“You’re not in Kansas anymore. You’re on Pandora, ladies and gentlemen. That’s a fact you’ll have to deal with every second of every day. If there’s a hell, you might dream of going there on vacation after you’ve been there. Pandora.”
Thus, Colonel Quaritch addresses his recruits at the beginning of the first Avatar, directed by James Cameron in 2009. This briefing, which takes place between the tenth and eleventh minutes of the film, contains a particularly well-hidden easter egg that is supposedly gone. Completely imperceptible to most viewers.
Apart from the rather obvious reference to The Wizard of Oz (in which young Dorothy tells her dog: “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”), the scene also contains a wink, which is more difficult to detect.
Indeed, at exactly 11 minutes and 4 seconds, when Jake Sully pulls up in his wheelchair to hear Quaritch’s speech, take a good look at the bay window behind the colonel: it’s actually an American flag.
With striped horizontal stripes, like the emblem of the United States, the window is also surrounded by a rectangle, on the upper left side of which we can read the number 50 (for the fifty stars of the flag).
Is this a subtle ploy by James Cameron to emphasize the patriotic side of his villain? We would be tempted to think so.
Anyway, this easter egg isn’t the only one hidden in the movie. For example, we can note that Avatars, unlike native Na’vi, have five fingers on each hand (instead of four). Moreover, as seen in Jake Sully’s video journal, the events of the film take place over three months, from May 19 to August 24, 2154.
(Re)discover all the hidden details of the movie…
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
