Avatar: The way of white saviorism

Daniel Lin Viewpoint Editor

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” follows everyone’s favorite fearless hero Puss in Boots—voiced by Antonio Banderas—as he discovers that he is on the last of his nine lives and goes on a quest to restore his lives. Along the way, he learns valuable lessons and faces obstacles that challenge his entire belief system.

The movie begins with Puss partying, slaying a giant and then dying. This opening scene does two things: it establishes Puss’ character by showing him acting heroically and living recklessly, and draws attention to the striking and vibrant visuals. However, Puss’ usual arrogance is immediately curbed after he learns that he is down to his last life and survives an encounter with Death, a massive wolf, by the skin (or fur?) of his teeth.

Unfortunately, this fantastic beginning is followed by a less interesting midsection, in which Puss learns of a wishing star that could restore his nine lives and goes on a very ordinary adventure to find it, where he meets other characters. The film concludes with a spectacular fight scene between Puss and Death and a feel-good, albeit somewhat cheesy, ending.

Although Banderas’ performance as Puss was outstanding, the true star of the show was Death—voiced by Wagner Moura—the main villain. Death is menacing, terrifying and positively scene-stealing— easily my favorite character in the movie and one of my favorite villains from any movie.

Quality-wise, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is top-notch. The animation uses hand-drawn techniques, making it more textured and unique compared to the traditional “Pixar look”— a photorealistic style that most animated films use. This unique art style, in addition to the frame rate drops and striking color contrasts during action scenes, contributes to the feeling of being dropped into a fairytale. Furthermore, the actors do an amazing job voicing their characters. The story is well written and revolves around a surprisingly deep theme, given that it is meant to be a children’s movie—the importance of valuing life and living life to its fullest.

Despite being a spinoff of “Shrek,” “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” was a masterpiece that blew my expectations out of the water. I highly recommend watching it.

Antara Gangwal

Reuniting viewers with an acclaimed fictional universe, the sequel to the award-winning film “Avatar” sparked controversy by Indigenous activists, many of whom believe it promotes a storyline of white saviorism.

“Avatar” is currently the highest grossing film of all time, earning over $2.9 billion since release in December 2009, as per Box Office Mojo. The sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water” was released over 13 years later on Dec. 16, 2022 to high anticipation from global fans of the first film. Deadline reports that the new installment made over $2.12 billion by Jan. 22, cementing its place as the fourth highest grossing film worldwide.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” takes place 15 years after the events of the first film and follows protagonist Jake Sully after he chooses to live on the fictional moon Pandora. Here, Sully dons a body based on its indigenous inhabitants—the Na’vi. In the sequel, as chief of the Na’vi Omaticaya clan, Sully and his family must fight against human colonization of Pandora.

Along with praise, however, the film has also become a topic of debate; Indigenous activists such as Crystal Echo-Hawk, the founder of social justice organization Illuminative, have accused

Lauren Wilson

the storyline of perpetuating a white savior narrative. In an interview with CNN, Echo-Hawk explained that white director James Cameron limits his exploration of colonization by centering the story on a white character. Similarly, a tweet demanding a boycott of the film by Navajo artist and co-chair of Indigenous Pride Los Angeles Yuè Begay said that the film employs blueface; it blends many native cultures together to create characters that are played by white actors. In the tweet, Begay also mentioned previous statements made by Cameron in a 2010 interview with The Guardian, where director stated that he was inspired to create “Avatar” after imagining what would have occurred if the Lakota Sioux tribe had fought harder against colonization. Begay’s tweet incited debate over Cameron’s comments and casting of the sequel, which still includes a majority of white actors.

“While the film was lacking in plot and I would not want to watch future installments, I was not aware of the criticism it received. Nonetheless, I agree that more Indigenous people should be in the cast, as the plot is based on

Staff Writer

their cultures,” Sophomore Saanvi Deb said.

Other films have also been denounced for submitting to white savior stereotypes. For example, “The Last Samurai”—a 2003 film about efforts to fight U.S. westernization of Japan—is centered around a white general played by Tom Cruise rather than Japanese characters. However, Japanese actor Ken Watanabe, who played Katsumoto in the movie, stated in a 2022 interview with The Guardian that his own role was important for Asian representation in Hollywood. Likewise, Lakota activist and attorney Chase Iron Eyes told CNBC that “Avatar: The Way of Water” accurately depicted Lakota beliefs through its portrayal of the Na’vi connection with the natural world. However, Iron Eyes has also accused the film of blueface and having limited representation.

Cameron responded to backlash in an interview with Unilad in December 2022, stating that he recognized the importance of listening to criticism about the perspective of white privilege. He elaborated that he meant to celebrate indigenous spirituality, and that it was not his intention to portray white saviorism.

Some will continue to boycott the Avatar franchise, while others hope to find improvement in the upcoming sequels. Above all, Indigenous activists like Begay advocate for media where Indigenous people are writing and starring in their own stories.