It’s 1am. A flashing cursor blinks from a barren expanse of white, occasionally broken by a shaky splutter of characters. Ariel. Size 10. Only to be snuffed out by a jagged tap of a backwards facing arrow. Delete. Delete. Delete.
I went to see The Hunger Games tonight, the adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ dystopian fantasy, and as I sit here at my computer, charged with the task of neatly summing up this sprawling thriller, for once the words are not coming easy. We’ve seen many horrific images on our television screens of late: the worrying lack of dignity in a swathe of Big Brother contestants, the war in Iraq, images of Tibetans burning themselves alive in protest against Chinese rule. The force in which this abused backspace button is being jabbed reflects the difficulty of summarising a film that takes all these images and blurs them into one disturbing projection.
The Hunger Games are a creation of The Capitol, the authorial dynamo of Panema, a country that now rules over what were once the Northern states of America. Held annually, the games demand a tribute of one young man and woman from each of the twelve Districts surrounding The Capitol. In an extreme “Reality TV” bloodbath each contestant must fight to survive, turning on the other ‘tributes’ until only one is left standing. By doing so, the Districts atone for previously rebelling against their oppressors and Panem’s rulers exhibit their ultimate control over their lives.
Reality stars are driven by a desire for the immortality fame provides. It’s fitting then that The Hunger Games is preoccupied with death. Just like an episode of Big Brother, contestants in the game forge short-term alliances to prolong their life in the contest…. But backstabbing here takes on a more literal meaning. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Eberdeen perfectly projects the inner monologue fans of the book will know from Collins’ first person narrative. With a flicker of her eyes or a twitch of her Capitol tweezered brow she reflects Katniss’ pain, a stunning heroine, capable of immense compassion in the face of unbearable brutality. Both hunter and hunted, she joins forces with fellow District 12 tribute Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and together they fight to “keep the odds forever in their favour” and stay alive.
The claustrophobia of the camera angles and the strength of the cast make for a tense 142minutes. Director Gary Ross manages to convey the gory horror of bloodthirsty entertainment without resorting to blood pumps and plastic innards. Blink-quick editing lends imaginative power to the audience, a heady gift that immerses you totally in the world of the games and the desiccation of social inequality that lurks at the centre of this story. The decadence of The Capitol’s inhabitants clashes perfectly with the grey aridity of the Districts, bestowing upon the audience a visual feast made poignant by the realism of the characters; from the complex Katniss, to her perpetually inebriated mentor Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) these are people that manage to reach out of the screen (without 3D) and slap you in the face with the force of their conviction. The only flaw lies precisely in this strength, that our identification with our principal characters leads to an ignorance of the other twenty-two tributes who become extreme caricatures of reality tv contestants. The bitchy fame-mongerer now wields throwing knives alongside her acid tongue, but her lack of backstory dampens her emotive impact.
Still, The Hunger Games is a grim reflection of many modern vices: the desolation of war, the hedonism of over-consumption and the perversion of popular entertainment. Its Oscar-worthy performances, stunning visuals and gripping script will enthral you as you’re dragged through the foliage of The Hunger Games’ woodland arena by Katniss’ firm hand. There are some films that don’t just touch your heart, they punch right through it with an iron fist, shake you at your core and leave an imprint that stays in your memory long after the cinema lights come up. This is one such film.
Have you read the books? Because watching this as one of the non-initiated, the film was a little too lacking in back story. They didn’t really explain that stuff about Panema, and, like you said, the other tributes weren’t fleshed out at all – I could probably name four, including Katniss and Peeta. Also, I found the camera work really over the top – I understand the reasoning behind using alot of hand held, but it was so shakey at the beginning, I felt kind of seasick! Jennifer Lawrence was amazing, but the film just felt like it was leaving too much out. I left the cinema with more questions than answers!
Mind you, it has made me interested to read the book!!
Hi Jasmine – I actually made the decision not to read the books before seeing the movie. I find once you read a book, you’ll always be dissatisfied by the level of detail in the adaptation! So I wanted to appreciate it as a film, before going and reading the novel (which I totally agree, the film has more than inspired me to do!)
I quite enjoyed the camera angles – I thought the sharp editing added to the tension and drew you into the action but I can see why the made you seasick. I think the fact that you left the cinema with more questions than answers is the sign of a good first instalment of a trilogy – you’re now curious enough to buy the books and go see the sequel films!! Clever, clever Gary Ross….