Many people watching the greedy property developer on Avatar think of American corporations. Thought of as ruthless and greedy in the movie, the capitalist American enterprise pops to the forefront. But is Avatar really an anti-American film?

Well, not exactly. It’s more of an anti-Chinese film than anything else. Say what?

The basic plot of Avatar is that of a greedy mining company going to a far away planet to obtain a mineral that is superconducting at room temperature. The movie has floating mountains made of this mineral which is entirely possible given the magnetic field of the planet. Unfortunately for the company, a group of natives, the Na’vi, live right where they want to mine. The objective of the company, and plot of the movie, is to gently persuade, or failing that, forcibly eject the natives from the land so it can be developed, I mean mined, for the benefit of others. Since persuasion quickly fails, the movie quickly goes into war mode with the Na’vi fighting to save their land from the greedy developer, I mean mining company.

All this sound great, but where do the Chinese come in? Well, the plot of Avatar happens just about every day in China. The greedy property developer or corporation comes in and wants some land. They go to the local party officials who then proceed to gently persuade the peasant to leave the land for a generous amount of money. Of course, the amount of money for the land is ridiculously small and the peasant quickly decides that it is better to stay. Now comes phase II of the operation. The peasant is forcibly convinced to see the error of his ways, then the land goes to the party official who then sells it to the greedy developer or corporation.

The Na’vi work together to fight and save their land. Apparently, this might give Chinese citizens ideas that the government doesn’t like. So the showing of the film is being cut short.

With few exceptions, land in China is owned by the state. Although private citizens can lease land for varying periods, the government retains strong privileges of eminent domain, and it often exercises its power to claim prime pieces of real estate for development. The reasons for these seizures range from the benign to the corrupt. While some lands are claimed for essential public works projects, others become shopping malls and vacation resorts, cash cows to line the pockets of China’s elite.

Public opposition to these seizures has always existed. But as Chinese real estate values skyrocket and land confiscations cost residents more than ever, the number and visibility of protests have shot up. Passive resistance has become a popular strategy for those threatened by eminent domain, and the Chinese media is increasingly filled with stories of brave homeowners facing down bulldozers.

The Millions: Pandora’s Box: Avatar Sparks Debate in China