Actress Zoe Saldaña is facing criticism after describing her character Neytiri in the Avatar film series as racist. Saldaña shared with CinemaBlend that Neytiri is driven by blind hatred.
“Let’s face it, Neytiri’s a racist,” she said. “And she loses sight because of this blind fury that she has.”
Saldaña noted that she is blind to the dynamics of her love for Jake Sully, even as Sully tries to show her the error of her ways in the film.
She loses sight that the person she loves most in her life is her husband, Saldaña explained, and he is human, a sky-person. It takes courage for Jake to be honest with her and to push her to face the direction she is headed, because he sees where Neytiri is heading more clearly than she does.
So it was powerful. And I think we really needed to go there, Saldaña said. But I cannot tell you enough how great it was to remove her from the story each evening and simply leave her on the side while she rests.
‘Let’s Face It, Neytiri’s A Racist’: Zoe Saldaña Reacts To Her Arc In 'Avatar: Fire And Ash'
In the series, Neytiri belongs to an alien race called the Na’vi. She is a fierce warrior and a proud member of her tribe. She falls in love with Jake Sullivan, a human who impersonates a Na’vi to live on the planet. Sullivan came to the world to infiltrate and defeat the Na’vi as part of a larger plan to oppose the Na’vi to protect human mining and military interests. He eventually adopts the Na’vi cause and joins them against humanity’s encroachment on the planet.
Some critics on the left have rejected Saldaña’s claim that Neytiri is racist against humans. One fan told the New York Post that Neytiri is against colonialism, not racism. Another said Neytiri’s anger is about colonial destruction rather than race. A third argued that Neytiri’s hatred is connected to colonial actions rather than race.
Other fans argued that critics should not fault the actress for portraying a character with complex motivations. They emphasized that Saldaña is familiar with Neytiri and the situation she faces.
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Todd Fisher
Todd lives in Northern California with "the wife," "the kids," "the dogs," "that cat," and he occasionally wears pants. His upcoming release, "Are You Woke Enough Yet?", is the culmination of too much time on social media and working in the film industry.
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