Fight or Flight -- The Hunger Games (review)

It’s been over a month since I first watched the screen adaptation of the popular young-adult novel, The Hunger Games. I believe I am finally ready to review it without being biased. There were a million thoughts that crossed my mind when I watched the film. I am going to mention just a few here. Before you read on, I have to warn you, THIS IS A SPOILER ZONE! Do not read any further if you plan to watch the movie in future.

“Does this darkness have a name? This cruelty? This hatred? How did it find us? Did it steal into our lives or did we seek it out and embrace it? What happened to us? That we now send our children into the world like we send young men to war, hoping for their safe return, but knowing that some will be lost along the way. When did we lose our way? Consumed by the shadows; swallowed by all the darkness. Does this darkness have a name? Is it your name?”

Those words are not from the Hunger Games. In fact, it is a quote by Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) of One Tree Hill. But they have captured the essence of Suzanne Collin’s story perfectly. And by the looks of it, so has Gary Ross’s film. The bleak tones of a dystopian society have come alive on screen exactly how I, as a reader, had imagined. Author Collin’s involvement ensured that the script didn’t stray too far from the novels. Needless to say, the film has ripped the BoxOffice to shreds!

One doesn’t need to read the books to enjoy this film. The director has explained the premise of the movie in a very crisp and efficient manner, using an introductory Capitol video, and interviews before the reaping. In the distant future, North America has been divided into thirteen (one of which had been destroyed) districts, all of which are under an oppressive totalitarian rule of the formidable Capitol. The only form of “entertainment” in the impoverished districts is the Nationally Televised “Hunger Games”. This is a whole new low for reality TV where teenagers are trapped in a gladiatorial arena and have to kill each other for survival. It certainly makes you wonder, could the current inane reality shows ever stoop to such drastic measures for ratings?

 Critics and fans alike have complained about the use of hand-held camera. I, on the other hand, think that the use of a handheld camera lent the movie a gritty, indie feel. The desperation in the districts couldn’t have been better portrayed. The feeling of disorientation that a tribute must experience during the first crucial minutes into the Games was easily realized with the shaky camera effect. Add to that the quick shots, eerie background music and no sound of combat, the effect was gripping!

Though the script didn’t change the original story much, some of the additional scenes really helped. For instance, the scene where President Snow berates Seneca Crane for awarding Katniss a near-perfect score and explains the need for a victor; it really helped understand the psyche of the universally hated character. The Games from the game-makers’ perspective was insightful. The part where Katniss and Foxface collide and are both unwilling to make the first violent move clearly differentiated the Career tributes from the rest. Also the scene with Crane and the berries after the Games was beyond COOL!

The entire cast was impeccable; in fact, I think, that was the best part about this movie. I had my doubts about Jennifer, you know, with her being too old and voluptuous for a starving sixteen year old. But ten minutes into the movie, I realized that the only thing that really matters is whether she can act the part; and boy, did she deliver! Right from the very beginning, she was spot on. The audience could pinpoint the many facets to this incredible heroine. Her sarcasm towards the cat, her playful yet vulnerable exchange with Gale, and her almost tangible distaste for anything Capitol was all a part of her charm. One of the less noticeable features, that I particularly loved, was how she was with Prim and her mother. The way she immediately jumped to her aid whenever the younger sibling needed comfort or adulation clearly showed that she had been in charge in the Everdeen household for a very long time. The way she always had difficulty accepting help from her mother or even the way she almost ordered her mother not to give in to grief once she left was Oscar worthy! Seriously, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jennifer gets nominated once again.  As a matter of fact, the only complaint I had, was how late her reaction was when Prim was reaped. It seemed like forever when she finally jolted out of her reverie and volunteered as a tribute.

Peeta—well, I am not too happy with Josh Hutcherson. He just didn’t live upto the Peeta of my imagination. I can’t point out exactly what was wrong with him, he certainly looked the part. But something was definitely off. He just wasn’t Peeta enough. And the over-hyped cave scene was a disappointment.

Liam Hemsworth as Gale, the third wheel, didn’t really have much to do in this film. But his few scenes were layered with meaning. Plus the camera loves him, which is always a good thing when the majority of the audience is made up of teenage girls.

Haymitch and Effie Trinket were beyond reproach. Elizabeth Banks was just too good, what with her Capitol enunciation and remarkable insensitivity towards the plight of the tributes. The lines “That is Mahogany” has almost become a catchphrase. Haymitch deserves major brownie points for his act. He owned every minute of the screen-time that he got! He completely won me over with his reaction when he found out about the arrow that Katniss had shot at the game-makers. In fact, secretly, I have been shipping Effie and Haymitch for quite some time now; you’ve got to admit –they have great chemistry!

Stanely Tucci released his arsenal of talent as soon as he revealed his otherworldly grin to the world. He was engaging, he was funny, and he gave his audience exactly what they wanted.

Prim and Rue, both have an uncanny talent of squeezing out tears from the viewers. Rue’s death was just tragic. One of the scenes that made no sense to me was Cato’s insane rambling on the Cornucopia. What was the boy thinking? Had the Games driven him off the edge? But, given that he was a Career and had been training for the Games from a young age, it seems unlikely.   

Translating words from pages to the screen is always a risky business. When you are reading you can soak in the magic of a whole new fictional world in your head, and you can take your own sweet time doing so. But on screen, with a limited time on your hands, some unimportant characters are deleted, emotions are not properly portrayed, and the experience is just not the same. For instance, you couldn’t see any of the horror, or sometimes even mean glee that the tributes experienced after each kill. Something that helped a lot was having a superb protagonist to root for. Unlike Twilight (no offense, Twihards) this film had a strong badass female protagonist who could hunt, shoot arrows, live off roots and squirrels, sleep on trees and would do anything to protect those she loved. She was far from the damsels in distress and did not throw tantrums or wallow in self-pity when she didn’t get what she wanted. She is the modern girl’s idea of a perfect yet suitably flawed heroine. And that’s what I love about The Hunger Games and it’s tearing me up to see Gary Ross’s departure from the franchise.

 Kudos to Ross, a director who could satisfy millions of fans and critics alike!