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| Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss gives a sign of honor to District 11 |
“I want to show them they don’t own me. If I’m going to die
– I want to still be me.”
Those are some pretty chilling, yet gutsy words for young
adult fiction. The Hunger Games, which has sparked a frenzy like other
fantasies such as Harry Potter and Twilight, (though I hate bringing those
up, since the stories are completely unlike Hunger
Games), has turned into a film franchise with just as much potential.
For those of you still unfamiliar with the story, The Hunger Games is set in
post-Apocalyptic America, which is separated into 13 districts and afflicted
with nation-wide hunger. Now named Panem, a frighteningly tyrannical government
called The Capitol controls the districts with an iron fist. To remind the people
of their control, they annually pick a girl and boy from every district, throw
them into an arena, and force them to kill one another. The sole victor wins
food for his family for the rest of his life.
Every district and oblivious Capitol citizen watches the
Games on nationwide television; those who are wealthy enough can sponsor their
favorite “tributes” by sending them gifts, which help them stay alive…for a
while.
Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of the story, is a quiet, feisty
girl who illegally hunts in the forest to provide for her family. When her
younger sister, Prim, is chosen for the Games on “Reaping” day, she volunteers
to be the tribute instead. She and the gentle Peeta Mellark are thrown into the
Games and the Captiol world, where citizens are completely desensitized to the suffering
districts around them. They are blinded by their obsession with fashion,
entertainment and violence at the tributes’ expense. Rhetoric slews from their
politicians in slimy terms like, “this shows sacrifice…it brings us together” –
which is not unlike our own politicians’ rhetoric.
What follows is a violent survival story, mixed with comical
characters like Effie, District 12’s ridiculous Capitol manager of sorts, and
Haymitch, Peeta and Katniss’s mentor. What gives the story its depth is its heroine,
making self-sacrificing choices, enkindling her nation with hope about changing
the regime, and the realization that human life is sacred. Even in the darkest
of times, the main characters hold onto their humanity, even though they’re
scarred. In addition, there are several beautiful relationships, such as
Katniss and Prim’s loving, sisterly relationship; Rue, Katniss’s timid ally
from District 11; and Peeta, who loves Katniss, even though she doesn’t
actually love him back.
The story is intense and keeps a fast pace both in the books
and in the movie. The 2.5 hour running time seemed to be just 40 minutes. It
had me teary-eyed, smiling, on the edge
of my seat, and then jumping out of my seat. It was well-done story-telling to
say the least.
The choice of actors in the film made fans skeptical
initially, but in the film proved to be perfectly chosen. While Katniss didn’t
look exactly like she was described in the book, Jennifer Lawrence effectively captured
Katniss’s personality and heart. Stanley Tucci, who played the Games host, was
perfectly animated and charismatic. Woody Harrelson made a perfect drunkard
that still had a caring heart and witty sense of humor. Elizabeth Banks, who
played Effie, looked and acted perfect. Josh Hutcherson, as Peeta Mellark, practically
stole the show. Though not as big or tall as the book’s character, he
fit the role to a tee, embodying Peeta’s gentle, self-sacrificing essense and
likeable personality.
Not only is the acting spot on and the story of The Hunger Games riveting, but the movie
was filmed in a artistic way that fit the movement and tone of the book.
Director Gary Ross believed that a handheld camera was a necessary element that
fit the raw emotion of the film. He said, “If I made a glossy,
slick, kind of overproduced piece of entertainment, then...I’m basically
staging the Hunger Games…If you try to create a piece of entertainment
that indulges the premise…you’re going to end up really losing the point and
the heart of the book." Some viewers challenged the use of swish pans,
closeups and quick, jerky camera movements – but artistically, I believe it
stresses Katniss’s point of view.
Overall, the film is well-made and is very faithful to the
book. In terms of faithfulness and quality, I compare it to the first Narnia
movie, The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe. Some fans found the minor changes that were made annoying, but
that’s going to happen with any book-turned-movie. Tom Bombadil wasn’t in Lord of the Rings either, but they were
still faithful and fantastic movies.
Some, if not many, will overlook the deeper elements and
themes of the story, so I want to explore them. The Hunger Games in an
unsettling story. Unsettling because it deals with young people beating each
other to death – something that goes against our nature. This discomfort has a
purpose: it warns us that, in our current society, which is so engrossed in
entertainment, especially “reality TV”, we have become desensitized to that
which harms our humanity. We no longer give second thought to shows about destroying
another person, even if it’s only through gossip. We have become so focused on
being entertained that we forget the importance of real relationships in our
life and the real problems we face today. Even worse, we’ve become indifferent
and lazy – we’ve become afraid to say something and make a change in response
to problems we see. We continue to push God out of our public society. What if
He completely disappeared from the public sphere? What would happen to the basic
moral codes that are written in the hearts of man? Our government has lost its
founding principles and is slowly forcing mandates on us without our approval. What
will happen if we don’t do something about it? The Hunger Games is an exaggerated foreshadowing of what our
culture could become if we do not
speak up, if we do not do something to alter the path where our society is
headed.
Through the darkness of The
Hunger Games, through its Godless culture, and through the horrendous attack
of human life in the story, it shows us there is still truth and beauty. The story shows the intrinsic truth that human life is sacred, because the violence is not glorified. The characters are suffering victims that choose to do something about the injustice they face. Through this, the story shows the beauty of
meaningful, self-sacrificing relationships. It’s about holding onto humanity
and making the right choices, even if it means losing our lives. While its
themes are dark, it is supposed to shock us out of our indifferent attitude
towards our culture. It is not unlike those heart wrenching, dark stories such
as Schindler’s List, where humanity
seems all but lost; like Schindler’s, it nevertheless shows that
despite the most difficult and horrifying circumstances, we can hold on
resiliently to our humanity, which is the greatest gift of all.
Having said this, it is important to note that The Hunger Games is probably best suited
towards more mature audiences – both the movie and especially the books.
Parents should discuss these deeper themes with their kids, because if they’re
not able to discern it themselves, readers might end up becoming that which is
warned of in the story – a society like the Captiol civilians, who are
desensitized to the violence, injustices and Godless culture that surrounds
them.
