I saw the new movie "AVATAR" yesterday. It was visually beautiful, and well-acted. More to the point it had a very progressive slant, and it was quite effective at getting its message across.
If you liked the message of Lord of the Rings, I'm guessing you'll love Avatar!
The message of the movie was not in doubt.. well maybe to some. As I left the theater one lady commented to two different people, "if you want to see some self-hating anti-human crap then see that movie!"
The movie was not anti-human. It's themes included
-purity of heart,
-the hidden network of life,
-putting yourself in others' shoes, and
-courage under adversity.
It presented these themes in a way even children can understand. It was the perfect "frame" in the sense of George Lakoff.
For example, when the humans attack the indigenous population, it is referred to as a "shock and awe campaign." The over-zealous general (main bad guy) says that "a preemptive strike is necessary to prevent these terrorists from attacking us." The movie was not sitting on the fence about any of this stuff! The audience was fully on the side of the beautiful indigenous population, and the general's thuggish military attitude was put on full display. The connections between the bad guys and the neoconservatives could not have easily been lost on anyone born before 1995.
It's certainly the best movie of the year. I plan to watch it in the theaters again, and I highly recommend it to this community.