Nature vs Machine
by Max Neale
Introduction
Nature vs Machine is an important theme in James Cameron's Avatar movie. The theme is introduced to the viewer almost immediately, when we join the main character, Jake Sully, in an extremely over populated city where Nature is all but nonexistent.
Nature vs Machine is a theme common with the fictional planet, Pandora, the future version of Earth, and the Earth the viewer is familiar with.
Destruction of Rainforests
Nature vs machine is theme common in both the Avatar worlds, as well as the real-world Earth the viewer is familiar with. In our society, this theme is represented by the problems with deforestation occurring in places like South America. Recently there have been problems in the Amazon Rain forest to do with massive deforestation, caused by the advances in forestry technology and the need for resources and living space for humans. This is similar to Pandora and future Earth, where forests and nature are being removed to provide living space and access to resources.
Clearing the forest
Colonel Quaritch uses giant bulldozers to clear the trees so he can start his mining programmes.
Mining the mineral deposits
The mining programme uses giant-scale rotating-bucket excavators to acquire the precious Unobtainium.
Look out Ikran!
A human-piloted helicopter threatens the Ikran, an animal beloved by the omaticaya.
The Director's purpose.
The director used this technique because it is a realistic theme which can easily be related to by the viewer. Nature vs machine is relevant to the film setting because the main focus of the operation is on Humans using their machinery to mine the valuable 'Unobtanium' and Nature is trying to defend against the giant machines.