The Hunger Games

The focal point for this film is, without a shadow of a doubt, the brutality displayed. It is reinforced throughout like needles going into a pin cushion. I mean, alliances are formed within "the games" (a horrible name for what they are), but what I kept thinking of is eventually, these 'friends' are going to have to kill each other.

The first instance is the "sign in" process, where all the citizens of the districts have to have their blood taken to be processed- even small children! I did not agree with this, nor did I agree with the segregation of families- reminded me too much of Nazi concentration camps, personally. Another huge example of this degrading human trait is the games themselves- all the rule changing, providing contestants with hope and then taking it away, setting killer animals on them, and setting the woods simply to make Katniss (protagonist) turn around! I was completely appalled at what I was watching, but so captured at the same time.

I thought a definite positive was the lead character, Katniss Everdeen. I'm a harsh critic when it comes to female characters, but I really thought she was a good, strong female lead- something I feel a lot of films are lacking. Jennifer Lawrence, the actress, played her with enough finesse for us to believe the withdrawn elements of the character, but enough passion for us to believe the love she has for her family. Lawrence connected with the character with the right amount of precision for us to sympathise- and empathise to a degree- with her.

Letting the side down on the characters front was Josh Hutcherson's character Peeta. I don't particularly blame the actor, I felt he did a good job with what he had, but I thought the character was completely pathetic! Some aspects of his character was also just ridiculously unbelievable- I mean how did he paint himself in camouflage, in the middle of the forest, with no face paint! And all that from icing cakes in the bakery! Completely unrealistic and sensationalist, making him stay alive.

But apart from this character flaw, I thought the film on a whole was capturing, in that I couldn't take my eyes off it but I was completely disgusted by what I was watching. It also made me think, IS this the next step for reality television in today's culture? I mean obviously I don't think they'll actually set UK citizens against each other in a fight to the death, but what with the whole watchdog element, and the way reality TV show "Big Brother" is portrayed at the moment, it was an interesting observation for Suzanne Collins (author of the novel) to make. Look at the contestants that are picked for our reality TV shows- characters that have their negative qualities played upon. The Hunger Games flipped this round a bit, making the contestants positive qualities their key to sponsors and therefore survival, but I still do not think that what the film portrayed is a million miles away from reality TV in today's society.

So all in all, I think that film was an interesting watch and gave me a lot to think about, thereby being classed in some ways as excellent, but I can't get away from the sheer brutality, therefore making me think I didn't like it. This brings me to the conclusion that I personally didn't like it, but it is definitely worth watching.