Neytiri did NOT leave Jake to die

[odysseus]

I've read this a couple of times now, but

the Na'vi did not know what was about to happen (which way the tree would fall) - they didn't even think it was POSSIBLE for the tree to fall.

IMHO she left him for his own people to find

And she didn't want him dead - she didn't kill him, or even try to, with a knife or arrow, when Jake found her next to her father.

EDIT: AFTER I started this thread (because reading past threads I had read "left him to die" a bunch of times), I read a post that said what I just did; and if one person has written it, probably several have.

Didn't have its own thread before, though ... so there

[aoitennyo]

Hmmm, you bring up a good point, actually.

[Atokirina']

They wanted to negotiate somehow. Taken from the original script:
QUARITCH
Well, I’d say diplomacy has failed.
TSU’TEY and another HUNTER hold knives to the throats of the
two avatars, glaring defiantly at the gunships.
QUARITCH
I think they mean to cut their throats if
we don’t back off. Make sure you get a
nice close-up of that. I can tack it onto
the after-action report.

[Avatar Fanatic]

We knew (or anticipated) that the Hometree would fall to the ground, the Na'vi didn't. Jake was the only one at Hometree besides Quaritch and the RDA who knew that Hometree was going to come crashing down to the ground. Jake was aware of this because he showed Quaritch where to hit the collumns in order to cause Hometree to collapse. Hometree was already destroyed beyond repair and in flames before it even collapsed. Not even Grace expected Hometree to fall. Also, why would Neytiri or any of the Omaticaya believe for even a second that Jake or Grace were in any danger at the hands of the RDA fleet after learning that Jake was their spy the whole time and was in league with them from the start? I sincerly doubt that they thought that the RDA would allow two of their own to die, especially their spy which is why they restrained the two and threatened to slit their throats in front of the RDA fleet, because at that time, they believed that Jake was truly on the side of the Sky People, and Jake knew that Quaritch didn't give two squats about his or Grace's Avatars, the clan didn't.

I doubt even Grace thought Quaritch would allow their Avatars to die, and when Jake tells Grace "We gotta move! He's gonna blow the collumns!", she turns to look at Hometree and says "My God!" like she never expected that Quaritch would let their Avatars perish, and the script states that the Na'vi were threatening to kill Jake and Grace to make the fleet think twice about destroying their land, that Grace didn't know that the RDA fleet would be aiming for the collumns, and that the Na'vi didn't know that Hometree would collapse. Mo'at only released them out of desperation, hoping that he might be able to help, not because she thought the RDA would kill their own spy, she basically tells Jake that if he truly isn't one of those demons, he'll stand by the Na'vi, and he did, even if he didn't do all that much.

When I first watched the movie, I thought that once the Na'vi had ran off, Jake and Grace were both safe, but afterwards when Jake said to Grace that they had to move because Quaritch was going to take out the collumns, I thought "Oh crap, they have to get outta there!" and this was AFTER the clan had fled. Neytiri was under the impression, like the rest of the clan, that Jake was supporting the humans and betraying the Na'vi, so why would she think that the humans would kill him?

[Xenolius]

I concur with the argument that only the RDA and Jake knew the "destruction of Hometree" was to blow the columns and bring the tree crashing down, as far the Na'vi knew the destruction would be to burn out their village. They would have some knowledge of our weaponry to cause fire and explosions, perhaps even the choking gas. However, applied physics and load bearing structures would be beyond them. I believe this is evidenced by Eytukan commanding Tsu'tey to get the ikrans and attack from above, since not all of them made it up to the top before the tree started falling.

Jake and Grace's avatars being tied up rather than killed on the spot means they were going to be used as leverage. Neytiri didn't stay with them because she went to help the hunters attack the Dragon and Samsons from the ground, but at that point neither her nor any of the Na'vi (possibly Grace as well) knew the tree was going to come down. The after scenes showing the Na'vi reaction as well as the human reaction back at Hell's Gate while watching on the monitors depicted the shared shock and horror towards what had just transpired. The sheer despair from the Na'vi, and utter disbelief from the scientists who didn't know it would be that bad. Norm and Grace certainly didn't expect it either and lashed out at the RDA mercs because of it, that's why they all ended up in the brig.

If the Na'vi had truly understood what Quaritch and the RDA had planned, they would already have every ikran in the air. Their attacks would have been much more desperate and they would certainly make a larger point of holding the Avatars hostage and threatening their lives.

[Avatar Fanatic]

The fact that Eytukan took the time to try and save the Na'vi that were still inside Hometree, now consumed by flames and completely ruined, confirmed that neither he or the clan were expecting another round of even more powerful rockets, they thought the worst was over, now all that was left to do was rescue the Na'vi inside Hometree from the flames. Grace herself didn't know either. The reason that Jake knew was because it was him who showed Quaritch where the collumns were so he could destroy them.

Also, this is why Jake didn't hold it against Neytiri when he found her later, because she thought that now the village was on fire and beyond repair, it was all over, not realising that the nightmare had only just begun and the RDA were planning to take out the collumns and knock the Hometree down, and didn't expect the RDA would allow their own spy and Grace to die, why would she? Like odysseus said, she didn't make any move to kill him at all, she just told him to get lost and never return.

Mo'at released Jake and Grace because she wanted Jake to help the Omaticaya get away from the burning Hometree, not because she thought he was in any danger from his own kind, and this was before Quaritch ordered the fleet to switch to high-explosive missiles and aim for the collumns.

[Jason6]

I agree 100%, Never thought that Neytiri wanted Jake dead. Sure she was mad and wanted him to leave but die, no.

[_Omaticaya_]

Reading the discussion of all of you was interesting, it actually made me think a lot,about a scene that always touched me, and i realised i didn't have clear ideas of that moment, because everytime i see that bit, it always makes me really sad, because it really looks like The Wonderful Neytiri is so desperate, sad, overwhelmed by anger, worries for her family and tribe, that she decides to forget Jake and let him be... And with all the love and respect i have for Jake, i can't blame NeyNey for her decision, because she is an Omaticaya, a loyal warriorn and she has to make a priority, altough Jake didn' deserve to die at all... Because if i'm not wrong by the time she runs off in tears, Jake and Grace have already been left alone tied up right? To me that looks like they just left them to their destiny... Only Mo'at, The wise tsa'hik, decides to free them, she asks them to help the Omaticaya, but i personally think she knew inside her that Jake and Grace didn't deserve to die, and they weren't bad at all Anyway, Good thread people