Perhaps you thought that “Avatar” was just a glorified version of “Fern Gully.” Or perhaps you loved it without bounds and were offended when its creator and director, James Cameron, didn’t win an Oscar for it. We’ll be honest before we continue writing. We were huge fans of the movie, its message and its stunning visual effects. But that doesn’t mean that some people don’t think James Cameron is a bit of a hypocrite.
Let’s review, firstly, what the message of the movie was: Say goodbye to materialism, corporate greed, the over abundance of technology and live more simply in a way that you wake up every day happy and satisfied. Sure, in this case it was taken to an extreme in that “live more simply in a way that you wake up every day happy and satisfied” meant “become an entirely different race of person, be spiritually reborn and live in the forest.” But, at base, the message of the movie was one that we here at Postconsumers very much endorse. In fact, it’s obviously quite similar to our message (minus the becoming blue portion).
And Cameron spoke out very eloquently about this message and its deep personal importance to him.
Now, knowing that, keep in mind that all of the following can be said about James Cameron:
James Cameron’s net worth is $150 million. That number was factored just before the release of “Avatar,” which was the highest grossing worldwide film of all time. Thus, James Cameron is now worth … more than $150 million.
James Cameron believes that you should spend money to make movies. He was the first person ever to direct a movie with a budget of over $100 million, money we’re sure could have been better spent saving the planet and helping its people. That movie, by the way, was “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” which, while awesome, will not go down in the annals of art history. “Titanic” cost $200 million to make. “Avatar” cost well over $500 million. We wrote recently about how summer blockbusters embody the over-consumption practice of America.
We’d like to say that “Avatar” really sent a message about changing the way we should live. But perhaps the truth is that no art can ever be separated from the artist who made it.
