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I had mixed reactions to Alexei Barrionuevo's 4.10 N.Y. Times story about James Cameron's visit to a section of Brazil's Amazon jungle populated by the Na'vi-like Arara tribe, who live along the Xingu River. Once there Cameron stated his opposition to the proposed Belo Monte dam, which "would flood hundreds of square miles of the Amazon and...devastate the indigenous communities that live along it," Barrionuevo reports.

What I mean is that it feels "right" and a tiny bit weird at the same time. What is environmentalism if you don't stand up and do something along the lines of what Cameron is attempting? And yet there are faint echoes of hubris in the image of a rich American director flying down to Brazil and proclaiming that a genuine life-or-death, money-and-greed situation is a reflection of a creative vision that led to an enormously successful film.

Cameron's heart is obviously in the right place, and I agree with his likely assessment, which is that the dam is a stand-in for unobtanium, the Avatar MacGuffin. Meaning that the dam probably is an arrogant initiative by a relatively small group of government bureaucrats who are looking to favor (and be greased by) certain contractors, and with zero regard for the blight it will bring about.

What American settlers, railroads and legislators did to American Indians in the mid to late 1800s, today's Brazilian government is doing to tribes like the Arara.

"The snake kills by squeezing very slowly," Cameron said to more than 70 indigenous people during his recent visit. "This is how the civilized world slowly, slowly pushes into the forest and takes away the world that used to be."

Why, then, did I ask myself certain questions after reading this story? Most of them having to do with the contrast between a clean cinematic narrative and the mucky-muck of real-world political maneuver. Avatar is one thing, but this is real -- can Cameron or any other rich, committed environmentalist (or environmental group) really stop the dam?

We're trained to believe that when "progress" wants to step in, nature has to back off....but does that always have to be the case?

Cameron is right to see this as an Avatar-like situation, but what would the reaction be if the Arara went all Na'vi on the dam builders and took some workers out with poison darts? Is the Belo Monte dam completely about unnecessary corruption, or is there an economic upside that at least mitigates the situation? If so, is there a more ecologically responsible or compassionate way to bring power to the region?

Movies are movies, but life is a little more gnarly and complicated.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 13, 2010 at 7:14 AM

comment #1

Holy Spokes says ...

Wow. What a doofus.

Posted by Holy Spokes at April 13, 2010 8:12 AM

comment #2

Sabina E says ...

I'm with you on that, but what I want to say is that I hate the media coverage on this.

I don't like how James Cameron is painted as the savior, as the only (WHITE) person who's helping the Arara tribe. the Arara folks are being IGNORED and not given any media coverage, I'd like to know who it was that contacted Cameron and asked him to get involved.

Granted, James Cameron IS famous and very well known (and shedding light on this important issue)-- but the Arara people deserve to be RECOGNIZED, too. Isn't there someone in the Arara tribe who's a chef, that should be interviewed and get recognized ??

Posted by Sabina E at April 13, 2010 8:13 AM

comment #3

Sabina E says ...

"but what would the reaction be if the Arara went all Na'vi on the dam builders and took some workers out with poison darts?"

they would get called terrorists by the media, of course.

Posted by Sabina E at April 13, 2010 8:14 AM

comment #4

Michael says ...

Point #1: That picture is awesome.

Point#2: @DBTP, surely you must know the score before you even make the point, right? The NYT fucking lives to push the white liberal hope flavor of the month. It's practically the only thing the NYT is good at anymore. After Nifong, they are just picking safer subjects to push that meme.

Posted by Michael at April 13, 2010 8:17 AM

comment #5

Fortunesfool says ...

What's the betting at least one of them had written a screenplay for him to 'take a look at'.

Posted by Fortunesfool at April 13, 2010 8:26 AM

comment #6

Gaydos says ...

In my eyes, George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Haggis, Sean Penn, Maria Bello, Cameron Diaz, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, James Cameron, et al.all seem determined to use their fame, expertise, connections, life experience, biz savvy, art, etc to try in some way to make this a better world.

I may agree and disagree with their politics and pov's along the way, but I sure as hell admire anyone who has the opportunity to do nothing but indulge themselves in the perks of power, but instead put themselves in the crosshairs of their critics and put themselves in harm's way and devote so much of their lives to social causes.

As Charles Willeford once told me, "Steve, the trick is to remain cynical without ever becoming bitter."

I think the outrage at famous people who try to exercise their rights as citizens comes not from cynicism, but from bitterness, jealousy and well-founded guilt as 99% of their critics never spend one iota as much energy on social work and political causes as the folks getting slammed.

