The Hunger Games
As someone who didn’t get swept up in the hype of reading
Suzanne Collins’ trilogy, this film adaptation of “The Hunger Games” was my
first introduction to the world of Panem. I didn’t have any preconceived
notions of the film living up to expectations, because I honestly didn’t have
any. My only thoughts about it before viewing it were: it’s the new big
phenomenon that I should see, this could be Jennifer Lawrence’s huge break into
the mainstream, and the premise feels very similar to the controversial
Japanese novel and film “Battle Royale.”
As punishment for a rebellion, the Capitol of Panem has
envisioned an annual ritual called the Hunger Games, where each of the 12
remaining districts that rebelled have to offer up a boy and girl in a fight to
the death. The Hunger Games also serve as entertainment for the rich citizens
of the Capitol, who can bet on their favored contestant and act as sponsors to
help them out in the games.
When Katniss Everdeen’s sister is chosen as the girl
representative for District 12, Katniss offers to take her place in the games.
Her and Peeta, the boy representative from District 12, get sent off to the
Capitol in preparation for the games and are trained by previous District 12
winner Haymitch. During a press interview before the games, Peeta reveals that
he has a crush on Katniss, making the games that much more personal for the
both of them.
While the basic idea of how the Hunger Games play out is
similar to that in “Battle Royale,” the world that Collins wrote around them
ensures that this isn’t a flat-out ripoff. The dark political implications
going on behind the scenes add substance to what could have been just another
kill fest or cheesy love triangle story. The contrast between the gaudy people
of the Capitol and the poor, oppressed ones of the districts emphasized the
cultural divide between the two and how the luxuries of the Capitol thrive on
exploiting the workers in the districts.
There is a definite Big Brother vibe going on with the
extent of the Capitol’s control, such as how they are constantly monitoring the
progress of the games through thousands of hidden cameras and their ability to
alter the trajectory of them for audience satisfaction. The recent influence of
reality television in our society is one of Collins’ biggest targets too, and
the way that everyone stays glued to their screens watching these children
murder each other has a chilling effect.
I was fairly skeptical of director Gary Ross taking the
reins on this dark material, considering that the different tone of his earlier
works, “Pleasantville” and “Seabiscuit,” wouldn’t indicate that he was the
right choice for this. Thankfully, his approach to the story is unique and
different than expected, although it is not without some quibbles. I very much
liked how Ross chose to shoot the film as if it were an independent property,
not a slick blockbuster. His handheld camerawork gives greater intimacy to the
characters and grounds the fantastical elements in a relatable, down-to-earth
way.
What doesn’t work so well is how he handles the shaky
camerawork during the action scenes. Given the huge young adult audience for
the film, I expected the film to be contained within the PG-13 rating instead
of R, and Ross is occasionally able to convey moments of brutality by obscuring
it with his camera framing. At other times, notably in the fights with the
vicious Clove and Cato near the end, the choice to go shaky becomes more of an
annoyance as the punches become an indistinguishable blur.
The eclectic cast that Ross has assembled here does a
magnificent job of elevating the material when the writing and direction don’t
always come through spotlessly. My favorites of the supporting cast were Woody
Harrelson as the alcoholic and humorous Haymitch and Lenny Kravitz as Katniss’
stylist Cinna. It was a nice surprise to me that Kravitz could hold his own
against all the more seasoned actors surrounding him. Josh Hutcherson was great
as Peeta too, but the movie belongs to Jennifer Lawrence. Her ability to subtly
convey Katniss’ fear and strength, as well as the character’s selfless
sacrifice to save her sister, instantly drew me in to her fight for survival.
However, I did have one major problem with how Katniss was
written once the games begun. There are multiple points where another
contestant comes into her line of sight, but rather than take that person out
to ensure they won’t cause trouble late, she would actively avoid the
confrontation. It feels as if Collins and Ross avoided having her kill the
others unless in self-defense because they felt the audience would lose
sympathy with her, which is completely untrue. It would have been much more
compelling to show her deal with the pain of having to take someone out, which
would contrast with the sadistic nature of someone like Clove or Cato.
On account of these flaws, “The Hunger Games” ended up
settling on being very good, but couldn’t push it to the next level of greatness
that it could have achieved. The bleak themes and maturity of the material are
worthy of acclaim and make sure that “The Hunger Games” is better than many of
the other pieces of young adult fiction out there. The pieces are all there for
a truly subversive piece of entertainment, and “Hunger Games” remains an
involving and accomplished film, although the second installment “Catching
Fire” needs to unleash its claws if the franchise wants to show its full
potential.
3/4
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