Avatar: The Way of Water – Pure cinematic sorcery by James Cameron

By Tharishi Hewavithanagamage

Thirteen years and billions of dollars later, director James Cameron has brought the much-anticipated sequel, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ to life! Despite fears of failing at the box office, audiences have agreed that Cameron’s latest work exceeds expectations and pushes boundaries beyond the horizon. Although a sequel was already brewing when ‘Avatar’ was released in 2009 (nearly a decade ago), it was Avatar’s initial success that allowed Cameron to finally fulfill his promise to the fans. Based on ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, it is apparent that James Cameron has been very busy pushing the very boundaries of cinema with his distinct magic. The film may be punishingly long but compensates with the stunning visual imagery, epic cinematography and mesmerizing world-building. Cameron’s work is a testament to how movies ought to be made in the age of commercial film franchises that often fail to meet the mark.

Jake Sully, who has fully embraced the Na’vi lifestyle. Over the years Sully and his wife Neytiri welcomed four half-Na’vi, half-Avatar children — Neteyam, Lo’ak, Kiri (adopted) and Tuk— and also foster Spider, the biological son of Colonel Miles Quaritch left behind on Pandora. Happiness only lasts for so long when the ‘sky people’ (humans) return to Pandora. Colonel Miles (who was killed previously) returns with an advanced military entourage, this time having transitioned to a Na’vi form, but infused with the late colonel’s memories. He arrives to seek vengeance on Jake for betraying him and soon begins hunting the Sully clan. With targets on their back, Jake and his family are forced to flee and seek shelter with the Metkayina, a water tribe.

The new environment that audiences are introduced to becomes the bedrock of the story. Cameron focuses on exploring the Metkayina tribe are decidedly different from the Na’vi living in the forests of Pandora. The differences among the Pandora’s inhabitants— both in a physical and cultural sense— provide new dimensions to the anthropology of the alien planet. In contrast to the land-based Na’vi the Metkayina have amphibian features and greenish bodies, simply put a physiology suited to living on islands surrounded by water and marine animals. The film goes to great lengths to enhance these details with stunning visual effects and CGI through the second half of the story. The film does not hold back in the visual effects department which is the key to bringing Cameron’s vision to life. Returning to the ocean since ‘Titanic’, James Cameron takes a deep dive into the vast ocean and delivers mesmerising and bold sequences of visuals from start to finish. Cameron was inspired by his love for ocean exploration and the need to bring the magic and mystery of an underwater experience to the big screen. The detailed work is inspired by the oceans on Earth and the communities of beings that live in the deep. Sigourney Weaver, who was significantly de-aged to play a 14 year old, is also proof of the technological advancements today and the hard work put in by the professionals.

Plunging further into the unknown, Cameron worked with Australian cinematographer Pawel Achtel to develop a rig to shoot 3D scenes underwater. The outcome is seen in the crystal clear and hyper realistic visuals that are at times difficult to fathom but completely hypnotising. The movie also pushed the boundaries of the cast, who had to train in free diving methods. Kate Winslet remained underwater for more than seven minutes, accidentally breaking the record held by Tom Cruise.

The movie starts off strong and wastes no time cutting to the chase. However, the plot is spread thin and the story slows down towards the middle. The action picks up in the latter half and is packed with heavy gunfire, crazy stunts and even crazier futuristic tech. In comparison to the first movie, ‘The Way of Water’ promises more emotion from the cast. The young characters played by Jamie Flatters, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion and Bailey Bass are a breath of fresh air. Although technically not a young or new cast member, Sigourney Weaver also adds a great amount of emotion and mystery into playing Kiri. The newly introduced actors Kate Winslet and Cliff Curtis shine as Metkayina leaders Ronal and Tonowari, leading the clan and their family with ferocity and extreme loyalty. Lastly, despite the lengthy runtime characters like Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña and Stephen Lang are significantly given very less to do in comparison to the first movie.

The film mainly focuses on the theme of family, portraying more than one family at a time to give audiences different perspectives. The Sully family, Ronal and Tonowari’s family, the Tulkun (an intelligent species of whale native to Pandora) family and even the bond between Spider and Colonel Miles, all depict different aspects of what it is to be part of a family. It also shows how much people change when their family is under threat and the lengths they would go to in order to protect their own. But the film is more than just about the idea of family. ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is almost like a nature documentary carrying heavy political themes. ‘Way of Water’ reiterates colonialist ideals much like in the first film. Colonial superiority coupled with greed driven by capitalism, amorality and exploitation of resources is a running theme in the films. With the Earth inhospitable, the humans have resorted to colonising, pillaging and even murdering the thriving alien communities, which are strikingly similar to real world situations. Director James Cameron is not afraid to advance a strong political agenda and share his cynicism of the nature of mankind. Cameron offers audiences the Na’vi lifestyle— the balance between the physical and spiritual realms and the sense of togetherness— as an alternative way of life that can possibly benefit mankind in the long run, should they choose to change.

Director Cameron’s film also explores the themes of xenophobia, assimilation, identity and cultural tolerance. It explores these themes through the Sully family when they are forced to uproot their lives amidst the threat from Colonel Miles and the military personnel. Although the Metkayina leaders Tonowari and Ronal welcome them it is not without suspicion and trepidation. The Sully clan are forced to assimilate to the ways of the water tribe if they wish to survive and receive shelter. They approach the challenge with open minds, but given the physiological differences between the two tribes it is easier said than done to assimilate. From the perspective of the children, who are part Na’vi and part human, it is much harder. They are occasionally bullied by youngsters of the Metkayina tribe and are called ‘freaks’. The change especially puts pressure on Lo’ak and Kiri who are confused about their place among the Na’vi community and go overlooked by their own parents. This storyline reminds audiences of the many individuals and families that migrate and are forced to assimilate in order to create a sense of belonging in a place that is completely alien to them.

Going further, Cameron boldly addresses the environmental harm inflicted on wildlife and ecosystems. The industrial destruction and ecological terrorism inflicted on the lush ecosystems of Pandora are a reminder to audiences of the very real world situations that require more attention from individuals. The graphic and brutal hunt for the Tulkun simply to extract a liquid called ‘amrita’ (that supposedly stops ageing in humans) causes shock and fury, but is also a reminder from Cameron of the reality of things. Tear-jerking as the scenes may be, Cameron wants to spread awareness and he earns praise for successfully tapping into the capacity for moral outrage and for leaving a long-lasting emotional imprint in the minds of the audiences. Beyond the fantastic and immersive details in Cameron’s visual imagery lies a bourgeoning truth.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is a true work of art from James Cameron that explores beyond the horizon and confidently plunges into the depths of the unknown to give audiences an engaging, enjoyable and all-round beautiful film. Although lacking in a strong plot and too many storylines, it captivates the mind and feeds the audiences with lush world-building and immaculate CGI to convey both beauty and darkness of the world. James Cameron has raised the stakes for the characters and for himself to create even greater, mind-bending sequels that are already in the works.