The Hunger Games (Film Review)
First of all: I haven't read the novels. I decided this would be one fantasy trilogy where I'd see the film(s) first before reading the books for a change. If I misspell any of the names, pray forgive me, book fans.
The good news: the film worked (almost) perfectly for a newbie like me. I.e. I had no problem following the plot line or world as presented. "Almost", because I don't know what the casting director was thinking when choosing three young blond males of similar body types. I mean, for all I know this was according to the book descriptions, but it still made for some moments of confusion when everyone was running through woods and the like - aka - is this Peeta, Cato, or what's-his-name?
Other than that, it was great. Katniss, portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence, made for a great heroine. And of course I loved that she's the one who gets to do the physical derring do and is in the Xena/Ivanova/Zoe mold of stoic female warrior with fierce loyalties and unimpressedness by braggarts. Her bond with her little sister and later with Rue was beautifully portrayed. I also liked Peeta as an atypical (for the genre) male character, aware he won't survive by fighting prowess so going for disguises (cunning use of bakery skills is cunning *g*) and winning people over instead. And in the cynical yet caring mentor arena, Haymitch and Cicero were both interesting; Haymitch was also a vision of what was waiting for Katniss, who she could turn into IF the system doesn't change. At least I hope revolution is where this is going, if I know my fantasy sagas.
Re: political system, the mixture between reality tv satire and fascist dystopia wasn't exactly new but still sharp, and I appreciated it was a constant meta comment on the story itself (i.e. Haymitch commenting that the whole "doomed young lovers" trope sells better, etc.). I'm also impressed that the director avoided the trap Ridley Scott fell into with Gladiator. (Where it's all very well for Maximus to shout at the arena audience "is that what you want?" after the film itself has presented the fight as viscerally exciting to the cinema audience.) It's the old problem of war films, too; how to not make the whole thing into an advertisment of the very object it's accusing. Here, while the suspense of the plotline is great the way the various deaths are presented isn't as a climax of a fight scene but in a way that reminds me how Orson Welles did it in Chimes at Midnight - slaughter, and you flinch for the kids, no matter what degree of sympathy or antipathy they evoke.
At first I wondered whether the film would cheat and Katniss would not have to kill anyone directly, but then she did. Also, at the end, I had a moment where I wondered whether Cato would pull a Roy Batty, but no. Which felt right in this context.
All in all: I liked it very much, will read the first book when I get the chance, and am looking foward to the next installment!
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/764184.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.
The good news: the film worked (almost) perfectly for a newbie like me. I.e. I had no problem following the plot line or world as presented. "Almost", because I don't know what the casting director was thinking when choosing three young blond males of similar body types. I mean, for all I know this was according to the book descriptions, but it still made for some moments of confusion when everyone was running through woods and the like - aka - is this Peeta, Cato, or what's-his-name?
Other than that, it was great. Katniss, portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence, made for a great heroine. And of course I loved that she's the one who gets to do the physical derring do and is in the Xena/Ivanova/Zoe mold of stoic female warrior with fierce loyalties and unimpressedness by braggarts. Her bond with her little sister and later with Rue was beautifully portrayed. I also liked Peeta as an atypical (for the genre) male character, aware he won't survive by fighting prowess so going for disguises (cunning use of bakery skills is cunning *g*) and winning people over instead. And in the cynical yet caring mentor arena, Haymitch and Cicero were both interesting; Haymitch was also a vision of what was waiting for Katniss, who she could turn into IF the system doesn't change. At least I hope revolution is where this is going, if I know my fantasy sagas.
Re: political system, the mixture between reality tv satire and fascist dystopia wasn't exactly new but still sharp, and I appreciated it was a constant meta comment on the story itself (i.e. Haymitch commenting that the whole "doomed young lovers" trope sells better, etc.). I'm also impressed that the director avoided the trap Ridley Scott fell into with Gladiator. (Where it's all very well for Maximus to shout at the arena audience "is that what you want?" after the film itself has presented the fight as viscerally exciting to the cinema audience.) It's the old problem of war films, too; how to not make the whole thing into an advertisment of the very object it's accusing. Here, while the suspense of the plotline is great the way the various deaths are presented isn't as a climax of a fight scene but in a way that reminds me how Orson Welles did it in Chimes at Midnight - slaughter, and you flinch for the kids, no matter what degree of sympathy or antipathy they evoke.
At first I wondered whether the film would cheat and Katniss would not have to kill anyone directly, but then she did. Also, at the end, I had a moment where I wondered whether Cato would pull a Roy Batty, but no. Which felt right in this context.
All in all: I liked it very much, will read the first book when I get the chance, and am looking foward to the next installment!
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/764184.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.