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The Hunger Games (2012)

Score: Perfect 10/10

Director: Gary Ross

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth.

The Hunger Games

Jennifer Lawrence

Synopsis: Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.

Review: Katniss Everdeen lives in a war torn dystopian world called Panem. This world is ruled by a man named President Snow, who is severely paranoid, fanatical, and arrogant. Snow works with people called ‘game makers’ who manage the Hunger Games Tournament. This world of Panem is based on starvation and control. Just like most countries that do not believe that capitalism is one of the foundations of society. We see this in the news almost every day. One supreme ruler starving its people and engaging in violence in order to keep the peace in the most fanatical way. Katniss Everdeen is willing to do what ever it takes to keep her family safe, even at her own expense. She hunts with her bow and sells the meat in order to support her family. She has taken on the role of the bread winner in her house hold (bread is a common theme is this movie).

Katniss

and Primrose

Stick together or save your self? Yes the famous Game vs. Group theory. Obviously group theory would serve Katniss best. Although out the Hunger Games series Katniss will be faced with this dilemma over and over again. Stick with Group theory and you have to wonder if every one around you are really on your side or will stab you in the back. Choose Game theory and you may get hurt very badly and be on your own with no help, just waiting to get picked off by a group of adversaries. The real trick for Katniss is to manage both game plans. Understanding the game is the real strategy. She learns this from Haymitch Abernathy ( Woody Harrelson ) who has already won a Hunger Games tournament. Adapting to the changing equilibrium of the world of Panem is the key to survival.

Group Theory

in action

Jennifer Lawrence does a tremendous job at playing the main character Katniss Everdeen. She plays the character so naturally. Its no wonder why this film is typically looked at as her break out role in Hollywood. Some how I get the feeling that Katniss Everdeen is actually Jennifer Lawrence thrust into a fictional world. This is the best we will see of Katniss Everdeen’s personality before she starts suffering from the traumatic events of the Hunger Games tournament. The most heart touching scenes are when Katniss is with Rue. Its so vital that you watch the first movie in this series in order to see how her personality has changed in the later movies.

Game Theory

all alone

The film focuses on the concept of spectacle. Much like the ancient Romans who engaged in the games of the Colosseum. The denizens of Rome enjoyed the spectacle of the gladiatorial games in which they temporality forgot their troubles. Everything from getting sponsors to like you, winning the favor of the people, and convincing Snow to let you live. Its all about putting on a good show. There is something about the spectacle of it all that reminds me of the TV series Dark Mirror (2011) episode: ‘Fifteen Million Merits‘, where everyone is cheering for the characters who are locked in this ‘game’ or ‘system’ of control. Entertainment is the escape that the commoner uses as their drug or living through the main characters by watching them on a screen. Its very strange really, but even more strange is that we people of today do this every single day. Watching entertainers, entertain us. Just like this website. Even in the days of the ancients, amphitheaters entertained the people of the ancient world. Still here we are doing the same thing. ‘Are you not entertained!?’ - Maximus ( Russell Crowe ) Gladiator (2000) directed by Ridley Scott.

Katniss Everdeen

Awesome

This movie is very iconic and superb. It is an excellent display of film making. This film has excellent pacing and camera work. The cinematography captures the disorientation that the characters feel in high intense situations. The lighting washes out everything in the frame during high stress scenes to show the audience how the characters are feeling when they are unsure of them selves or have an extreme sense of fear, especially when the Hunger Games Tournament take place. Usually shaky cam technique don’t work very well in cinema but this movie is the exception. The creators of this film managed to pull it off well. The musical score is one of the best I have ever heard in cinema. Unlike most action flicks that basically make the main character invincible, the story telling in this film makes you feel like Katniss is in real danger (even though she is the main character). She does not always have a bow and arrow. The creators of this franchise knew when to take away the primary weapon of the main character in order to show the audience the full range of Katniss’s ability to adapt to her ever changing environment. The movie does its job very well and that is to tell a story from beginning, middle, and end consistently. The characters serve the plot and not the other way around. Only a very select few characters are wearing plot amour and yes, you can be surprised by this film. I really did enjoy this film. Perfect score!

See the The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013 movie review

See the The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014) movie review

See the The The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015) movie review