Continuing the movie kick we’ve been on this past couple weeks, CNN recently posted this very revealing piece about the reaction to the film in some quarters (ht JAZ):
James Cameron’s completely immersive spectacle “Avatar” may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.
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.’ ”
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.
For more Mbird Avatar talk, go here or here or here.
COMMENTS
6 responses to “Yet Another Wrinkle In The Avatar Story: Depression And Suicide”
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I felt that way when exiting the theater too! Different reasons though.
very funny…
I know I should feel compassion for those folks who are truly discouraged by the lack of Pandora-ness in the real world – the ones who aren't trolling on the message board. But I just can't. The movie wasn't that great, for one thing – and Pandora was hardly Eden for another.
Instead of feeling empathy, I really just want to say to these folks, "Get a grip. Get a life. Get some help."
So when we open Pandora's box…….we discover Narcissus in the mirror!
🙂
It looks like some of them are Scandinavians. These guys jump off a bridge on the flimsiest pretext.
Exactly how I felt after seeing Titanic in theater.