Masculinity, fatherhood and the noble savage in Avatar: the way of water

While some films are moving towards a new age of redefined masculinity or at least questions toxic masculinity (i.e. Moonlight or Call me by your name), Hollywood swoops in with the new Avatar: the way of water. It made me reexamine the masculinity norms in film and how they portray fatherhood and family.

For those who have seen Avatar: the way of water it is quite obvious that the storyline was inferior to the technological wonders of the film. However, a weak story supported by beautiful cinematography would not have triggered me to write this article. The characters and story are not only lacking depth; it was actually painful to watch. I think it was most jarring because it was over three hours long: a substantial amount of time to develop a good story with interesting characters. The missed opportunities in this film made me sigh more than once while watching it.

The film starts slightly promising, albeit the story is quite confusing. You see Neytiri hunting while pregnant, a progressive way of seeing a pregnant ‘woman’ in film. I loved that it coincided with her character, because in the first film she definitely showed what she is made of. However, quite rapidly it becomes clear Jake has taken a lot of his military training and American lifestyle into his fatherhood and therefore into the family dynamic. For example, the way his sons call him “sir”, but even worse in the way he calls the family the “Sully's”. His last name when he lived in the human world. Not only, does he not use his Na’vi name, he gives them his human name. Why? It shows he’s still embracing the American patriarchal system, even though he lives in a culture where it’s the opposite.

I was mostly disappointed in the lack of depth in the female characters, especially in Zoe Saldana's Neytiri and Kate Winslet's Ronal. I could only imagine what beautiful characters they could be. And was constantly disappointed in what little opportunity they got. These phenomenal actresses, this beautiful world building and then just nothing but sexist, traditional and silent roles. The male characters did get the opportunity to speak, but I am far from saying their potential was reached either. The use and glorification of old-fashioned masculinity felt like I was sent back in time. It felt like the amount of time it took editing and filming this, surpassed a certain change in society. I can imagine a film with this storyline wouldn’t have been so different from its peers ten years ago. But now, it just feels so detached from the world as it is today. So, while the film industry and society have been developing and progressing, this film is a step back into the time of military fathers, glorification of violence and colonialism.

Where the first film glorified the ‘noble savage’.¹ the way the Na’vi understand nature and Scully is fascinated by their moral superiority, this second film glorifies war. It shows that the trope of noble savage has its roots in believing that the only way forward is the Western way. What surprised me the most, or rather what marvels me the most, is that in the end both sides are exactly alike. Who am I rooting for? They all deserve to lose and I hope it ends here.²