Movie Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Like pretty much everyone else said, this movie is a vast improvement on the first (and I liked the first one); it's amazing how much difference taking the extra time and money really shows in a production (a lot like the difference between Twilight and New Moon). Also, there were trailers for Divergent and posters for Vampire Academy, so even though I'm not particularly invested in those books, I am delighted at how studios are eagerly throwing money at women writers.
Before I go on, I've gotta say I was muchly relieved by Samuel Claflin's performance as Finnick. Although I still think Chris Pine would have been better. (Once a headcanon, always a headcanon....)
Okay, here be spoilers.
One thing I particularly like about the film adaptations is how they go outside of Katniss's pov. As the trailers promised, there is a lot of Donald Sutherland's President Snow in this film, and it's the better for it. In the books, Snow is a menacing and shadowy figure. In the movies, he is that, but--he's also the grandfather who's little granddaughter is wearing her hair just like Katniss Everdeen. Bringing the revolution home, no?
I can't decide if the racial decisions in the film help or hinder it. Obviously, with the last film, there were the scary-stupid people who didn't know Rue was black even though it's clearly in the texts that there be POCs everywhere. But when there's the scene in District 11 with the riots and the black populace and the white soldiers, and then there are the other riots where Katniss and Peeta have to do their political charade during the tour while starving and angry brown people lash out...it's at once powerful stuff, but there's also something off about it to me? in that it feels exploitative somehow? I don't feel like I'm articulating this well and I'll be curious to see what other people think. But basically, it feels a lot like real life, and there's part of me that appreciates it, and part of me that is bothered by it by, I guess, the idea of audiences who wouldn't see it that way? people who would only see the POCs angry at Our Heroine and not the analogs to current day? If that makes any sense.
ANYWAY. Some brilliant things the film did:
*The behind the scenes politics with Snow and Plutarch Heavensbee, ie Sutherland and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Creepy and wonderful.
*Lenny Kravitz. Just. He is perfect as Cinna, WHY IS THERE NO MORE CINNA GODDAMN IT SUZANNE COLLINS.
*The architecture of film. The early sequence of the cameras with Katniss and Peeta in this deserted, desolate streetscape that is transformed by editing in news studios. If I were teaching a film class I would use that on the first day!
*Katniss and her PTSD. A particular strength of the books that is brought vividly to life here (dammit I adore you Jennifer Lawrence) is how the violence of the Games will never, ever stop affecting Katniss. She has flashbacks and night terrors and is clearly utterly haunted by it all. And that's BRILLIANT, because in pretty much all other action media violence is treated as No Big Deal, typically not even leaving a mark on the heroes. Here it does, and I think that's wonderful.
I also can't emphasize enough how much I love that we are allowed to have a heroine that is broken but also still strong and still determined to survive. I mean, Katniss spends a lot of time crying and shivering and fear and she is ALSO the one who is dealing out the damage and taking people down. This may seem a small thing, but it's really not. I've had to deal with PTSD myself, and I've had therapy and doctors and blah blah blah, but in real life people will still get frustrated with me because I just "can't get over" some of the horrors of my life, and that makes me feel guilty (which I know is bullshit), etc. BUT KATNISS HAS TO DEAL WITH IT TOO AND SHE IS STILL BAMF AND HEROIC and that's just wonderful to me.
I kind of want to go again. And maybe finish that HG/Trek fusion I've had in my WIP folder for years.
Before I go on, I've gotta say I was muchly relieved by Samuel Claflin's performance as Finnick. Although I still think Chris Pine would have been better. (Once a headcanon, always a headcanon....)
Okay, here be spoilers.
One thing I particularly like about the film adaptations is how they go outside of Katniss's pov. As the trailers promised, there is a lot of Donald Sutherland's President Snow in this film, and it's the better for it. In the books, Snow is a menacing and shadowy figure. In the movies, he is that, but--he's also the grandfather who's little granddaughter is wearing her hair just like Katniss Everdeen. Bringing the revolution home, no?
I can't decide if the racial decisions in the film help or hinder it. Obviously, with the last film, there were the scary-stupid people who didn't know Rue was black even though it's clearly in the texts that there be POCs everywhere. But when there's the scene in District 11 with the riots and the black populace and the white soldiers, and then there are the other riots where Katniss and Peeta have to do their political charade during the tour while starving and angry brown people lash out...it's at once powerful stuff, but there's also something off about it to me? in that it feels exploitative somehow? I don't feel like I'm articulating this well and I'll be curious to see what other people think. But basically, it feels a lot like real life, and there's part of me that appreciates it, and part of me that is bothered by it by, I guess, the idea of audiences who wouldn't see it that way? people who would only see the POCs angry at Our Heroine and not the analogs to current day? If that makes any sense.
ANYWAY. Some brilliant things the film did:
*The behind the scenes politics with Snow and Plutarch Heavensbee, ie Sutherland and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Creepy and wonderful.
*Lenny Kravitz. Just. He is perfect as Cinna, WHY IS THERE NO MORE CINNA GODDAMN IT SUZANNE COLLINS.
*The architecture of film. The early sequence of the cameras with Katniss and Peeta in this deserted, desolate streetscape that is transformed by editing in news studios. If I were teaching a film class I would use that on the first day!
*Katniss and her PTSD. A particular strength of the books that is brought vividly to life here (dammit I adore you Jennifer Lawrence) is how the violence of the Games will never, ever stop affecting Katniss. She has flashbacks and night terrors and is clearly utterly haunted by it all. And that's BRILLIANT, because in pretty much all other action media violence is treated as No Big Deal, typically not even leaving a mark on the heroes. Here it does, and I think that's wonderful.
I also can't emphasize enough how much I love that we are allowed to have a heroine that is broken but also still strong and still determined to survive. I mean, Katniss spends a lot of time crying and shivering and fear and she is ALSO the one who is dealing out the damage and taking people down. This may seem a small thing, but it's really not. I've had to deal with PTSD myself, and I've had therapy and doctors and blah blah blah, but in real life people will still get frustrated with me because I just "can't get over" some of the horrors of my life, and that makes me feel guilty (which I know is bullshit), etc. BUT KATNISS HAS TO DEAL WITH IT TOO AND SHE IS STILL BAMF AND HEROIC and that's just wonderful to me.
I kind of want to go again. And maybe finish that HG/Trek fusion I've had in my WIP folder for years.