Many
movies today work to showcase what Lewis and his contemporaries mean when they
say that their stories critique the world around them. Due to the fact that directors and
cinematographers are operating in a different medium, they must cater to the
strengths of that medium to tell the best story that they can. One movie I saw recently exemplifies this
quality: Avatar. Avatar was one of the
biggest blockbusters when it came out.
It took full advantage of new technology to create a world like no
other. It’s landscapes were fantastical
and breathtaking. At times, the entire
movie seemed to be set up to show us this marvelous world. The story may not have been surprising, as far
as I know it did not win any awards for best screenplay, but its visuals were
stunning. It was in these visuals that
Avatar critiqued the world we live in.
Avatar revealed the beauty of nature in a way that had not been done
before. It showed us a picture of a
world in harmony, a world that seemed at times to resemble a paradise. When we leave the theater, we leave in awe,
but we also come away with a sense of responsibility and sorrow for our own
world, for the destruction of the natural beauty found here. Because of Avatar’s success in this manner, I
believe that Lewis and his contemporaries would declare it a success. It drew us in, in order to lead us out with a
new view on life, with a new view on the world we find ourselves in.
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