The Hunger Games Review and Critique

The Hunger Games is a fantasy adventure love story about a young girl from a poor district who volunteers to take her sister place to fight to the death in the 74th Annual Hunger Games in the country’s capitol city. “Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.” (www.thehungergamesmovie.com) Prior to being a film, The Hunger Games was an award winning novel. The film was transformed from novel into a successful award winning fantasy film that captured the hearts of audiences world-wide through storytelling, acting, cinematography, editing and sound. The purpose of this review is to explore those elements and the film’s overall textual themes from a formalist approach. The film derives from the science fiction novel written in 2008 by Suzanne Collins. “The Hunger Games is directed by Gary Ross, with a screenplay by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 23.5 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following. It has spent more than 160 consecutive weeks/more than three consecutive years to date on The New York Times bestseller list since its publication in September 2008, and has also appeared consistently on USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.” (www.thehungergamesmovie.com)
The film takes place in the ruins of post North America where the heroine Katniss displays her love for her sister when she volunteers to take her sister’s place as a tribune in the games. Her affection for her sister is displayed in front of her entire district. The raw emotion she displays shows that she could not imagine the thought of her sister dying or being placed in danger where she would not be allowed to help or protect her. Katniss act of volunteering as tribune is a symbolism of that love between sisters and among families. The first conflict Katniss faces is an internal one. She has to decide if she wants her sister to participate in the games in which she could die, or sacrifice her own life. This conflict is resolved when she volunteers to take her sisters place in the games and sacrifices herself instead. The external conflict can be seen in the film throughout the games when Katniss has to choose between humane actions, or saving her own life. Eventually she overcomes these conflicts by winning the game but not before facing difficult choices throughout her adventure. The film captures situational irony during Katniss’s adventure. All but one of the tribunes is expected to die and they all must do whatever it takes in efforts to be the last one standing. The televised game shows the cold-hearted actions of each tribune and there is an expectation that they will not form alliances or be kind to one another. However, throughout the adventure Katniss forms an alliance with a younger tribune and they help each for a brief period of time before the young tribune is killed. Katniss also forms an alliance with Peeta who is from her district and has a crush on her. At first Peeta forms an alliance with members from another district because he knows they have the desire to kill Katniss because of her high rankings prior to the games. While he was in this alliance he convinced the members that he is on their side although he is purposely deceiving them and trying to protect her. The film also shows satire when Katniss mocks the organizers of the games by sarcastically repeating the infamous Hunger Games slogan. Again satire can be seen when Katniss and Peeta’s love during the games forces a shift in the rules of the games and allowed two winners versus one. When the new rules of the games got reversed, Katniss and Peeta decide to eat poisonous berries and kill themselves. They wanted to show that they were in control of their own lives even in their current situation. This affected the social and political change by changing the expectations of the game makers and citizens in the capital city. Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss. She has established herself as one of Hollywood's most promising young actresses. She has also had roles in other films such as “Like Crazy”, “Silver Lining’s Palybook”, and “House at The End of the Street.” Her role in The Hunger Games made her extremely popular with the movie going public especially young girls and earned her the title ‘star actor’. “A star is a distinctive screen persona, who is well–known and popular with the movie going public, often to the point that some avid movie fans become deeply curious about the actor’s private life” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). Acting: The type of acting used in this film is a mixture of realism and stylized. Realism acting is “acting that doesn’t draw attention to itself but instead gives the impression of genuine human action and reaction.” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). The interaction of the citizens in Katniss’s district seems natural. Although this era may differ from that of the viewers, the interaction among neighbors, families and friends seems realistic. Stylized acting can be defined as “over–the–top performances that exaggerate a characters outlandish personality and situations to the extreme.” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). This type of acting is performed by the characters that play the citizens of the capitol city. These citizens dress in very bright colors wear strange hairstyles and over the top makeup to depict their wealth. Even the way the citizens of the capital talk and walk helps viewers understand that they consider themselves to be elite and look down upon the citizens from the districts.
