Further comments on Avatar
Jan. 14th, 2010 10:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackLanguage
I don't know if what we hear of the Na'vi language is realistic, but kudos to the film for inventing a language rather than having everything in English. It does sound alien when the Na'vi speak in their own language, and sometimes drop back into it, even if they've been speaking English to Jake or Grace.
On the other hand, if the Na'vi have a special word which is awkwardly translated as "see" or "grok" -- why would people use the English word at emotional moments, not the Na'vi one?
3d
The 3d gave me a bit of a headache, unfortunately. It's awkward to fit the 3d glasses over prescription glasses (they may have clip-ons, I was late and didn't ask). Or it may be the fault of my year-old prescription.
On the other hand, people whining about not living in the future yet: 3d is back and trying to get into the mainstream. Maybe you should appreciate what the future did bring. I'm sure if we DID invent flying cars, people would just whine that we don't have something else.
Na'vi in tune with nature
Almost all stories gloss over the risks of living in a non-technological society, which means that when one is portrayed you can't tell if the risks of disease and childbirth and predators and war are non-existent, or just fastidiously not depicted.
Jake says the Na'vi don't want anything from Earth. Is that because technological aids wouldn't add anything, or because they prefer their perfect balance-of-nature life even when they're being killed by other Pandoran life, rather than vice versa?
I don't know if what we hear of the Na'vi language is realistic, but kudos to the film for inventing a language rather than having everything in English. It does sound alien when the Na'vi speak in their own language, and sometimes drop back into it, even if they've been speaking English to Jake or Grace.
On the other hand, if the Na'vi have a special word which is awkwardly translated as "see" or "grok" -- why would people use the English word at emotional moments, not the Na'vi one?
3d
The 3d gave me a bit of a headache, unfortunately. It's awkward to fit the 3d glasses over prescription glasses (they may have clip-ons, I was late and didn't ask). Or it may be the fault of my year-old prescription.
On the other hand, people whining about not living in the future yet: 3d is back and trying to get into the mainstream. Maybe you should appreciate what the future did bring. I'm sure if we DID invent flying cars, people would just whine that we don't have something else.
Na'vi in tune with nature
Almost all stories gloss over the risks of living in a non-technological society, which means that when one is portrayed you can't tell if the risks of disease and childbirth and predators and war are non-existent, or just fastidiously not depicted.
Jake says the Na'vi don't want anything from Earth. Is that because technological aids wouldn't add anything, or because they prefer their perfect balance-of-nature life even when they're being killed by other Pandoran life, rather than vice versa?
no subject
Date: 2010-01-14 12:03 pm (UTC)And I suspect that the Na'avi are _odd_. Their balance of nature stuff is far more balanced than you ever get in real life, largely because they have uplinks. TBH I'm fairly sure that they're part of a planetary immune system that the trees use to keep things in control since Pandora had its singularity...
no subject
Date: 2010-01-14 12:23 pm (UTC)I've a few people comment about eye-strain or headaches, if I had to guess, a minority of people do, probably mostly or all people with glasses, and I fall into that category, either because my eyes are a bit off, or less adaptable, or I just bothered to complain when everyone else didn't, or it depends heavily where you sit. I doubt I'll find out until 3d films become much more common.
Their balance of nature stuff is far more balanced than you ever get in real life,
Yeah, definitely, although I think they're close to how many native cultures are imagined, and how they're portrayed in other films without a scientific explanation to make it "really true".
no subject
Date: 2010-01-14 12:23 pm (UTC)part of a planetary immune system that the trees use to keep things in control since Pandora had its singularity...
:)
no subject
Date: 2010-01-14 01:48 pm (UTC)I think, given how little the film tells us about what's really going on with their biological god, how old it is, how old the planet is, whether the Na'vi have a technologically advanced past or not, etc., all bets are off.