I don't get the logic behind this opinion that Avatar is a way to "assuage your guilt." It doesn't do anything to make me feel better about the fact that us European descendants completely decimated native populations and practically enslaved the entire world with our cultures. It's a guilt no movie can or will ever undo, no matter how people may try to make us feel better.
And I don't see the "without having to give up any of your white privilege." The key point of the movie is that Jake specifically gave up his human (hence white) self. Remember at the end? His human body dies.
And I think you're making too much of a jump there, Mr. Vega. There is no evidence to suggest specifically that the Na'vi could not do what Jake did. For all we know, they could be perfectly capable of bonding with Toruk. But were they willing to risk it? It's incredibly dangerous and likely to result in their death. If a Na'vi tries, they put more at stake than Jake does. Jake is in a special position--he doesn't have anything left before that maneuver. He's dead if he goes back to the humans, he's dead if he attempts to contact the Na'vi, and Grace is dying. I don't think it's a question of ability more than a question of willingness. The opportunity cost for a Na'vi was much greater than for Jake. Should the attempt fail, a Na'vi would've lost everything. Jake would lose nothing. Hence, the benefits are far greater for Jake than for a Na'vi. And I got the feeling that Na'vi culture made becoming Toruk Mak'tau something to be done only in times of great need, and not done at the whims of ego. We also neglected the fact that the Na'vi have a different belief system than ours, and where we might see Toruk as a steed to serve our purposes, they might see it as a kind of deity to be respected. It's too much to say Jake did what the Na'vi could not do. It's more accurate to say he did what they we're not willing and/or ready to do.
And Jake becomes war leader, yes, but there is nothing to suggest he assumes the role of chieftain after the battle. Before the battle, he recognizes Tsu'tey as the chieftain.
This Mighty Whitey thing doesn't seem realistic. I don't see Avatar as portraying Jake as "superior." In most regards, his Na'vi skills are shown to be weaker than those of true Na'vi. In many ways, this movie is about the inferiority of the humans (white stand-ins). They're powerful, but in a very misguided and idiotic way. I'd say that's very true of current western societies. What you're saying makes Jake "superior" isn't his skills or his genetics. It's his desperation. And given the similarities between humans and Na'vi, I'd hazard that if Jake had not gone and got Toruk, a Na'vi would've done it sooner or later.