Cinematography: The mise en scène in the film is shown through the use of lighting, the setting, makeup and clothing. The lighting used in the districts is dim. Even in the day time, there is a dreary feel in each scene in the district. The lighting used in the capital city is very bright compared to that of the district. The bright lighting shows a contrast between the thriving capital city and the poor districts. The setting in the district depicts old buildings. Many of the houses in the district have no paint, are missing windows and are plain. Some of these houses have old furniture, holes in the roofs, and very little space on the inside. There is a scene in the movie showing Katniss taking a bath in an old metal container, which shows that there is not a bathtub in her home. People in the district sell old trinkets or trade items in an overcrowded market place to make money. This scenery helps viewers understand that this is a poor neighborhood where citizens are doing the best they can to survive day by day. The capital city is colorful and has a futuristic look. The buildings are large, modern and freshly painted with large windows. The furniture in the buildings looks luxurious and fashionable. The clothing of the citizens in the districts is old and tattered. Even colored clothing is pale in appearance. The citizens in the capital city wear very bright colored clothing, exaggerated make up and have an abundance of things that show their wealth. These citizens seem to have all the comforts they need at their fingertips. The shots used in the film are used to inform the viewers of specific things. For example, the camera angle focuses up when the citizens of District Ten listen to the organizer of the game. This is used to draw attention to the organizer and portray that the people in the district are intimidated by this person. When the organizer is picking the tribunes the angle of the camera is down which informs the viewers that these people are inferior to the organizer. The cinematographer Thomas Stern uses a mixture of close up and long shots from different heights angles and levels. This is done to add a feel of suspense, drama or sympathy throughout the film. It is also used to inform viewers of something from the characters view point or to bring things into focus that the director wants the audience to pay attention to. Majority of the film is shot from a subjective view and is used as an extension of Katniss allowing the audience to see what she sees. While a majority of the film is shot from a subjective view, there are some objective shots used to show the computer generated special effects in the film. The computer generated imageries are so well done that they seemed realistic. However the film also informs the audience that many of these images are computer generated. For example, there is a particular scene which portrays a technician creating a computer image of a dog. Once the image is complete she gets the order to make more and place the dogs in the forest where the tribunes are hunting each other. The dogs are used to add suspense and drama to the scene but the creation of the dogs reminds the viewer that this is a futuristic place and helps to conclude that this is a fantasy film. Editing: The film is shown in chronological order. Katniss has a few flashbacks of her first interaction with Peeta but her reminiscing is brief. The film utilizes direct cut shots frequently especially during the games where the action is more intense. Each scene is quickly replaced by another but still flows well so the audience barely notices the transition. However the scene uses dissolve when Katniss was hallucinating in the forest. Using dissolve in this scene helped the audience to better understand that she was hallucinating. Using dissolve allowed the audience to see things simultaneously as she did in her hallucinations. The editor also utilizes master shots and establishing shot. Master shots were clearly used when the tribunes first arrived in the forest. The scene showed the tribunes running to the forest to get their supplies. The one shot was used to show each tribune doing different things. Some ran towards the supplies while others ran to hide or find shelter. This scene then transitions to an establishing shot that focused on what each tribune was doing as. This shot also incorporates continuity editing that allows the audience to feel that everything is taking place in a continuous time and space. However, the audience can see that this is a form of editing used to create that illusion and numerous camera positions are used within the scene. The scenes during the games are edited by using fast motion. This helps to make each fighting scene or a chase through the forest more intense. This is also directly related to the soundtrack or the score music the audience hears. Music: There are various types of film sound used throughout the film. This film incorporated dialogue, music and sound effects to contribute to the drama and intensity in the film. The score music used in the district was appropriate for each scene. Some scenes had faint and somber sounds that informed the audience that they were watching an emotional scene. This particular type of score music was used in the scenes with Katniss and her sister and mother. More upbeat score music was used throughout the games. This music intensifies the scene and gives the audience a feeling of being in battle. Dialogue is primarily used in scenes with Katniss. The camera focuses on Katniss and the character she is speaking to. In these scenes score music is low but complimentary to the scene. In this case dialogue is used to help the audience relate to Katniss. Her words and voice allows the audience to have a better understanding of what she is experiencing in