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  • A Chinese Take on ‘Avatar’

    * January 8, 2010, 12:40 AM ET

    A Chinese Take on ‘Avatar’
    A Chinese Take on ‘Avatar’ - China Real Time Report - WSJ


    When “Avatar” shattered China’s single-day box office record over the weekend, local filmmakers may have borne the brunt of the assault, but according to some critics here, the real target of James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster is another group altogether: Chinese real-estate developers.

    Reuters
    A nail house in Chongqing

    “The developer [in the movie] thinks it is promoting GDP growth, improving the economy, bringing new life to this ignorant backwater,” writes blogger and sports reporter Li Chengpeng in a much-viewed post on the film. “The residents, on the other hand … they just want to live in the tree, in harmony with the spirits, not in some high-end apartment building with elevators.”

    “Avatar,” for those few who have yet to see it, tells the story of the Na’vi, scantily-clad nature-worshiping natives of a moon called Pandora who find themselves in the cross-hairs of a military-backed corporation from Earth that is hell-bent on exploiting a valuable mineral buried underneath the gigantic tree they call home. (See Joe Morgenstern’s review here for a more fulsome summary.)

    While the plot contains obvious allusions to colonialist resource-grabbing, Li instead sees “Avatar” as an allegory for the exploitation of regular people by Chinese real estate companies.

    In his post, titled “Avatar: An Epic Nail House Textbook,” Li draws a comparison between the tree where the Na’vi live and the homes of people who resist eviction—known in China as “nail houses” because of the way they stick up out of would-be construction sites (see articles, with video, on the subject here and here).

    Like the Na’vi, China’s nail house residents are often asked to abandon their homes for little or nothing in return. Chinese real estate developers, like the company in the film, are typically quasi-governmental organizations, backed by the rhetoric of progress and armies of hired thugs that can be brought in when negotiations fall through.

    “The developer sees the tree as an illegal building, its residents as rabble rousers who don’t support municipal development and aren’t willing to sacrifice for the greater good,” Li writes.

    The post has been viewed more than 200,000 times and attracted nearly 2500 comments, the vast majority supportive, since he put it up Monday.

    Others have jumped on the idea, including The Beijing News, which called the film “a nail house parable,” and twenty-something literary star Han Han, who defended the film against charges its plot is weak: “For audiences from other places, barbaric eviction is something they simply can’t imagine–it’s the sort of thing that could only happen in outer space and China.”

    So what lessons does the film hold for people in China facing eviction? “Communication is worthless,” Li writes. “You can only fight fire with fire.”

    Luckily for Chinese developers, their opponents don’t ride gigantic, flesh-eating animals.

    –Josh Chin
    Attached Files
    “the misery of being exploited by capitalists is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited at all” -- Joan Robinson

  • #2
    Well that is a stretch. They must do some yoga.

    Comment


    • #3
      I don't notice the Evaluation about Avatar.But the Evaluation reasonable to me .Chinese is too poor and everyone desire the better life.The serious Collectivism makes us will to make sacrifices for the nation and hometown,plus many media is controlled by the government,so you can see what have happened now.I won't choose to support or object Avatar because I don't know if it's right.The key is that don't go too far just like the film,I can tolerate human destory the part of forest,but I can't tolerate they destory all the forest and kill the ET,that's too cruel.
      Last edited by Luke Gu; 12 Jan 10,, 04:47.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Doomarias View Post
        Well that is a stretch. They must do some yoga.
        new Chinese Avatar theme protest banner.
        Attached Files
        “the misery of being exploited by capitalists is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited at all” -- Joan Robinson

        Comment


        • #5
          Oh yeah, that is what I am talking about, Confucius in 3D.

          'Confucius' pushes 'Avatar' aside in China

          'Confucius' pushes 'Avatar' aside in China - News, Films - The Independent

          Wednesday, 20 January 2010


          The new Chinese film Confucius, starring Chow Yun-Fat as the revered philosopher, will replace Avatar in China at standard 2D screens. Now playing in 2,500 theaters, the Hollywood blockbuster will still be available at the few 3D cinemas in the country.

          Avatar is being pulled from the majority of theaters to make room for the domestic film. China limits foreign films to 20 each year and keeps imports' runs to no longer than 10 days in order not to dominate the market.

          Opening on January 4 in China, Avatar has screened longer than the typical 10 days. So far, it has earned $76 million in China, the most successful movie of all time in China, like many places.

          RC
          “the misery of being exploited by capitalists is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited at all” -- Joan Robinson

          Comment


          • #6
            ,,,,,,,,,,,
            Attached Files
            “the misery of being exploited by capitalists is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited at all” -- Joan Robinson

            Comment


            • #7
              I saw his press conference in Taiwan promoting the movie. He was arrogant and condescending, with a hint of megalomania. I won't waste any money on his movies.
              "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

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              • #8
                He was arrogant and condescending, with a hint of megalomania.
                were you referring to Confucius?
                “the misery of being exploited by capitalists is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited at all” -- Joan Robinson

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by xinhui View Post
                  were you referring to Confucius?
                  Nah...Confucius stressed humbleness, humility, and moderation. I saw no such thing from Mr. Chow.
                  "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    wait a minute, didn't Mao bash Confucious big time? shouldn't that movie be banned even faster than Avatar? which is at least just hinting at best? ;)

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                    • #11
                      It funny, there was a lot American bloggers and others who saw the assault on the giant tree as a sort of 'Americans committing a 9/11 style attack'.

                      I thought it was supposed to be a parallel to European colonialism.

                      good film though. Thought it was like David Attenborough on another planet

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                      • #12
                        the movie sounds very expensive, especially when one considers this thread, so many of such tragedies happen around in our world every moment, why not to focus on them, maybe it will end up doing some good.

                        news channels in India were reporting the movie Avatar with a very american accent, i found that very funny (as its a word often used in hindi/khari boli), a cousin of mine is named avatar.

                        If i get a chance i would love to see the Confucius movie, never had a chance to see much about the Chinese civilisation

                        China limits foreign films to 20 each year and keeps imports' runs to no longer than 10 days in order not to dominate the market.
                        That i find very strange, in the age of internet.
                        A bit like my Governments stand on Porn, everybody loves it, i find it on every computer i see, even in the villages without internet or computers there is loads of porn, even though books of physics, maths are missing, however there is never a lack of porn, and the government still thinks it controls them through their little bans, such stupidity.
                        Last edited by kuku; 21 Jan 10,, 11:19.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by kuku View Post

                          That i find very strange, in the age of internet.
                          A bit like my Governments stand on Porn, everybody loves it, i find it on every computer i see, even in the villages without internet or computers there is loads of porn, even though books of physics, maths are missing, however there is never a lack of porn, and the government still thinks it controls them through their little bans, such stupidity.
                          Don't worry, most of the folks probably saw it on pirated DVDs a day before it debuted

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                          • #14
                            That was the point, most people will see whatever they choose to, why bother with such steps?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              rollingwave,

                              wait a minute, didn't Mao bash Confucious big time? shouldn't that movie be banned even faster than Avatar? which is at least just hinting at best?
                              man, you've missed out on the chinese propaganda for the last fifteen years!
                              There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov

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