“Remember
who the real enemy is.”
Katniss
Everdeen and Peeta Mellark both won. Or so they thought.
They
were declared victors of the previous year's Hunger Games, making
history as the only two people to both walk out of the arena alive at
Games end. The have become Capitol celebrities, brought honor and
food to their district and families, will be supported by the Capitol
with money and food and housing for the rest of their lives. They
have survived.
But
more than that, they have made enemies. Enemies with the powerful
aristocracy that simultaneously adores and abhors them, enemies with
the single most powerful man in the country to whom their very lives
belong.
There
is rebellion brewing in the districts and heroine Katniss is coolly
informed by President Snow, leader of Panem, that it is of her doing.
Her stunt in the arena with the toxic nightlock berries has painted
her as a hero and a rebel to the people of Panem, someone to put
their faith in, someone to inspire a revolution. Katniss is both
unaware and horrified by the prospect that her attempt to save both
her and Peeta from each other is viewed as an act of defiance and
rebellion. This simple moment that saved her before may become her
undoing, and under threat from President Snow, Katniss is willing to
do anything to fix the problem before it's too late.
However,
Katniss soon realizes that it was too late before it even began. And
she finds herself being sacrificed in the arenas again for the
greater good of Panem. Reaped for a special 75th Quarter
Quell Games, she is put back in the arena with Peeta and the past
victors from other districts. The only difference? This time she has
accepted that she will not be coming back.
Being
a fan of the books, I thought this film went above and beyond the
previous installment in the franchise, it was very close to the
source material and very true to the tone and spirit of the original
story. In general, I was quite pleased with what the cast and crew
had created.
Catching
Fire was my favorite book, and so far, it has been my favorite film.
The acting was superb, with a particularly raw and stirring
performance from Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss), beautiful costumes and
sets, stunning cinematography, script, etc. There is little worth
complaining about as a fan or even a critical standpoint, however,
there is plenty of subject material that may make some viewers wary
or uncomfortable. In all honesty, the whole storyline is a bit
uncomfortable when you are first introduced to it.
There
is plenty of kissing, as Katniss is at the center of a complicated
love triangle involving herself, fellow victor, Peeta, and friend,
Gale. Johanna, another victor, undresses in front of Katniss, Peeta,
and Haymitch in an elevator (we only see her bare back). There is a
multitude of violence, unsurprisingly, although this time around,
many people die of the arena's “natural” elements rather than by
human hands. People are burned in acid fog, stabbed, shot with
arrows, nailed with axes, whipped, attacked by genetically modified
monkeys, throats are slit, people drown, etc. One particularly
disturbing scene happens near the beginning of the film when one old
man dares to take even the smallest of stands against the power of
the Capitol and is dragged onto a podium and shot in the head. We do
not see it happen, but the shock, combined with the horror and tears
of the other characters, is enough to frighten the viewer.
There
is some profanity, mild and not so mild, and it is much more present
than in the previous film. Haymitch is often drunk and there are
other instances were alcohol is present.
Overall,
Panem is not a pleasant place, a fact that is all too clear from the
tone of both books and films. But it is a dystopian country that
serves as a background for a story of heroism and sacrifice. I know
many people who are turned off by The Hunger Games because of the
violence and the idea of children killing children. And I understand.
But
I wonder if the truly scary thing is how much of our own society we
are able to see within the book's pages (or on the screen).
Suzanne
Collins (author of The Hunger Games trilogy) has said in the past
that her story is a critique on violence and media, showing us what
could be if we continue down our current path. I think there is
definitely a hard lesson to be learned in Katniss' story. Walking
out of the theater you may have some heavy thoughts wandering around
your head. A story like this is sobering, it makes you think, which
is one of the reasons it appeals to me.
What
I fear has happened is exactly the opposite of what Suzanne Collins
intended, the world-wide success of her books (and the films inspired
by them) has turned her “critique” of violence into a
glamorization, and her thoughtful take on a future world into a young
adult trend. The irony couldn't be more complete, woven into the very
fibers of the story's heart is the horror and tragedy of war and
violence, and what effect it has on the world, and each individual.
The Hunger Games is the story of a girl who is put on a pedestal for
detestable acts and locked into a life similar to that of a caged
animal. Made for a show, for a game. Glamorized for acting on her
basest human instinct. Survival.
For
me, the appeal of The Hunger Games trilogy is the haunting tale of a
war, a raw and gritty story of relatable, realistic people doing
their best to change their world for good, to do the right thing in a
situation where that is nearly impossible, to give up everything in
hopes of creating a better life for those after them.
At
it's core, The Hunger Games is a tale of self-sacrifice and of
ordinary people overcoming insurmountable odds. Beneath the violence
and the darkness and the shadow of despair and doubt, there is a
glimmer of strength, of faith, of hope.
Catching
Fire captures this well as it's character put themselves on the line
time and time again for one another, many of them making the ultimate
sacrifice for the one hope they have in these troubled times.
Katniss
Everdeen. The Girl on Fire. The Mockingjay. The Symbol of the
Rebellion.
“Since
the last Games, something is different. I can see it.”
“What
can you see?”
“Hope.”
To be continued next year with Mockingjay: Part One
