The Context of a Film

Author: Caitlin Floer

Political ideals, culture, and values of the era when a film is written and developed plays a major role in a film’s theme. This can come across in the way that homosexual characters are portrayed, which in the past has often been as laughable, depressed, or suicidal. It is also often seen in the political views of the film’s characters, such as in Rocky IV which showed America as being a “better” country than the Soviet Union. (Phillips, 2002)

A common struggle in North America today is the controversy between left and right wing governments and the debate between new developments and trying conserve nature. Many films peg their antagonists as “right-winged” characters whose only focus is making a profit and driving business forward at any cost. Most protagonists in film defend the natural state of things; whether it is regarding the planet, a human rights issue, or anything that really tugs at the heartstrings of viewers.

It is the mainstream movies that show the context of the era most prevalently as they must appeal to the tastes and values of the mass market in order to turn a profit (Phillips, 2002). These are the movies that portray their protagonists and antagonists in the previously mentioned way as these are the views of most of the general public. By lining up what is perceived as right and wrong in the movie with what the majority of people think, movies are able to become box office hits.

Avatar is one of these mainstream movies that appealed to the mass market and took their concerns and political ideals to the big screen. One of the most dominant themes of the movie is the role of the corporation and its use of power.  On Pandora, the RDA will go to any lengths to mine unobtanium in order to make a profit from it back on Earth. The climax of the movie shows the RDA and its army tearing apart the Na’vi’s habitat and their Tree of Souls, without any concern of the destruction of the “heart” of Pandora and the Na’vi’s God. This is a direct portrayal of North American government’s struggles with native people, their land, and environmentalist groups.

The protagonist in Avatar, Jake Sully, starts the film with views that side with the RDA and its quest for unobtanium. As he spends more time with the Na’vi and learns about their culture and beliefs, Jake starts to identify with the world of Pandora and he begins to see the RDA as an enemy.  This switch resonates with viewers as it solidifies the general view that corporations are bad. This view is again solidified when the RDA are kicked off Pandora and the Na’vi prevail even through the destruction. Film critics will be able to look back on Avatar in the future and decipher what the culture and common values were at the time of development.  

Source: William H. Phillips. (2002). Film; An Introduction (Second Edition). Massachusetts; Bedford/St. Martin’s.