"Avatar" director James Cameron responded to right-wing critics of his blockbuster hit movie on Tuesday night, saying that "as an artist, I felt a need to say something about what I saw around me."
Speaking at a private industry screening of the film, the director with his star Zoe Saldana said that "Avatar" -- with its depiction of mineral exploitation on a distant planet and a cadre of trigger-happy mercenaries charged with instituting a scorched earth policy -- is very much a political film.
But he rejected comments by critics that the film is un-American even if it is an allegory for American military forays.
"I've heard people say this film is un-American, while part of being an American is having the freedom to have dissenting ideas," Cameron said, prompting loud applause from a capacity crowd at the ArcLight Hollywood.
"This movie reflects that we are living through war," Cameron added. "There are boots on the ground, troops who I personally believe were sent there under false pretenses, so I hope this will be part of opening our eyes."
Conservative commentators such as John Podhoretz and John Nolte have blasted the film in recent weeks. In "The Weekly Standard," for instance, Podhoretz wrote, "The conclusion does ask the audience to root for the defeat of American soldiers at the hands of an insurgency. So it is a deep expression of anti-Americanism-- kind of."
In an hour-long question-and-answer period with TheWrap's editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman, Cameron and star Zoe Saldana discussed the film's environmental message, its technological innovations, the future of 3D and another long-gestating project of the director's, "Battle Angel.
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The director said: "I don't know if there is a political agenda exactly, but as an artist I felt a need to say something about what I saw around me. I think we all need to take stewardship of our planet."
"I think everyone should be a tree hugger," Cameron added.
In creating the long limbed, blue skinned Na'vi, the aliens that lives in commune with the lush naturescape on the fictional planet Pandora, the director said he was attempting to create a race that was aspirational.
"The Na'vi represent the better aspects of human nature, and the human characters in the film demonstrate the more venal aspects of human nature," Cameron said.
Beyond just being thought-provoking, the famously meticulous filmmaker said he hoped that his planet would be a tactile, realistic and ultimately transformative place.
"I wanted it to be believable and a sort of wish-fulfillment," Cameron said. "I wanted to tap into a sort of child-like dream state where you don't know your limitations and you think you may be able to fly someday."
"I set out to not fetter my imagination," Cameron added. "I wanted to create a whole life on film that was another planet or biosphere."
