Harry Potter had prepubescent wizards,
Twilight had glittery vampires and half naked werewolves, and The Hunger Games
has… children killing children? The Hunger Games is the latest book series
taking America by storm, but its premise is nothing like its teen book
predecessors. The film based on the book has already broken several box office
records. This comes as no surprise seeing how the movie has more blood than
your average slasher flick. You might expect The Hunger Games to be just
another movie jumping on the Twilight bandwagon of teenage literature
adaptations. And although it’s true that The Hunger Games appeals to a lot of
their same demographic, the movie managed to achieve everything Twilight did
not. For a movie with no vampires or evil dark lords, The Hunger Games delivers
its share of heart-pumping action and thrilling violence.
The story of The Hunger Games, past
the whole violence aspect, can be seen as William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”
meets George Orwell’s “1984”. The film takes place in the country of Panem, a
dystopian futuristic society composed of a loose collection of districts under
the thumb of the “Capitol” in what is present-day North America. After a
failed uprising on the part of the districts, the Capitol establishes the
Hunger Games, a yearly event that serves as reminder to the districts that the
government holds absolute power. The games require each of the twelve districts
to submit two tributes, one boy and one girl aged 12 through 18, to be pitted
against each other in an arena where out of 24 only one can survive. The whole
games are televised for the entertainment of the Capitol’s citizens and the
rest of Panem is forced to watch as their children slaughter each other to win.
The movie follows Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a hardened hunter from
the coal-mining District 12. When her younger sister, Prim, is picked as
tribute during the “reaping”, a scene reminiscent of Shirley Jackson’s “The
Lottery,” Katniss volunteers to take her place. She is then joined by Peeta
(Josh Hutcherson), District 12’s male tribute, who has conveniently held a
secret crush on Katniss since childhood. The inevitable teenage love triangle
forms between Katniss, Peeta, and Katniss’ hunter pal Gale (Liam Hemsworth).
This, however, does not become the center-point of the film and refreshingly
takes a back seat to stronger and more fascinating themes.
Instead, what is
highlighted is a criticism of totalitarian government; the “Big Brother” motif
is a driving force of the film. It also touches upon society’s glorification of
violence as well as class inequality and oppression. And most importantly, the
movie gives a critical look at modern society’s obsession with reality
television. The hunger games host Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) can be seen
as an older, more extravagant Ryan Seacrest and the games itself a bloodier mix
of American Idol and Survivor.
One of the few let downs of the
film was the lack of the compelling character development present in the book.
The relationship between Katniss and Peeta is not as fully fleshed out and
therefore we lose out on the internal conflict Katniss goes through. This could
be in part due to the lack of backstory explaining the magnitude of gratitude
Katniss holds towards Peeta. This downside in character development however is
compensated by the characters themselves and the terrific actors chosen to
portray them. Finding the right actor to play a character that thousands of
people have already created differently in their minds is no easy task but
producers nail it right in the head choosing actors with the looks and talent
necessary for each role.
Jennifer Lawrence, however, is
undoubtedly the driving force of the film. She brings together everything that
Gary Ross puts on the screen and carries the entirety of the movie on her
sturdy shoulders. Lawrence, who is best known for her Academy Award nominated
role in Winter’s Bone, plays Katniss with a striking realism. There’s something
primal about the way Lawrence appears in the movie’s early scenes, walking
through the forest as she stalks a deer with her bow and arrow. Her Katniss is
both tender and fierce, a character with twists and turns, not just a
card-board cutout of the stereotypical heroine that Hollywood seems to be so
fond of. Whether she’s strategizing her next move, thinking of her sister or
fighting off an opponent, Lawrence effortlessly communicates Katniss’ thoughts,
fears and worries. It’s no wonder the director decided to leave out the
first-person voiceover that is often used as a crutch in these types of films.
Lawrence does not need to say what she is feeling or thinking, she can show it.
And she does an excellent job doing so; her Katniss draws you in and takes you
along for the ride. Lawrence is already generating Oscar buzz, a surprise
considering the type of film that The Hunger Games is. Don’t be surprised if
she does manage to snag an unexpected nod from the Academy. The film
industry has not seen a female hero so well rounded and compelling since Ellen
Ripley tore the screen in “Alien.” And after all, Sigourney Weaver did walk
away with a nomination from that role.
The visuals of “The Hunger Games”
are another unexpected surprise found in the film. The costume design is
breathtaking and well thought-out. In the opening scenes the costumes seem
straight out of a Dorothea Lange photograph from the 1930s. The vintage styles
of Americana juxtapose nicely with the futuristic elements scattered around
District 12. Director Gary Ross certainly knows how to play with the meaning of
visuals on screen. As the film progresses into the Capitol, and the tone of the
film shifts, the costumes drastically change with it. Characters appear to have
wandered straight out of The Wizard of Oz’s Emerald City while sporting
hairstyles only Dr. Seuss could have imagined. Costume designer Judianna
Makovsky creates two separate worlds with her designs. Considering every time
she teams up with director Gary Ross she is met with critical acclaim (she
received Oscar nominations for her work in the Gary Ross directed films
Seabiscuit and Pleasantville), it would be no surprise to see The Hunger Games
make an appearance in the Best Costume Design category come award season. The
cinematography is also breathtaking for the most part. The beginning of the
film has a cold, desolate blue tint to it that only adds to the oppression and
overall gloom of the opening sequence.
This film surprisingly caters to a
large number of film fans. Action, adventure, violence, drama, romance, and a
hint of comedy make this accessible for everyone (granted you’re over 13). And
while The Hunger Games might not reach the level of critical acclaim that Harry
Potter and The Lord of the Rings managed, the movie’s breathtaking visuals,
compelling story, and a powerful performance from Jennifer Lawrence will
definitely make it hard to forget.
