When Avatar was released in theatres nationwide, everyone and their mother was shouting about how unoriginal the plot was. I couldn’t tell you how many times I heard “It’s Dances with Wolves with Smurfs!” I have been turning it over in my head for quite some time now and I figure it’s time to tear this theme apart.
The theme of the Outsider joining the “Others,” continuing to learn their ways and eventually leading them to victory is not a new one. This theme plays heavily on the Western genre in that it often contains a native group (the Others) that are in direct confrontation with a more technologically developed group (the Outsider). There are plenty of stories that more or less follow the exact same theme.
1. Frankenstein
In one of my favorite books, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein’s monster listens in on a family of peasants and learns to act as a proper human would. While Frankenstein’s monster doesn’t necessarily lead anyone to victory, he does fulfill the role of the Outsider learning the ways of the “Others.”
A disgruntled Civil War era military hero travels the American frontier and becomes attached to the behavior and lifestyle of the local native tribes. He performs several amazing feats, fearlessly emerges himself in the culture and finally earns the respect of the Indians. Lots of Indians die.
A disgruntled Civil War era military hero travels to Japan and becomes attached to the behavior and lifestyle of the local native Samurai. He performs several amazing feats, fearlessly emerges himself in the culture and finally earns the respect of the Samurai. Lots of Samurai die.
4. Avatar
A disgruntled marine from the future travels to an exotic planet, Pandora, and becomes attached to the behavior and lifestyle of the local native alien race, the Na’vi. He performs several amazing feats, fearlessly emerges himself in the culture and finally earns the respect of the Na’vi. Lots of Na’vi die.
In all of these, the whites/human (Outsiders) turn out to be the primitive ones regardless of their technological success, killing for greedy reasons and the Others (Indians, Samurai, Aliens, etc.) are unveiled as the intelligent, kind, noble, and traditional group that holds what the Outsiders desire so desperately, but they hold it at a spiritual level–far beyond any monetary value.
Apparently Fern Gully and Delgo also have strikingly similar themes to Avatar, but hey! When you’re talking about the highest grossing film of all time, of course it starts to look eerily similar to your movie, right? It may not be the only unoriginal film, but it is the highest grossing unoriginal film to date!
-IFoJ
