Avatar” 2 and 3 (online):
http://blogamole.tr3s.com/2011/01/27/james-cameron-confirms-avatar-2-and-3/ Noholidaynolife (2010) In the world of Avatar filming (online):
http://www.noholidaynolife.com/2010/04/15/in-the-world-of-avatar-filming/ Enormousrat (2009) Avatar Pandora Xbox (online): http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/File:Avatar_Pandora_Xbox_360.jpg
Historical Examples- Romanticism Cole, T (1842) The Voyage of Life (online): http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/thomas-cole/the-voyage-of-life-youth-1842-1 Burgess, D (2006) Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog (online): http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Romanticism
Historical Examples- Realism: Barreau, D (1991) Realism vs. Abstraction (online):
http://www.hitl.washington.edu/scivw/EVE/III.C.2.RealismAbstraction.html Muravchik and Walt, J and M (unknown) The Neocon vs. The Realists (online):
http://westphalianpost.wordpress.com/machtpolitik/
Contemporary Examples: Uknown (2009) Avatar (2009) (online): http://www.impawards.com/2009/avatar.html Uknown (unknown) Wallpaperstock (online):
http://wallpaperstock.net/avatar-pandora-4_wallpapers_16296_1024x768_1.html Enormousrat (2009) Avatar Pandora Xbox (online): http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/File:Avatar_Pandora_Xbox_360.jpg
Bibliography
Morris, P (2003) Realism. London, Routledge Hauser, A (1999) Rococo, Classicism and Romanticism. London, Routledge Jerslev, A (2002) Realism and “Reality” in Film and Media. Denmark,
Museum Tusculanum Press Hauser, A (2005) Social History of Art: Rococo, Classicism and Romanticism.
London, Taylor and Francis e-library Oerlemans, O (2004) Romanticism and the Materiality of Nature. Canada,
University of Toronto Press Genter, R (2010) Late Modernism: Art, Culture and Politics in Cold War
America. USA, University of Pennsylvania Press Cunningham and Ardine, A and N (1990) Romanticism and the sciences.
USA, Cambridge University Pres. Stremmel, K (2004) Realism . Uknown Whittier,M (2011) Avatar: For Dummies(online):
http://xyzunt.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/avatar-romanticism-for-dummies.html History King (2012) Romanticism and Age of Reason (online):
http://www.historyking.com/art-history/romanticism-art/index.html Uknown (uknown) Pocahontas (online): http://
www.virginiaplaces.org/nativeamerican/poca.html