I have been waiting for THE HUNGER GAMES ever since I saw that amazing first trailer last November. The story was laid out so clearly and there were all these scenes building up excitement and anticipation for the Games before it cut to black just as they began. I had to know more about it and I needed to know now! So I immediately grabbed a copy of Suzanne Collins’ book and devoured it. The story of a girl as she tries to survive a competition to the death was positively engrossing; not only because of the high stakes involved but also because of the way Collins’ was able to discuss adult themes like corruption of power, the fascination with reality television and the effects of war to such a young audience. There was no sugar coating the subject and I couldn’t wait to see how this would all be translated to the big screen. With a script co-written by the author and a director, Gary Ross, committed to remaining true to the source material, I was sure that there was no way they could botch the film. Lucky me I was right.
For those unfamiliar with the story it takes place in a dystopian future where North America has been divided into the wealthy Capitol and twelve poorer districts. Each year one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18, called tributes, are selected from each district via a lottery to compete in a nationally televised battle to the death known as the Hunger Games. Twenty-four go in and one comes out. The focus is on two tributes from District 12 - Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a sharp and resourceful teenager who volunteers in place of her younger sister, and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the male tribute. We follow them as they train and prepare for the Games in the Capitol and then as they try to survive in the arena against bloodthirsty competitors.
While I’ve whittled the plot down to a paragraph there is really so much more to the world in which The Hunger Games exist. There are rules, history, new technologies and politics that factor into the story, all which help you understand what this new world is like and why the world has come to be this way. And I was worried as to how they were going to try and explain all this without eating up huge chunks of screen time and slowing the story’s momentum. The film smartly uses the fact that the Games are televised as a means to provide all this background information and give other characters screen time. An instructional video to the public during the reaping, where the tributes are selected, explains the reason for the Games’ existence. Interwoven into the story are play-by-play updates and interviews conducted by the announcers to explain different aspects of the game to the public and how others have been affected by the past while still keeping the story moving.
It does take some time to lay out all the ground work for the Games but the build up is utterly nerve-racking. Formal interviews with all the contestants are shown so you can see these kids as real people but then they are contrasted with bloody footage from old Games and extended training sequences as they train in all forms of combat for the big day. As the movie goes back and forth between these scenes the anticipation for the actual Games keeps building and building. You know that these are just kids competing but you want to see how vicious things are going to get once in the arena. You also become compelled to fear for Katniss and Peeta, as it becomes more and more apparent that these Games are no joke.
Once the Games get underway it is all about violence, mayhem and survival. The Gamemakers happily throw obstacles in the tributes’ ways and force them to interact with each other all for the sake of putting on a good show. It’s tense, frightening and a bit unsettling to see some running for their lives while others kill each other with such little regard. There’s no skimping on the violence either, as tributes are gruesomely stabbed, their throats are slit and blood is spilled everywhere.
Unfortunately with such a thrilling game going on, the story slows down when the budding “romance” between Peeta and Katniss is placed front and center. A lengthy amount of time was devoted to developing it in the book, showing the importance their romance would have on their survival in the Games , giving you something more to care about. However the film places little emphasis on the romance before the Games begin and with all this death and chaos going on around them devoting any amount of screen time to their romance grinds the story to a halt and takes you out of their desperate battle for survival. It ends up feeling like something that’s just being forced upon the story to please the young girls in the audience. It’s disappointing because I know as a reader that the romance has a much greater impact on the story but with more emphasis being placed on the mayhem of the Games than the importance of their romance, the Games themselves become more compelling to watch.
While the Games are exciting and chilling, I was always drawn to Katniss and her strong, self-reliant nature. She is unlike other recent heroines, like say TWILIGHT’s Bella, in that she is defined by the love she has for her family, not the love she feels for a boy. She had to grow up fast to help keep her family alive and will do anything for them, but she's also just a teenager and still so vulnerable to new experiences. Lawrence beautifully brings that sense of innocence and strength to her portrayal of Katniss. Katniss is a relatively silent but thoughtful character, constantly examining and thinking about what’s going on around her, and Lawrence conveys Katniss’ internal monologue and emotions with her expressive face and confident movements. She may not say much but you can tell exactly what’s going on inside of her. She is a character that could have easily come off as either too standoffish and cold because of how tough and selfish she has to be to make it out alive or too weak and emotional because she’s also concerned about others and afraid of failing her family. However Lawrence delivers the perfect balance between the two, creating a sympathetic, compassionate and resilient woman and is truly the star of the show.
The supporting cast is fantastic and they all look like they’re really having fun with their roles, making the universe around THE HUNGER GAMES feel that much more real and actualized. Some characters are a bit out there with their outrageous dress and appearance like Elizabeth Banks’ utterly fabulous Effie Trinket and Stanley Tucci’s Ryan Seacrest-like Caesars Flickerman but it's Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor, and Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Katniss' stylist, who ground the story and remind you that not everyone sees the Games as your everyday sporting event. They recognize what a terrible situation these two kids are in and do there best to give them support and practical advice.
Despite a few missteps, I thoroughly enjoyed THE HUNGER GAMES. It brought to life a rich, futuristic world that took you on an exciting, emotional and thought provoking ride while remaining grounded and dark instead of becoming some romanticized version of the story. It is an excellent adaptation of Collins’ thrilling novel that hits all the major points, works for both those who’ve read the book and those who haven’t, and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for CATCHING FIRE next year.