If a person achieves great success, complex life experience and professional business skills as well as tremendous resources that they marshall in support of these disparate causes from Haiti to Darfur to the Amazon, does their fame or some creative work they've authored disqualify them from giving a damn and rolling up their shirtsleeves to help in the best way they can?

By the way, Penn has been down in Haiti for months, working with the U.S. government and U.S. military and trying like hell to help these people in the midst of a monumental tragedy. I'm not cynical or bitter enough to question his motives or methods, but instead tremendously moved by this guy's tireless dedication and energy.

Is Cameron's quest pristine and perfect and unquestionably 100% certified infallible? I don't think he'd be held to those standards of perfection if weren't famous. Just as A.O Scott said recently that the role of the film critic is to draw attention and create a dialogue about a piece of art, the role of the social critic is to draw attention and create a dialogue about a social situation.

Kudos to Cameron for getting the focus on an important social/enviornmental issue. I'm sure the folks who look at TMZ every day are skipping this story to see what Mischa Barton is up to. Mass enuui born of a trivia-saturated media is a much greater danger than a film artist with a social conscience.

Posted by Gaydos at April 13, 2010 8:44 AM

comment #7

Ryansi51 says ...

Well put, Gaydos. 100% in agreement.

Posted by Ryansi51 at April 13, 2010 8:50 AM

comment #8

Travis Crabtree says ...

I'm just laughing at the visual of Cameron saying "let me go in there and talk to these people.." and then emerging from the jungle hours later with a shit-load of arrows sticking out of him.

Posted by Travis Crabtree at April 13, 2010 9:01 AM

comment #9

thevisceral says ...

"Angelina! Angelina! Angelina! Eh...who's the old white man?"

Posted by thevisceral at April 13, 2010 9:03 AM

comment #10

arch451 says ...

There are pros and cons to building this dam that the Arara tribe might not understand. Good for them for protesting, but I don't necessarily jump to their side. At any rate, a bloody battle would not be justified by either side.

In Avatar, the Na'vi were simply fighting for their lives because the human military blew up their home. That sort of aggression replaces any meaningful debate on environmentalism. Whatever message Cameron was trying to make in Avatar, it was lost when the military went crazy. The Na'vi were not fighting for an ideal any higher than self-defense.

Posted by arch451 at April 13, 2010 9:04 AM

comment #11

Rich S. says ...

Somewhere, Klaus Kinski is laughing at that photo.

Posted by Rich S. at April 13, 2010 9:14 AM

comment #12

Eloi Manning says ...

Totally off-topic, but whenever Gaydos posts on here he always comes across as an awfully nice man with pleasant things to say about almost everyone. Then you read the recent raft of Variety take-down articles and they paint him as some kind of Machiavellian schemer instilling fear into the staffers and ruling Variety with an iron fist. Doesn't seem to fit with the HE persona he presents here.

Posted by Eloi Manning at April 13, 2010 9:25 AM

comment #13

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

Gaydos - excellent points, as I get so fucking tired of Wingnut echo chamber blowhards shitting on celebs for speaking out. But as Janeane Garofalo pointed out, no one will book the real experts onto shows to talk about these causes.

That said, my inner cynical BS alarm is squawking mighty loud right now pointing out that AVATAR is coming out on DVD in a week.

Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie at April 13, 2010 9:29 AM

comment #14

BurmaShave says ...

Rich S. reminds me, someone online today was saying Herzog needs to document this endeavor. I couldn't agree more.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 13, 2010 10:21 AM

comment #15

Mo'Nique Waltz says ...

Sean Penn is a piece of shit

Posted by Mo'Nique Waltz at April 13, 2010 10:33 AM

comment #16

austin111 says ...

The sad thing is that in building the hydroelectric dam and other so-called improvements of civilization (mainly to benefit settlers from the outside, ranchers and miners), many of the aboriginal people in the Amazon basin will soon face loss of water due to diversion of streams and rivers from their "reservations", areas that they consider sacred to their culture and belief systems, and probably their lives. There's a very interesting book called The Lost City of Z which circles early exploration of the Amazon and how many native cultures there once were and how many now still exist, if ever more tenuously. Many places have been destroyed and many more are likely to be on the chopping block in the very near future. Still, it's not just the natives who will suffer, but all of us because the rain forests have animal and plant life, much of which is still unknown, that could provide far more than any hydroelectric dam.

Posted by austin111 at April 13, 2010 1:03 PM

comment #17

Chinaski94 says ...