that particular scene. There is also a great deal of sound effects used throughout the movie. There are noises of animals and insects and the sound of wind blowing between the leaves of the trees in the forest. This is used to provide a realistic and natural feel as if it were a real forest. It also helps the audience to relate to what the tribunes see, hear and feel while being in the forest. The movie’s soundtrack includes many songs from young and popular artists such as Taylor Swift. Many younger viewers were able to relate to the film through its music. The movie’s soundtrack became popular upon the film’s release and debuted “at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, having sold 175,000 copies in its first week.” (www.billboard.com) Style and Directing: Film director Gary Ross was the facilitator of this film and he showed interior meaning through his directing style. “Gary Ross is a writer, director and producer who is very familiar with adapting books for the big screen, having worked on “The Tale of Despereaux” and “Seabiscuit”(www.nydailynews.com) When asked about an upcoming movie he is currently working on he states “I think everyone has a thirst for freedom. We all have a desire to break from the norm of our lives and take "flight" as it were.”(www.nydailynews.com) This statement can also be related to The Hunger Games. Ross’ movies have a feel of hopefulness. As in the film Seabiscuit, The Hunger Games is also about the underdog, beating expectations and winning the big prize. The director expresses through the film that it is possible to overcome even the most daunting adversity through hard work, dedication and perseverance. However all the credit for this film’s success cannot be given solely to the director. In this film the auteur theory does not apply to the director. Although Ross brought his personal vision to the film through his directing style, the author and screen writer Suzanne Collins has the most obvious and identifiable control over the film. She stated; “I feel like the book and the film are individual yet complementary pieces that enhance one another. The film opens up the world beyond Katniss’ point of view, allowing the audience access to the happenings of places… like the Hunger Games control room and President Snow’s rose garden, thereby adding a new dimension to the story.” (www.screenrant.com) The Hunger Games novels were a success prior to the making of the film and Collins wanted the film to be a true representation of her work in those novels. Societal Impact: At first glance, this film may seem far-fetched, but if we think about the political climate of America today, it might not seem so unusual. In the film, Game makers have all of the power and are able to manipulate the mayors of each district. Only a handful of game makers exist, but they are powerful and control just about everything connected to the Hunger Games themselves. The game makers can be compared to the Congress and members of the senate and president. The mayors are the American political figures who can be manipulated by higher political figures in Washington D.C. As in the American culture, the game makers are often pitting one candidate against another. The tribunes are recognized for their districts careers, whether they are from a coal mining district or an agricultural one. This allegory can be compared to races, sexual orientation or social classes in American being pitted against each other. These aspects contribute to the symptomatic content of the film. The Hunger Games is a classic fantasy adventure film. The film provides escapism from real world situations, and provides the audience with an action packed film where viewers for a short period of time can experience a persons’ fight for survival. This referential content is relatable and implied various times throughout the film. The film’s explicit content is expressed throughout the film and shown by the repetition of the mantra repeated to the tribunes upon selection and upon starting the games. The quote “welcome to The Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor” is a reminder from the film makers that this is a game to the more elite citizens of this country. There are also visual depictions in the film that reminds the audience that this is a game. An example of this is the tribunes showcasing their skills to gain support and sponsorship. A formalist approach or how the film makers organize the elements to convey their intended meaning is the best avenue to analyzing this film.
This fantasy based adventure film tells a story of manipulation of a less privileged social class by the social elite in a fight for survival. The film portrays people overcoming adversity through determination and will power. The film also expresses aspects of sacrifice and love from the point of view of the main character. This critique explained the symptomatic content of the film and explored some aspects of the film making such as storytelling, acting, cinematography, editing, sound, genre and the film’s overall textual themes from a formalist approach. All these aspects helped to transform the story from a fictional novel to an award winning fantasy film that captured the hearts of viewers and added to the overall accomplishments of The Hunger Games novels and film.

References 1. http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1098204/hunger-games-soundtrack-debuts at-no-1-on-billboard-200 2. http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/pageviews/2012/12/gary-ross-director-of-%E2%80%98seabiscuit%E2%80%99-and-%E2%80%98the-hunger-games%E2%80%99-tries-his-hand-at-childr 3. http://screenrant.com/the-hunger-games-movie-reviews-suzanne-collins-kofi-157370/ 4. http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index.html?section=about