James Cameron’s ground breaking film Avatar was released on the 17th December 2009, after a London premier on the 10th, 5 years ago from today. With a budget of $250 million, and the use of 3D cinematography to its maximum, it was the first film to reach a profit of over $2 billion on release. Cameron has also directed successes such as Alien and Titanic.
The sci-fi epic introduces you to a 22nd century future of which Earth is virtually uninhabitable. Desperation leads to the mining of valuable mineral unobtanium with a human civilisation taking residence on Pandora, a resource-rich moon of a gas giant. With human disruption to the planet creating strict rivalry with native species Na’Vi, this leaves a group of scientists and one ‘dumb grunt’ to control Na’Vi Avatars in an attempt to negotiate with the planet-loving natives.
Starring Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and Giovanni Risbi, Avatar won, or at least was nominated, for nine Academy Awards. The 2010 award ceremony saw Avatar win Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography with nominations including Best Director, Best Picture and more.
The film is a great portrayal of the destructive habits of man and the profoundly negative effects we have on a living planet. By becoming attached to the Na’Vi and seeing the fantastically complex biological world from their view, the sides turn quickly in the film as the audience begins to see that humans are in fact the antagonist due to our natural craving for wealth. It brings together complicated issues concerning economics and our subsequent destructive influence on life.
Avatar is easily one of the most notable 3D films of our time and one that was revolutionary and leading in the capabilities of 3D cinema. Technology mixed with a captivating storyline is what led to the popularity of Avatar and it is a film that will remain a classic, famed for its game-changing techniques in cinematography.
