Linked scenes and mirror scenes

[Ashen Key]

Originally Posted by neytirifanboy

I don't know. I can very well imagine Quaritch saying what he did. But it's doesn't sound right if he uses the word species.

I think Quaritch used that word precisely because it is an emotive word. The word race is always nearly used to represent conflict. We have racism, race riots and racial mixing. Even when we use the term human race it is either used as a rallying cry for survival (of the human race) on it celebrates advancement, usually at the expense of other species.

Also in this context, the use of the word race is not out of place. How many times have we the term "saving the human race used". So if anything the use of the term is a cliche. With the exception that in this case we are challenged to question and reject the statement,

The word species is much more neutral and thoughtful. That doesn't mean as you say that JC couldn't have used the word species in a more thoughtful way. But in that case the scene would be different. But personally I think the whole idea of that phrase was to shock the audience and make them ask the question: "Am I supporting the right side".

You mention also an interesting point that the human race could relate to white and American. And that may have been JC's objective. Whether we like it or not is another matter. For some like you it is irritating and for others it is welcome. But I am indifferent to that concept and in fact didn't even consider that when watching the movie.

And on a general point I agree with you about Quaritch and Jake. I think they are morally grey in their own way. Quaritch is not a villain who wants to destroy or dominate the Unverse. He just want to dominate someone else's Universe.

I think in all honesty we might have to agree to disagree, here. To me, I can hear 'species' just as well, and to me, it sounds better. It has more of an effect. Jake is, in a way, betraying 20 billion members of his own species - that has more impact than just 'race', which could be 'white and American'.
'Race' is just 'oh, please, do we HAVE to go there in this movie, which already has strong elements of being racially problematic' to me. 'Race' is tired and cliche and full of problematic overtones. I also think that 'species' could be a nice piece of thoughtful world-building.

And I can't step away from that aspect - I'm an Australian, and as an Australian, one gets very sick of American = humanity. Also, the circle I run in on livejournal is very sensitive to such issues, so in turn I'm more sensitive to them.

To be honest, I enjoy Avatar much more now I have Trudy and Jake in my head then I did the first time I watched it. Which gives me a different perspective than most people here, I think.

But, yeah, to me, both Quaritch AND Jake have shades of grey, which makes them far, far more fun to play with than Quaritch is Evil and Jake is Good. Personally, I find the version of Quaritch who is Just Doing His Job (and who has, somewhere, snapped under the fact that he can't keep his guys alive) far more scarier than plain evil.