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