The Most Expensive Film in the World
Avatar is possibly the most expensive film in the history of cinema. According to non-official estimates, the production value came to around US$ 400 million. For a production like this to pay for itself and give profit to its producers, for example, it needs to have a revenue of, at least, US$ 1 billion.
The sum is simple: the first US$ 400 million would cover the costs of production. Another US$ 400 million would go to cinemas, exhibitors and distributors and to pay taxes. Finally, the other US$ 200 million would cover the mass-marketing campaign to promote the film. With US$ 1 billion, the film would reach its break-point and the producers would make an actual profit.
The gamble is quite audacious and is part of a plan to make Avatar a saga, with, at least, two more films and a myriad of products that will bring royalties to the owners of the brand. If James Cameron’s production will exceed this mark, remains to be seen.
A Revolution in Cinema?
The answer to this question is yes! And no. But let me take a moment to explain. If you’re imagining that this will be best film of all time or a film that will change your life, don’t get your hopes up. The movie is no revolution, at least, not in this sense. The storyline is simple and resembles other productions. In other words, in this regard, prepare for some good, fun entertainment.
However, in terms of backstage and technical aspects, Avatar does represent a technological benchmark that will be remembered for many years in the history of cinema. It’s the first time that a film employs CGI technology in such a way that comes so close to reality. In the words of cinema critic, Pablo Villaça, editor of the site Cinema em Cena, “Avatar makes Gollum, of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, look like a broken puppet”.
In the same way, the 3D resources used in this film does not summarize the mere effects, but constitute a new language, that when exploited opens up new and innumerable possibilities for film producers. Clearly, effects like these will be restricted at first to films with great visual effects and should not alter the “independent” cinema or the “art” cinema in any way. However, these new possibilities enable the creation and utilization of worlds which, until now, would barely seem be plausible outside the imagination of its creators.
Another interesting aspect of this “revolution” is that it becomes quite poetic. In fact, the 3D effects are possible only thanks to the way the human eye perceives the joining of two images projected in distinct dimensions. On proposing a new experience in cinema, James Cameron suggests that this new immersion of the spectator into the story happens thanks to the effect. In other words, the new experience of seeing cinema depends very much on the way we see the film rather than the film itself. At the end of the day, the revolution is in the way we perceive.
