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Pursuing Answers to Questions of Faith & Life

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Depression from Avatar - Reactions to the Movie

I decided this topic needed it's own post and not just one lost in the commentary.

Apparently some people are reacting with depression after watching the movie Avatar. Their reasons given are strangely similar to the arguments I made in my review of the film in the previous post.

Here is the original article. Below are some of the excerpts.

"I wasn't depressed myself. In fact the movie made me happy ," Baghdassarian said. "But I can understand why it made people depressed. The movie was so beautiful and it showed something we don't have here on Earth. I think people saw we could be living in a completely different world and that caused them to be depressed."

A post by a user called Elequin expresses an almost obsessive relationship with the film.

"That's all I have been doing as of late, searching the Internet for more info about 'Avatar.' I guess that helps. It's so hard I can't force myself to think that it's just a movie, and to get over it, that living like the Na'vi will never happen. I think I need a rebound movie," Elequin posted.

A user named Mike wrote on the fan Web site "Naviblue" that he contemplated suicide after seeing the movie.

"Ever since I went to see 'Avatar' I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na'vi made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it," Mike posted. "I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in 'Avatar.' "

Other fans have expressed feelings of disgust with the human race and disengagement with reality.

Ivar Hill posts to the "Avatar" forum page under the name Eltu. He wrote about his post-"Avatar" depression after he first saw the film earlier this month.

"When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed ... gray. It was like my whole life, everything I've done and worked for, lost its meaning," Hill wrote on the forum. "It just seems so ... meaningless. I still don't really see any reason to keep ... doing things at all. I live in a dying world."

Reached via e-mail in Sweden where he is studying game design, Hill, 17, explained that his feelings of despair made him desperately want to escape reality.

"One can say my depression was twofold: I was depressed because I really wanted to live in Pandora, which seemed like such a perfect place, but I was also depressed and disgusted with the sight of our world, what we have done to Earth. I so much wanted to escape reality," Hill said.

From Me:

I believe this longing a part of the human spirit put there by God so we will have a hunger for Him and His future. What are your thoughts?

1 comment:

Richard said...

I definitely believe we all long for God and His perfection whether we admit it or not.
Although it was man's own failure to listen and heed God that brought us from the Garden of Eden, our continuing rebellion against God has lead us to where we are now.
BUT - does this mean giving up, looking for an escape, contemplating suicide? No. God has given us the promise of His perfect kingdom through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Here on Earth, that promise is in our hearts, but in God's time, it will be His perfect kingdom here on Earth.
Will it be an "Avatar kingdom"? Doubtful. It will be much better.
Hang in there. God's kingdom here on Earth is coming and until it does, you ain't seen nothing yet!