THE HUNGER GAMES - short review

Contestants in chariot suits may be found at http://www.hungergamesmovie.com/

Recently, Margaret and David of the Movie Show reviewed The Hunger Games (Gary Ross, 2011) giving it a 2 and 1.5 respectively and I'm really not sure why  they were so critical because I saw it yesterday and the two and a half hours of viewing just slipped by. Sure, the action scenes were so fast paced and filmed with hand hand camera style, that it was difficult to discern who was fighting who, however, it was engaging, well acted with an interesting narrative. M & D missed some really vital points about this film, which  is primarily about the impact of reality television on our lives, the manner in which unknown individuals become overnight celebrities; virtual spaces, game play and power structures.

Set in America's future after the Dark Days (an apocalyptic event that occurred in North America), the film is about the Hunger Games, a once a year televised event of a contest between 24 children  aged 12 to 18. The names of a male and female from each of the 12 districts are selected from a lottery on the day of 'the reaping' and they must fight to the death until only the winner remains. The purpose of the game is to reinforce the power of the Capital over the Districts and the secondary concern is entertainment.

The Capital, a highly advanced metropolis where the games are held is inhabited by individuals obsessed with fashion, food and entertainment. They wear colored wigs and eclectic colorful clothes; such a contrast to those from the Districts who are clothed in poverty. The main characters in the film come from District 12, which specializes in mining, it is very poor and the concern of the primary protagonist, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) who has volunteered to enter the Hunger games in her younger sister's place, is that her family may starve in her absence.

Whilst watching this film I was reminded of Hitler youth, the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, the 80s television series Fantasy Island and even a little bit of Ben-Hur (William Wyler, 1959) as the young contestants are brought into the area on chariots. Yes, a real mish-mash of imagery here with the emphasis on spectacle.

Mostly though, the film reminded me of The Truman Show (Peter Weir, 1998) for no matter where the contestants were in the dense bushland, there were cameras recording their actions and new variables could be introduced from the control room to affect their behavior. It was here that the film engaged more directly with youth culture and virtual video games, for the controllers could introduce real elements from life, such as a bush fire or dangerous animals into the game scene, which the contestants had to deal with.

The most disturbing aspect of the film was the fact that these young people appeared to be almost completely detached from the act of killing or maiming each other with the extensive arsenal supplied to them. Sure, the main protagonists showed some concern for each other, but otherwise each contestant pursues the other without much emotion. Perhaps ultimately this is what the writer was addressing - a generation of young people, who, though no fault of their own are co-opted into a world not of their making and have learned that they live in a dog eat dog world of celebrity, counterfeit & currency. If you loved Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone (Debra Granik, 2010) (and I did) then you are going to admire her  even more in this film, because she has an equally compelling on-screen presence.