The scene in Avatar when Jake takes his first steps as a blue giant is incredibly significant for various reasons. First, it gives viewers the idea that they can escape from their lives and go into a reality that is much better than their own. Being handicapped is no longer a permanent thing and the illnesses of your old body will disappear. Viewers seem encouraged and motivated to see that technology is progressing and maybe one day this all could actually happen.
Avatar brought the idea that there could be a world that is better than the earth. Just when everyone thought life on planet earth was hitting new levels, the Avatar world was introduced. In the beginning of the movie Jake has his brain stimulated and is put into a body of a big blue avatar. The audience has already sympathized with Jake because he is in a wheelchair and cannot walk, but when he has the chance to be an all-powerful beast, the viewers are overflowing with joy! I couldn’t help but imagine what if this was possible? What if we could make life better for people with handicaps? This scene inspired me that maybe one day this could happen. The scientists are reading Jake’s brain activity and doctors can already do this today, so the next step is putting people in this new Heaven, right?
When Jake first awoke, I was ecstatic to see he had awaken with no complications, but once he got up and started to ignore the doctors and ran out of the lab, I immediately began to panic and thought he had turned mad. What would happen once he entered the Avatar world? I thought he was a goner for sure! People were chasing him telling him he wasn’t ready to run yet! But as the music became louder and more dramatic, and as his footsteps became quicker, this sense of worry disappeared and turned into a sense of happiness. Seeing someone run or even walk for the first time is so rare, and to see the joyfulness that came with it is such a heart warming experience! This is one of the first scenes that tugs on the viewers hearts and draws them in!
There was a lot of hype for this movie and I think it is because viewers believe that this will one day be possible for the coming generations! Somehow we invited a wheel, then a car, then an airplane? The life we are living keeps changing and evolving, but is the Avatar world really within grasp?
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QEFrI-D_3c
I think you're right in asserting the impact this scene would have on someone with disabilities or injuries. The technology being discussed and the ideas being entertained are enough to spark joy and hope in so many people. While medical advances are edging closer and closer to the possibility of something like this, another momentous possibility would be a world without prejudice or "stigma" around disabilities. While this wasn't really the case in Avatar (Jake Sully still saw some prejudice), I like to think that it could be possible in our world.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100% with your explanation that this new body is a chance for people to be transferred into the fantasy. I think that without this transition, people wouldn't be able to fully believe that Jake is the Avatar. This is an important factor because in order for people to develop feelings for this movie and appreciate it, you need to make the connection that this is Jake and it would be cool to be like him. I also appreciate that you describe Jake running for the first time. I agree that this is like one of the most emotional parts of the movie and the music is fantastic!
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