The Hunger Games
Directed by Gary Ross
Distributed by Lionsgate
Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour!
For Lionsgate, the odds are so far in their favour it’s almost ridiculous. Despite a level of hype unparalleled since the Harry Potter movies hit the big screen, the much-anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games lived up to the expectations, and then some.
The star-studded cast, headlined by Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson, enthralled viewers in the tale of a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world that requires 24 tributes to be sent into an arena for a fight to the death. This event is televised to the residents of the country of Panem from the chief city, the Capitol, as a punishment for an uprising 74 years prior to the events of the film.
Katniss Everdeen, played by Lawrence, is a 17-year-old member of the mining community of District 12, where her specialty is hunting. She sees her 12-year-old sister, Primrose, selected as one of the required tributes and volunteers to take her place to save Primrose from a sure death. The story follows Katniss as she prepares for the fight, affectionately dubbed the “Hunger Games” by the Capitol, and her bond with fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark, played by Hutcherson.
Harrelson, whose secondary character Haymitch Abernathy stole the scene in nearly every appearance, was an underrated star of the movie. His drunk sincerity and dark humour complemented Lawrence’s overtly serious demeanour and made for a very memorable performance.
Novel-to-film adaptations are always difficult to pull off, since the average viewer likely hasn’t read the book and may not fully understand what’s happening without proper context. Full credit to the directing staff — they acknowledged this potential problem and found a way to address it by having Hunger Games commentators explain more obscure parts. The format worked quite well with the overarching theme of the film and helped add even more context in a non-irksome manner.
The cinematography admittedly left a bit to be desired. In a movie where over 20 people die during the Hunger Games, remarkably few deaths truly leave an impression upon the viewer. In the initial bloodbath at the start of the Games, although a dozen people are killed, the camera moves too quickly for the viewer to fully grasp the severity or importance of what’s happening.
The tone of the film was perfectly captured by the soundtrack, which was mostly comprised of instrumental, fast-paced tracks with undertones of tension. In situations where the main protagonist is constantly running for her life, this style of music works very well and serves to accentuate the fact that, “Hey, she could very easily die.”
Fans of the series of novels, beware: if you’re looking for an exact, blow-by-blow re-enactment of the first book in the trilogy, you’re wasting your time. Several minor inconsistencies exist between the two formats. Although none are severe, they’re enough to make the devout reader shake their head.
As a stand-alone film, though, The Hunger Games is the kind of film that’s worth watching over and over again.
