The Hunger Games is based on the first in a series of
young adult books by Suzanne Collins. I
have not read this series and must admit that I was a bit turned off by a
storyline that features teenagers slaughtering one another. My grandson has read the books, however, so I
accepted the invitation to see the movie with him and his mother.
The young actors (and the older ones as well) portray interesting
characters and many deal with moral dilemmas that I have never
encountered. As you probably know, the
story is set in the future after some social upheaval has changed the political
landscape of North America. The key
characters are Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) who
represent their district in a nationally televised contest pitting 24 young
people between the ages of 12 and 18 in a fight to the death where there can be
only one victor. Although most of these “tributes”
are chosen by lottery, Katniss has voluntarily taken the place of her younger
sister.
The journey from Katniss’ home in Appalachia (much of the
movie was filmed in North Carolina) to the Capitol (somewhere in the Rockies)
provides an engaging and ironic look at the great divide between the “haves”
and the “have nots” in this future world.
Though set in the future, the disparity between these two segments of
society reflects some of the growing divisions within our own society. Once the televised death match began, I
became very uncomfortable. As the writer
certainly intended, I realized that this “program” was just a short step from
the “reality TV” that has taken over much of today’s televised
programming. I am not a fan of “Survivor”,
“America Idol”, or “Dancing with the Stars” but I have seen enough of the genre to know that
television programmers realize that it is hard not to slow down and see
the results of an accident—personal or physical.
My sources tell me, however, that the original book
suggests that both Katniss and Peeta are pretty media savvy, although this is a
bit hard to pick up in the film. Both
quickly learn that everything they do— including both killing and kissing — is
being televised and their actions can be used to manipulate the program’s
producers and the public. The clear implication
is that some of those growing up in our current media age have become pretty
savvy about using media for their own ends.
They can either use or abuse social media, so they may need some guidance in
how to handle these powerful tools
There are themes of social injustice, sacrifice, and loss
of privacy here, but I would imagine that they are more fully developed on the
written page. To get the most out of
this film, I suggest reading the book first.
I wish that I had.
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