Assignment #3, Blog #1

The movie I am choosing to write about is Avatar directed by James Cameron.  Although this film does not posses the typical white savior and magic negro characters, the story still follows the basic pattern of the white savior movie.  Jake Sully becomes the white savior in Avatar through his transformation from a paralyzed human bound to a wheel chair, into the leader and savior of the Na'vi, the indigenous, less civilized people of the planet Pandora.  Jake fulfills the duties of the White Savior by turning on his own species, the humans,  to lead the hurting, yet mystical Na'vi people against their foreign invaders.  Not only does Jake act against the beliefs of his own kind, similar to other white saviors, but also saves the almost magical race known as the Na'vi.  The Na'vi act as a communal magic negro because their culture has a somewhat magical quality to it through their connection to the natural world.  The Na'vi show Jake things he never would have experienced without them and eventually lends his hands to the cause.  At its finale, Avatar ends with Jake Sully becoming the leader of the Na'vi people, illustrating their liberation.  Jake Sully's character is essential to the film because he represents the purity and goodness of humans, while representing the spirit and hope of the Na'vi.  Jake becomes more than just a man, but a symbol for an entire community of people.  Without Jake Sully, Avatar would recount the annihilation of the Na'vi people by human invaders.