Annotated Bibliography: Avatars and Apes

For my comparative research paper, I will investigate two "us verses them" relationships as seen in James Cameron's Avatar and Matt Reeves' Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Through these films, I will research how these cultures reflect imperialism and orientalism as well as the means by which these cultures choose to settle their differences.

Chou, Shiuhhuah Serena. "Claiming the Sacred: Indigenous Knowledge, Spiritual              Ecology, and the Emergence of Eco-Cosmopolitanism." Cultura:                               International Journal of Philosophy of Culture & Axiology, vol. 12, no. 1, Jan.           2015, pp. 71-84. 

This essay looks at the means by which films (especially Avatar) have endorsed the concept of "indigenous knowledge" and how it is transformed by the settler culture. In other words, Chou analyzes how the native, ecological culture-type is perceived through the lense of cinema.

Hamilton, Sheryl N. "'Human No Like Smart Ape': Figuring the Ape as Legal                       Person in Rise of the Planet of the Apes." Law & Humanities, vol. 10, no. 2,                Nov. 2016, pp. 300-321.

Hamilton's article investigates whether an ape should be considered a person or an animal. While this article veers into the more philosophical side of human-ape relationship, I believe this source will be useful for analyzing the conflicting cultures of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

Richard, Corliss. "REVIEW: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Who Needs                              Humans?." Time.com, 12 July 2014, p 1.

In Richard's review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, he compares the relationship between the humans and the apes to the relationship of the humans and animals seen in Animal Farm. He analyzes the roots of the apes and how their past reflects their current predicament with the humans. 

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“Movie Reviews, Articles, Trailers, and More.” Metacritic,                                                         www.metacritic.com/movie. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.

By using the website Metacritic, I can access review for both Avatar and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. With these reviews, I will gain an insight as to how these films and their underlying themes were received by the public. 

"National Culture." The Hofstede Centre, geert-hofstede.com/national-                                culture.html. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.

Although the cultures of the Nav'i and the Apes do not exist within The Hofstede Centre's list of countries, the cultural dimensions can be used to analyze the cultures featured in these films. By applying the six dimensions of a culture, I can make a clear comparison among the cultures themselves and how these dimensions impact cultural relationships. 

Rieder, John. "Race and Revenge Fantasies in Avatar, District 9 and                                     Inglourious Basterds." Science Fiction Film and Television, no. 1, 2011, p. 41. 

Rieder's essay delves into several films of a similar plot including Avatar. Racial issues, use of violence to settle cultural differences, and several other issues are brought into light which will be very useful for my research.