3.27.2012

Thoughts on The Hunger Games movie


I'm not trying to sway anyone's opinion of this movie so if you haven't seen it yet, feel free to skip this post.

After reading and enjoying The Hunger Games I was excited to see the movie. I went over the weekend to a theater packed with teenage girls in anticipation of watching Katniss and Peeta triumph over the other tributes. I went in knowing that movies are rarely as good as the their novel counterparts, but I was still hoping it would be just as fun. In the end I did like the movie very much, but the whole thing felt a little too cheery for the dark subject matter. It reminded me of how Chris Colmbus' directed the first two Harry Potter movies. They were so upbeat and jaunty even though you knew they should be overcast with darkness. Then when I saw David Yates' direction of the last four movies I knew that's where it was supposed to be; somber and overcome with dark forces. (I know the novels got progressively darker as the series went on, but the first two movies still felt too upbeat.) Just like the early Harry Potter movies, The Hunger Games movie felt too fun when I think it should have been laced with anxiety and gloom.

Let me be clear, I didn't want more violence. Well, actually I did, but I realize they made it on the clean side to keep a PG-13 rating so the main audience of readers, namely young adults, could actually go see the movie, which I fully support. What I wanted was a greater feeling of hopelessness permeating throughout the film. I wanted to see the gauntness of the tributes, but instead they maintained their healthy weight and color throughout. I wanted to see more of the inner struggle Katniss experienced as she "preformed" for the audience, the confusion she dealt with concerning her feelings for Peeta, but instead it felt like she simply wanted to be with him. I also felt like Katniss' alliance with Rue was dealt with too quickly, so the impact of her death wasn't fully realized.

With all that said, I do want to stress that overall I did enjoy the movie. The opening scenes perfectly captured the bleak poverty of District 12. I liked how sickly twisted The Capitol and its inhabitants were portrayed. I liked that Jennifer Lawrence seemed like the perfect actress to play Katniss. (Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, not so much.) Even though some scenes were quickened, I also didn't feel like anything was really left out in terms of plot. So, while I did enjoy the movie a lot, I didn't feel like the overall tone was accurate to the novel itself.

Have you seen the movie? What did you think?
photo via IMDB

28 comments:

  1. I went to see it on Sunday with my daughter. Having not read the book, I found a lot to enjoy about the movie. Mostly, though, I liked it because my daughter liked it-- she's 14, and was pleased to see a movie with such a great female lead. That was the real strength of it, I thought. Also, she (and me, too, yes, I'll admit it) teared up when Rue died. So... it succeeded in eliciting an emotional response, the pacing was solid and natural, and the heroine was entirely engaging and admirable.

    Maybe I'd feel differently if I'd read the book?

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    1. Heath, I'm glad you both enjoyed it! You're right the strong female lead is one of the best things about the book and movie. Maybe because I went with my boyfriend who is generally hard as a rock when it comes to crying, but he wasn't even a little sad about Rue, so it's nice to hear that without having read the book it still got to you. I almost cried as well, but I'm a huge baby when it comes to the sad stuff and just thought it was me. Again, I really did like the movie, I just wanted it to be darker.

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  2. I don't know where you didn't see the struggle, it thought the movie was full of it. Jennifer Lawrence carried Katniss' doubts and fears so well. At the beginning, when she thinks she's going to die. Under the arena with Cinna, where she couldn't stop shaking and had this deer-in-the-headlights stare. When she nursed her injury on top of the tree. I thought you could see layers of struggle in her. Maybe I'm just more attuned to Jennifer Lawrence's game...I don't know.

    Nice detail also I thought when Katniss and Peeta cuddle, you see they are all dirty, they are wearing worn down clothes. There is even a weird emphasis on putting Katniss' track boots within the shot. I thought it was great. They were not sheltered by their love like in the book. They were alone and scared at the end of everything. I thought it was also a cool detail.

    Oh and I totally teared up when Rue died also. But I camouflaged it, because I was flanked with my inlaws

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    1. I saw her struggle in general, but specifically I wanted to see Katniss struggle with her "performance" and her feelings for Peeta. The movie made it seem like she just kind of fell for him, when really it all started because she was putting on a show, and then realized that maybe she did kind of like him but wasn't sure.

      Also, yes they were dirty but they didn't look famished or any thinner then when they started. Specifically after the games were over and they were talking with Caesar they looked so healthy and plump, like the games never happened.

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    2. I thought the struggle showed. Especially at the end during the awkward interview.

      You have a point about not looking famished, but I just figured the games didn't last as long in the movie. It's like in LOTR, the trip to Mordor looks like it's taking a few weeks, maybe a month. But in the books it's more like one or two years.

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    3. No you're right it did show in the interview in the end. That may have been the only time I noticed it.

      I guess for a movie called the HUNGER Games, I would expect them to get a little skinnier. I believe in the movie they said the games took place over two weeks, which isn't as long as it felt in the book, but if I lived in the wilderness for two weeks, being hunted or not, you better believe I'd come out noticeably lighter.

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    4. Well, Katniss always could take care of herself in the woods, no? What made her such a strong contender was that she was in her element. Maybe Peeta, but both were considerably less banged up than in the book. I kinda liked it, to say the truth. There was a lot of fiddling at the end of the novel about how they put them back into shape. I was a little disappointed that Peeta wasn't beat into a pulp though, I'll give you that

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    5. You've got a point that Katniss was a hunter and knew her survival skills - maybe I'm being too nitpicky.

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    6. Katniss managed to look plump and healthy while eating squirrel, so I guess she managed during the Games.

      I don't disagree about Peeta, but I never really liked him :) Funny thing, I've seen it in french and they didn't translate Hunger Games and Sponsors, since it's part of the trademark.

