My hubby and I went to see the Hunger Games today and I must say that we both enjoyed it. The movie is based on the trilogy written by Suzanne Collins with The Hunger Games being the first out of the gate. I didn’t read the books, I hadn’t even heard of them until we were deluged by the movie premieres and the red carpet events. According to all the entertainment news shows, the Hunger Games was a must see movie. So of course, my hubby and I had to listen to the movie experts and see the movie.
I’ll be brief and for anyone who hasn’t read the books or seen the movie yet, I won’t give anything away or at least try not to. The movie is a very dystopic view of the future. The masses rose up in rebellion 70 years ago against the Capital, whic represents the government and the powerfully wealthy classes. The masses lost and for 70 years, to redeem their great sin of betrayal against the Capital; each of the 12 districts, the districts each represent a sector of trade or crops, they provide the raw materials for the wealthy classes, while they live in poverty, must provide two children, one girl and one boy, between the ages of 12 and 18, as tribute to participate in the Hunger Games, a tournament where only one can walk away alive.
A very dark view of what our society can degenerate into through gross economic and political inequality. The young heroine whose name is Katniss demonstrates the grace, toughness, vulnerability and humanity that you would hope to find within yourself in a horrific situation such as this tournament. The 24 young participants are each forced to be both the hunter and the hunted. The set up calls into question many of the assumptions we have about our roles in society, here the children are to fight for validation of their own district, the parents passively allow their children to be part of this arbitrary reaping of the tributes. In the movie, the participants are taken to the Capital on a high speed rail train, stark contrast in technological progress against the poor districts without any technology whatsoever except for the huge t.v screen by which everyone watches the Hunger Games.
Essentially, the author has taken the worst of reality t.v, the classic story The Lottery, the gladiator games during Roman times and the sacrificial aspects of many Greek myths such as the Minotaur and the Labrynth. Those in power, so blasé by their unchecked wealth and power, use a 70 year old rebellion as a pretext to amuse themselves with fights to the death made by those weaker and powerless to change their circumstances.
I found it to be a sobering movie and I liked the challenges to society and power structures the story raised. There were also the usual suspects in a good movie, good young characters, action and suspense, eclectic costumes and within all the darkness, nestled in the story a burgeoning love story and I don’t know where it will lead.
laurieanichols 