Huh, how come Jake "started all this" when he wasn't there?
Also, i feel Tsu'tey death scene is not in place. It could look much better as a flashback after the words "Toruk Makto was no longer needed..." later on followed with "...but Omaticaya clan needs a new leader now" or something like this, and so it's closer to mind transfer scene as well.
In Quaritch's mind, Jake started all this by failing to do his mission right (which he did technically fail). His suspicions were confirmed when Jake broke the bulldozer, and then his opinion of Jake was set in stone once his men were killed soon afterward. Quaritch was already a tad suspicious when Jake elected to stay for the coming of age ceremony instead of getting his legs back. Had Jake accomplished his mission, Quaritch would still have his men.
Lolwut? How Quaritch can blame in his mind anybody for his own scheme? It is obvious that he does not want peaceful solution when he attempts to cancel the negotiations before Jake had his chances. And he does nothing to stop the dozers. These dozers were doing nasty things already - so who's to blame they weren't adequately protected? Definitely not Jake. More likely Quaritch deliberately sacrificed his men to get incident for Selfridge.
You're going to have to clarify your comments, 207.191.229.196. What negotiations were being canceled before Jake "had his chances"? What were the bulldozers already doing that was "nasty"?
Quaritch is not in charge of the bulldozers. He is in charge of security for the bulldozers, and is following the orders of his employer, Selfridge. Never in the movie did Selfridge suggest that he would enjoy killing natives; he only commented on their inconvenience to his business.
Jake failed his mission. He failed to evacuate the village and advise the Colonel on avoiding the Tree of Souls. By his neglect, Jake indirectly caused the incident that got Quaritch's men killed and the companies machinery destroyed. Being caught sleeping with Neytiri and vandalizing company property only exacerbated Jake's predicament. Quaritch hates Pandora, however there is no indication that he is deliberately manipulating the entire company operation just so that he could murder a bunch of natives.
And you have to watch movies properly before making wild accusations. First, Quaritch said he wants (A) natives to "cooperate" and (B) know their weakness in case they won't. After some time Jake gave him (B) - location of the three of Souls - and then, just a day before his initiation into the clan (and few days before the deadline) Quaritch suddenly changed his mind and said he doesn't need (A) anymore as they were going to use force anyway. Jake then told him he is about to gain the right to speak before the clan and asked for some more time. This means Quaritch KNEW dozers were moving into the hostile territory destroying things in the way - so it was HIS duty either to stop the dozers and wait for the outcome (ANY outcome) of Jakes actions or at least protect these dozers better. He did neither.
And your observation about Selfridge never wanting to kill natives only proves my point: Quaritch wanted some incident to convince Selfridge there's no peaceful solution.
Good point, 207.191.229.196. However, you didn't have to be so rude about it. And while I respect your reasoning, I would prefer you don't lecture me on how to "properly" interpret light particles reflecting off a screen in a dark room.
Well i didn't say interpret. Just watch. Too often poor interpretations arise out of lack of attention to details.
Actually, I would argue that the very act of watching a film is a form of interpretation since everybody perceives details in different ways. The "movie" is but a reel of celluloid passed in front of a light; all else that follows is the implication of a narrative. But I digress. This brings me back to answering your original question about my review:
"How come Jake 'started all this' when he wasn't there?"
It really doesn't matter if he did. Because if you're the antagonist of the story and your plan is falling apart, who else would you single out your frustrations on than "that guy" who was thwarting your plans for your suicidal blaze of glory? After all, Jake's unconscious body was RIGHT THERE when Quaritch jumped from his exploding ship. Hence the qualifier, "In Quaritch's mind...".
The only time any antagonist actually admits to having a hand in self destruction is usually when they are already dead. Or in extremely rare cases, when they have their epiphany right before a decisive act as a result of the protagonist's reasoning. However, Quaritch's was in the middle of an adrenaline rush fighting a ten foot alien. That usually never turns out well, as Sigourney Weaver can attest.
A deleted scene (in the upcoming Collector's Edition Blu-ray release of Avatar) does confirm 207.191.229.196's statements. The destruction of the Tree of Voices was intentional and the purpose was to spark a full-scale war between RDA and Na'vi.
Leave a Comment:
Special Edition: 8 minutes that should have been in the original release
At around $1 million to produce each of those extra eight minutes, I believe the investment on this "Special Edition" was a good one, as it gave the film some desperately needed depth to the plot and characters, as well as explaining some plot holes.
Before the thanator attack, the field team resupplies at the abandoned school. Grace notes how very quickly the Na'vi learned about human culture. Jake notices bullet holes in the chalkboard. It is obvious this refers to Grace's accusation of Selfridge making things worse by "using machine guns on them". It is the Noodle Incident that will haunt Selfridge and escalate this conflict.
The most important addition is the native response to the destruction of the Tree of Souls. The war party not only destroyed all the bulldozers, but killed the escort team. "Papa Bear" snaps. The discussion between Selfridge and Quaritch takes on a whole new level as Quaritch is trying to restrain himself in his promise of a "humane" demolition while Selfridge is contemplating the unraveling situation. Because of this inclusion the audience can relate to Quaritch and the security force when they perform the demolition with such enthusiasm, not to mention Selfridges's conflict of interest: Jake's last chance to warn the tribe was Selfridge's attempt at salvaging the situation he created. He only realizes what he has done after seeing what he did to Hometree. This also explains why Quaritch turned into such an unflinching monster; his comment to Jake "betraying his race" is a reflection of his revenge scheme gone all wrong, pinning the blame on the hero, and hoping to kill him in a blaze of glory.
This following scene is more symbolic, but tied up the story as well. After Tsu'Tey (the new Chief) gets shot, he does not die once impacting the ground. After the battle is over, he bequeaths Jake the Chiefdom. An emotional scene ensues as Jake must euthanize his mortally wounded Chief. He recites the prayer given to hunted animals as he does so. This is the third time it has happened in the movie—each kill more important than the last.
The original movie was cut for time, but it also cut a lot of content out. Other scenes explain how Jake becomes a sky-hunter, and includes a more subtly intimate beginning, middle, and end of his relationship with Neytiri. Good call, Cameron.