Famed young adult series translates to film with dark satire
“Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor.”
This phrase from the movie alone directly reflects the dark tone and satirical commentary behind “The Hunger Games,” the latest in a line of film adaptations based on young-adult novels. But comparing “The Hunger Games” to the pure spectacle of “Harry Potter” and the soulless romance of “Twilight” would be completely insignificant as it offers more than action and romance.
Director Gary Ross (“Pleasantville,” “Seabiscuit”) gives us a film that’s basically “Gladiator” (2000) meets “The Truman Show,” and wrestles with the media manipulation of the masses and a modern twist on the Roman epic. “The Hunger Games,” based on the popular Suzanne Collins novel, delivers a message on social propaganda in the midst of powerful acting, great direction and dark satire of the public’s embrace of the violent side of reality television.
“Hunger Games” begins with a short introduction explaining how society ended up the way it did. Seventy-five years prior to the movie in a dystopian society, a rebellion occurred among the districts against the powerful Capitol, but the rebellion fails in the end. As part of a peace settlement and to keep the masses in check, the Capitol randomly selects a boy and a girl from each district between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a gladiatorial event that forces the selected children to fight to the death.
For the 74th annual Hunger Games, the tributes from the impoverished mining district, District 12, includes 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who volunteers as tribute after her younger sister gets randomly selected to compete, and fellow contestant Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), a baker’s son who harbors a secret crush on Katniss. The two tributes travel to the well-fed, high class Capitol to prepare for the games under the mentorship of the alcoholic Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) and the kind stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz).
The screenwriters fill the narrative with plenty of historical context, but the most interesting aspect of the narrative occurs when the romantic entanglement between Katniss and Peeta begins to develop. This romance begins when Peeta admits his feelings for Katniss on live television, and it becomes a gimmick to gain favor from the audience as well as sponsorship. The “artificial” romance evokes a sense of emotional intrigue as it becomes unclear if Katniss really feels for Peeta or if she’s just playing along with the constructed, on-camera romance.
The director, Ross, displays fitting, though not exceptional, handing of the material he’s given because as those who have read the novel can tell, he has a lot to squeeze within the first installment of this inevitable movie trilogy. Still, Ross manages to develop adequate pacing among the various subplots.
The cinematography doesn’t do the film any justice though. At the start of the movie, Ross relies heavily on the shaky camera routine, so much that the action scenes eventually become infuriating.
However, Ross finds success in other aspects of the film, such as achieving an appropriate balance between all the action and social commentary. He also does a great job adapting the novel’s internal monologue style into the film.
But does the movie successfully capture that “anyone can die at anytime” feel that the source novel presents?
The answer is not quite. The battle scenes are neither as vivid nor as blood-filled as you’d imagine after reading the novel, a result of wanting to preserve family receptivity and appeal to its target audience, especially with a PG-13 rating despite its dangerous concept. But then again, “The Hunger Games” wasn’t made with a strictly adult audience in mind.
Where the film finds its greatest success is the casting, particularly Jennifer Lawrence as the lead heroine. Working off her Academy-award nominated role in “Winter’s Bone” (2010), Lawrence delivers an excellent combination of heart and confidence, giving us a humane and determined heroine worth rooting for.
The supporting cast delivers convincing, if less spectacular, performances, the standouts being Harrelson, Hutcherson and Stanley Tucci. Harrelson’s character may be underwritten, but he still shines as a drunk but less-cartoonish Haymitch compared to the book. Hutcherson brings enough charisma into his role as Peeta to make him likeable. Tucci is solid as the blue-haired Caesar Flickerman, the event’s host and colorful commentator.
The movie, unfortunately, only comes close to greatness due to its tentative approach to the source material and awkward cinematography. But at the least, the movie industry has found its replacement for Harry Potter and Bella Swan, and her name is Katniss Everdeen. “The Hunger Games” is worthy of its hype and successfully hits the mark with its excellent cast and intriguing narrative.