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Discussion: Quaritch as Flawed Hero
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oldgringo2001 |
Quaritch as Flawed Hero
Nov 30 2010, 8:46 AM EST
Quaritch comes across through most of the movie as an Old Soldier. He's what Jake might have become if he hadn't been crippled, a straightforward fighting man who has no respect for the civilians running the show and sending him to this hellhole and the next, but focuses on leading his men and winning the fight. When he goes after Jake after Jake attacks a bulldozer, it's not the Colonel so much as "Dad's mad!" He's disappointed that Jake could go so soft. Later, when he finds out Jake is actually fighting his own people, he loses sight of everything else in his desire to punish Jake--and he makes a point of telling him exactly why he's going to kill him.Soldiers like Quaritch often have more respect for their enemies than their own governments, especially if they've seen combat. If you haven't seen many John Wayne westerns, notice that the Duke usually thinks more highly of the Indians than a lot of white folks, particularly rich ones. In case you haven't noticed, this movie is really a Western, sort of Dances with Wolves Goes to Alpha Centauri. It even has the final showdown between the top bad-guy gunslinger and the hero. Do you find this valuable?
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Canes.Venatici |
1. RE: Quaritch as Flawed Hero
Dec 1 2010, 6:29 AM EST
Quaritch was all about duty and that duty was the security of the RDA operation.He did what he though was right for his people trying to dig them out of the hole the RDA had dug for them by pushing aggressively in to Na'vi territory.I doubt that Quaritch would have directed the mining operations towards hometree himself seeing as it would cause an unecessary ********* but as it wasn't his call he did the best he could secure the operation.And he DID use minimal force.Someone more ruthless would have aimed the incendiaries in to the gathered Na'vi.I'd compare him with the chief of the Na'vi tribe really.Both had the best interest of their respective peoples at heart and did their best to uphold those interests.
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AkGeff |
2. RE: Quaritch as Flawed Hero
Dec 1 2010, 5:13 PM EST
He was a professional soldier, even though he was a protagonist in the movie I thought he had a lot of integrity. But he had the typical myopic military "more firepower" approach to life.
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oldgringo2001 |
3. RE: Quaritch as Flawed Hero
Dec 8 2010, 12:16 AM EST
Three of the deleted scenes make the Colonel look worse; I'm wondering if that is precisely why Cameron suppressed them. On their first meetings, Jake and Sully find kindred souls. Both of them are warriors; both of them don't really care about the causes they were supposed to be fighting for because they've seen them as lies. "Fighting for Freedom is what Jake and the other mercenaries once did, but it's pretty clear they didn't get much out of it. They really fight for each other, though they'd like more than anything something worth fighting for. Quaritch is the father figure and Grace is the mother figure, both fighting for Jake's soul. Quaritch isn't even very surprised at what Jake does; the Colonel has seen it before. A great many old soldiers finish up with respect and even affection for their former enemies, or at least the grunts they fought on the other side.While it isn't really a flaw in my book, you can make an argument that the Colonel is a "man for men." When he has his first one-on-one with Jake, he's showing off his bare arms, and he does some posing with his AMP suit at the end of the scene. In the deleted lines from the scene with Selfridge where he sells the idea of the attack on Hometree, he talks to Selfridge rather like a tough wife persuading her wimpy husband to man-up. He implies that they have more than a suit-hired gun relationship behind closed doors. This would go a long way to explain his anger to losing Jake to "a local piece of ass." I absolutely did not recognize that the same actor (Steven Lang) played Stonewall Jackson in "Gods and Generals" and I suffered through every minute of that one and paid for the privilege. It wasn't bad acting; it was bad writing. The real Thomas Jackson was authentically weird, and he was very religious, but he wasn't Mother Teresa in cavalry boots. Do you find this valuable? |
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okigrami |
4. RE: Quaritch as Flawed Hero
Dec 9 2010, 2:07 PM EST
"Three of the deleted scenes make the Colonel look worse; I'm wondering if that is precisely why Cameron suppressed them. "Yes....the deleted scenes portray Quarich as crazed and determined to lay waste to the environment and deter any further resistance. "Don't go limp on me"....Quarich tells Selfridge...."this is the incident we've been waiting for". And then, when Selfridge sees the extent of the full-out assault that Quarich is enacting, he tries to stop it....and shows some remorse when it is happening. With the deleted scenes, Quarich emerges as the main bad guy...and Selfridge comes across as the hapless exec who let things get out of hand, but tried to stop it. As far a Quarich being brought back in the Sequels in some sort of incarnation....I hope not. I love Steven Lang, don't get me wrong...he's a wonderfull actor. He did a great performance as Quarich. But I hope the character stays dead. There are plenty of possiblities for other types of 'bad guys' for Jakesully and Ewya to contend with...which I personally would much rather see. Do you find this valuable? |
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okigrami |
5. RE: Quaritch as Flawed Hero
Dec 9 2010, 2:16 PM EST
"In case you haven't noticed, this movie is really a Western, sort of Dances with Wolves Goes to Alpha Centauri. It even has the final showdown between the top bad-guy gunslinger and the hero."Yes....it's a recurring theme that has been played out before, both in literature and in real life. Lonely, wounded and disillusioned warior...falls in love with a more pure, primal lifestyle and a beautiful primitive princess...then when pushed by aggressive conflict, chooses to fight against his own people to defend his newfound love and lifestyle. It's a great storyline. I think Cameron's use of it in Avatar is brilliant. Do you find this valuable? |
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oldgringo2001 |
6. RE: Quaritch as Flawed Hero
Dec 16 2010, 4:38 PM EST
"Selfridge comes across as the hapless exec who let things get out of hand, but tried to stop it.Especially when his deleted scenes are added in, Selfridge comes across as a self-absorbed doofus. You have to wonder why RDA decided to send him. Assuming RDA isn't really run by Selfridge clones, the answer is obvious: He's there *because* he's a doofus, dumb enough to think he's really running things, and also too dumb to see that he's being set up as a scapegoat. I think it was a big mistake leaving out the scene where Quaritch grabs him by the throat. Up until that moment, he seems to think the soldiers around him are there to minister to him--the driving range scene has him using soldiers as his ball shaggers. It's only when his feet are treading on air that he realizes that he's not really in charge, and maybe that he never has been. Quaritch, on the other hand, doesn't have any delusions. He likes a good fight, and he likes to win. RDA doesn't anticipate any significant trouble from him--he's not dreaming of becoming the CEO (like Selfridge). Do you find this valuable? |
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WazzaJ |
7. RE: Quaritch as Flawed Hero
Jan 14 2011, 3:26 PM EST
,,everyone,stop analyzing this movie.,this movie was nothing more than a money earner for the studios as they found a new toy in the form of contemporary 3d.A panto has greater depth-period.
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