"Sean Penn is a piece of shit"

No, he's not. Take a look in the mirror.

Posted by Chinaski94 at April 13, 2010 1:07 PM

comment #18

LexG says ...

Penn rules.

Posted by LexG at April 13, 2010 1:13 PM

comment #19

DeeZee says ...

I dunno. If he really wanted to do something useful, he could just buy out the land and turn it into a heritage site. But then he couldn't remind the public that the first of three versions of non-biodegradable Avatar discs comes out this month.
[And don't forget to recycle the plastic wrap and security tags.]

Anyway, in Brazil's defense, their situation is not as cut-and-dry as what Europeans did to Native Americans. They have to be able to sustain their own growing population's needs with the ability to survive in an international market. [That's why they got pissed about us expecting them to be carbon neutral when we've been poisoning the planet long before them.] Even Miyazaki isn't so naive to as to believe it can be resolved that easily.

Posted by DeeZee at April 13, 2010 1:21 PM

comment #20

Thunderballs says ...

Hey Jim, you're super rich, think you can afford jeans that weren't styled in 1987? And how about those old man sneakers? Just goes to show, you can't buy taste.

This guy is such a dope, it's hilarious. Easily one of the funniest, saddest photos I have ever seen.

Posted by Thunderballs at April 13, 2010 4:16 PM

comment #21

Thunderballs says ...

Jon Voight rules.

Or do you Leftist fucktards only appreciate outspoken commie celebs?

Posted by Thunderballs at April 13, 2010 4:17 PM

comment #22

Chinaski94 says ...

Thunderballs,

The act started out old. Now it's just obvious and pathetic.

And we all know who you really are. No need to hide behind a new identity.

Posted by Chinaski94 at April 13, 2010 4:31 PM

comment #23

Thunderballs says ...

Chinaski, you're a piece of shit. You know, I know it, everyone else knows it.

Bukowski would be ashamed that such an America hating pussy was using his alter-ego's name.

Posted by Thunderballs at April 13, 2010 6:38 PM

comment #24

Chinaski94 says ...

Keep up the act, TB. We both know that's all it is.

Posted by Chinaski94 at April 13, 2010 7:42 PM

comment #25

Thunderballs says ...

Haha, Chinaski, you're a child who entertains me.

Posted by Thunderballs at April 13, 2010 8:18 PM

comment #26

reverent and free says ...

Even Bill O'Reilly commended Sean Penn's efforts in Haiti. The man volunteered himself and has remained dedicated for months.

Posted by reverent and free at April 13, 2010 8:57 PM

comment #27

Chinaski94 says ...

You've overplayed it. Went too hard, too fast. It's clear as day who you are, and what reaction you're trying to provoke.

We're having a laugh at your expense. Keep it up, son.

Posted by Chinaski94 at April 13, 2010 9:12 PM

comment #28

Thunderballs says ...

Chinaski, I hope that blanket of naivete keeps you warm at night.

It's funny how sure you are of your own ignorance.

Time to go to bed, little child.

Posted by Thunderballs at April 13, 2010 11:08 PM

comment #29

Chinaski94 says ...

Still laughing. At you, not with you.

I know what you're going to say before you do.

"Son"="little child"

So predictable.

Sorry to hear you have to go to bed. Early school day tomorrow, I suppose.

Posted by Chinaski94 at April 13, 2010 11:43 PM

comment #30

ErrantElan says ...

I don't know, these things are just incredibly complicated. If the U.S. wanted to, and was starting to build, high-speed public transportation trains all over the country as a Green Economy initiative, to start progressing past fossil-fuel burning internal combustion engines, and an eminent domain issue came up in lots of various regions re: "you're not taking MY land for your damn progress, we're happy here with our cars and way of life, and we'll fight you every step of the way", most, if not all, left-wing people would think of them as backward, progress-hating kooks (I know they would, because I'd be one of them).

So, is it really just an issue of white guilt over the fact that these tribesmen have brown skin? I mean, at what point do we as an international community say "you know what? sorry, but this isn't just Europe dominating and civilizing the world anymore. The entire world has basically moved past huts and arrows. It's 2010. Join the fucking rest of civilization".

Posted by ErrantElan at April 14, 2010 6:22 AM

comment #31

MilkMan says ...

You have two choices, people: you can either be destroyed by the white man, or saved by the white man. I would suggest you choose option number 2. And just to let you know in advance, if we do save you, our compensation is going to be that we get to fuck all of your hottest bitches.

Posted by MilkMan at April 15, 2010 1:30 PM

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