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    7. Wow that's really interesting. I don't doubt it though. They marketed the crap out of the movie and probably intend to trademark all they can :)

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  3. See, I totally took away something different from the film. I wrote about it on Sunday because I couldn't get it out of my head.

    As soon as the film opened and I saw how bleak District 12 was, it hit me in a way the book really didn't. Going into the book, I knew it was the future, so I pictured it differently. The reaping scene seriously looked like pictures of Dust Bowl US, and it was unsettling. The dread I felt from beginning to end nauseated me.

    As for her falling for Peeta, I could see the acting. I could see her process the gifts and realize what she needed to do. I think, yes, that probably could have been emphasized but much of that was in her thoughts, which is just really hard to translate. Lawrence had such expressive eyes, though, that I felt it.

    Glad you still enjoyed it, though. I was super impressed.

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    1. I didn't feel the same dread you did from beginning to end. I felt it in the beginning, a bit in the middle, and not a lot at the end. You're right that Katniss' feelings for Peeta were part of an inner struggle so it would be hard to communicate, and I guess that's one of the challenges of making a book into a movie - we don't get to read about the characters inner thoughts.

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  4. I'm still debating on whether or not I want to see the movie. I initially was all for it but I've just kind of lost interest. I assumed that many of the integral aspects of the struggle would be somehow lost once hollywood took hold. I feared that they would play up the love bit of the story so much so that the audience would lose focus on the more important aspects of the series. I'm very cynical when it comes to adaptations. I'm not saying I'd wish to throw in more guts and violence but focus on the independence and strength of the characters and the rebellion. Glad you did enjoy it & commend you on your bravery! ;)

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    1. If you lost interest in the movie I'd recommend waiting until it comes to dvd. It's definitely a movie worth seeing, but there aren't crazy awesome action scenes that make it worth seeing on the big screen. But me, I just couldn't wait to see it :)

      Also, the love story doesn't make up a large part of the movie. I'd even say it's less than the book. They really do focus more on the hunger games themselves and painting this dystopian world headed by the nut jobs of the capitol.

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  5. Long time since I commented on your blog, my friend. Sorry, been away for a bit.

    I saw it Saturday and mostly really liked it (and my reaction is on my blog). I didn't really care too much for Peeta and the romance angle seemed a bit forced/faked. I liked most of the acting in the film. The way their costumes were on fire seemed totally different than I pictured it (with them literally engulfed in flames not just a bit of flames at the back. Rue could have gone on longer, but I stilled teared up when she died.

    I found it interesting how, after the explosion at the cornucopia the one tribute from District 1 snapped the other tribute's neck so casually people in the audience literally gasped. I liked the added scenes with Snow and behind the scenes and thought the death of the gamemaker, with the same berries, was a touch of genius.

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    1. I agree I imagined the flames on the costumes differently than they were portrayed and the romance did feel forced, much like it did in the book. I'm headed over to your blog to read your entire reaction right now.

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  6. I really loved it, but I see your points. I think I was just so worried they would screw it up horribly and since they didn't, I was happy. I will say that Hutcherson really didn't work for me as Peeta. It was just off.

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    1. I had pretty high hopes going in so maybe that was my downfall ;) But I did LIKE it! I just didn't love it.

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  7. My husband read the book but I was never really interested in doing so, if we do watch the film it will not be until it is available for home viewing.

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    1. You should give the book a try first! It's a quick read and if you don't like it, you can skip the other two.

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  8. I did enjoy the movie, but I agree with you there was a lot missing, especially with Katniss "performing" for everyone, and that was never dealt with. It was made to seem like the love story is such a big part. And I also felt like the Games part of the movie was way to short for me. I just felt like they were in the arena and then 'blink' and it's done. I'm interested to see what is done with the next two movies.

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    1. The games themselves did feel rushed, especially near the end. I am looking forward to the next two as well!

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  9. I feel like they either should have spent less time on the training and maybe more in the arena, because it felt like they were rushing to get everything in in the arena (which they pretty much did, I have to say) and then we missed out on a lot of Rue and Katniss bonding- I think if I hadn't read the book, i would have been like 'but why does she care so much...?' you know?

    I did like it though, and I definitely think Jennifer Lawrence was basically the perfect Katniss- I can't really imagine a better performance there!

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    1. That's kind of how I felt about the book too - that they spent to much time leading up to the games and not as much time on the games themselves.

      Yes Jennifer Lawrence was amazing!

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  10. I had extremely low expectations for the movie, so I reeeeeally liked it. I agree about the opening, and it was filmed in a much more naturalistic way than I thought it would be, which I also loved.

    My MAIN complaint is that Rue looked like a child model, which distracted me from loving her more (not that I didn't cry when she died, because HOW CAN YOU NOT CRY). Oh, and I didn't hate Peeta as much as I thought I would.

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    1. Rue did look like a model. I also cried when she died :(

      Glad to hear you liked it!

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  11. I'm really looking forward to seeing this. I have a sneaking suspicion that this might be one of those rare occasions when a film is better than the book it is adapted from.

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  12. I found this post really interesting, because I think it plays into an element of the Hunger Games movie experience I found interesting. I think part of the reason that no one in the movie looked gaunt and physically damaged was the same reason they were all made up in costume for the parade--to facilitate the viewer's pleasure. Actors who look legitimately starved are beautiful in Hollywood, and so are actors who look fit. Basically, it's all about what the viewer will and won't find repulsive, and the viewer here is sort of both the capitol audience and the movie-going audience. I actually wrote a ridiculous amount about this, if you're not busy you can read it here:
    http://hellmouthtvreview.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/why-i-wont-be-going-to-see-the-hunger-games/
    Thanks for the great writing!

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