Avatar, James Cameron, and Myth - Page 2

Arguably, the experience is the touchstone of any James Cameron film. His films have consistently delivered iconic thrills and frenetic action, but they rest on something more intrinsic to storytelling and modern mythmaking. As critic Steven D. Greydanus notes, Cameron is “a master manipulator with a flair for crafting engrossing mass entertainment with an aura of significance and truth.”

J.R.R. Tolkien asserted that all myth contains splinters of “true light”—truth that would otherwise get lost in translation were someone to sit down and try to spell it all out for you. In other words, stories express the inexpressible; a facet that seasons much Cameron’s work.

Consider, for example, the enormous success of his previous film, Titanic. The overwhelming popularity of that film suggests that it taps a resonant chord among its audience. “To be this popular,” writes Neil Andersen, “a story must be touching a mythic nerve.”

Knowing how to put skin on themes and ideas goes a long way in selling an old story. Similar to Titanic, Cameron played with notions of destiny in conflict with free will, and the inherent value of human life, wrapped in a story that literally puts skin on its narrative vehicle—Terminator 2.

Cameron possesses a deft awareness of resonant archetypal themes; Tolkien’s splinters of true light, if you will. Though a committed humanist, Cameron’s devotion to myth cannot avoid brushing up against the eternal truths that, as Tolkien argued, myths inherently reveal.

Stories of frontiersmen forced to choose sides enjoy their time in the sun because they touch on shared mythical themes. In a season of remakes, reboots and retreads, sitting through Dances with Wolves in Space may not seem like a promising holiday movie outing, but Cameron has already shown aptitude for making something old look new again.

A trailer sure would do a lot to dispel any doubt, however.

Avatar opens December 18, 2009.

Article Author: Travis Johnson

Travis Johnson is a freelance writer in Colorado Springs, and spends most of his time writing magazine features or grant proposals. He mostly blogs about the movies, and is hard at work writing his first novel.

Visit Travis Johnson's author page — Travis Johnson's Blog