By Graham Osborne
Hello again readers. This week I’m looking at a film that tested quite favourably with most critics when it came out. However, when I watched it, I was underwhelmed by the whole thing. Maybe it was because I haven’t read the books or I was not the target demographic (I would be very shocked if I was) but I just couldn’t shake the feeling that this film wasn’t really trying.
Before we begin. I’d just like to say again that I have no idea about the original source material. What I say here is my own opinion, based solely on the film and may not line up with the books.
Hello again readers. This week I’m looking at a film that tested quite favourably with most critics when it came out. However, when I watched it, I was underwhelmed by the whole thing. Maybe it was because I haven’t read the books or I was not the target demographic (I would be very shocked if I was) but I just couldn’t shake the feeling that this film wasn’t really trying.
Before we begin. I’d just like to say again that I have no idea about the original source material. What I say here is my own opinion, based solely on the film and may not line up with the books.
We’ll begin at the beginning. The entire opening up until the protagonists get on the train feels very drawn out, especially as there appears to be plenty of shots trying to establish the feel of District 12. I don’t think that any of these shots should have been cut out, but I do think that adding an underscore would have helped no end, especially during the reaping. A low, sustained note would have helped build the tension instead of an incredibly light usage of foley to add bird noises.
Whilst we are discussing the districts, we need to see that they are impoverished and starving, giving meaning to the title. I found it very hard to believe that Katniss and Peter were really starving, nor anybody in the districts look emaciated. We even see a flashback in which Peter is feeding pigs with what looks to be slightly burned bread; if there was real starvation, they wouldn’t be feeding the pigs burnt bread. This is further compounded by showing Katniss and Peter eating like civilised people when they are given a sumptuous banquet by the ruling class. I understand it would have probably meant an extra couple of months filming whilst the actors bulked up to a more normal size.
Whilst we are discussing the districts, we need to see that they are impoverished and starving, giving meaning to the title. I found it very hard to believe that Katniss and Peter were really starving, nor anybody in the districts look emaciated. We even see a flashback in which Peter is feeding pigs with what looks to be slightly burned bread; if there was real starvation, they wouldn’t be feeding the pigs burnt bread. This is further compounded by showing Katniss and Peter eating like civilised people when they are given a sumptuous banquet by the ruling class. I understand it would have probably meant an extra couple of months filming whilst the actors bulked up to a more normal size.
Looking at the characters now, many of these needed more time to make them actually interesting. In particular is Elizabeth Banks’ character; obviously an integral part to the story, but her role seemed to be over more or less after she had picked the names out of the bowl at the beginning of the film. Woody Harrelson’s character is implied to have a serious drinking problem, but after it’s established in the first scene he’s in, it’s never seen again. The same can be said for Donald Sutherland’s character; his entire excuse to be on screen is to try and show him as the Big Bad of the series, but I never felt like he had any reason for what he was doing. He even lampshades how inanely stupid the idea of training up the youngest (and therefore most likely to rebel) members of each district. A good villain needs more to them than just an evil scheme; they need motivation behind it. Again, this could all be mentioned in the sequels (and I’m sure it’s tackled in the book), but there needs to be some sort of hint as to why this is happening other than “because that’s how we’ve always done it”.
This goes doubly so for the secondary baddies in the actual contest itself. I need more motivation to root for the protagonist against the odds other than they’re simply not the good guys. It’s stated that they’ve been in training for most of their lives for this opportunity, but they’re never given enough screen time to come across as anything other than a minor annoyance, nasty for sake of being nasty.
This goes doubly so for the secondary baddies in the actual contest itself. I need more motivation to root for the protagonist against the odds other than they’re simply not the good guys. It’s stated that they’ve been in training for most of their lives for this opportunity, but they’re never given enough screen time to come across as anything other than a minor annoyance, nasty for sake of being nasty.
Another character who wasn’t given enough screen time was Rue. Her death is obviously a sad moment in the film, but my main thought during that scene was “why aren’t you running?” It didn’t feel that Katniss had spent enough time with her to become attached (beyond a typical attachment one would feel towards a child in such a situation), and so singing her a lullaby whilst she passed away seemed slightly forced, especially whilst the bad guys whose equipment she’d just destroyed were searching the area for her.
On a final note for characters, I can’t be the only one who saw Lenny Kravitz and heard his songs in my head whenever he was on screen…
Going back to the flashbacks in the film. Peter is feeding the pigs when he sees Katniss hiding behind a tree, throwing her a loaf of bread. This is more or less the entirety of the flashback. Apparently Katniss was starving and that was why Peter gave her the food, but because of them both looking like they were healthy and well nourished, this scene makes little sense. It also doesn’t help that there is no timeframe between when the flashback occurred and the present day. The purpose of the flashback is meant to be when Peter and Katniss first met and when Peter fell in love with her. One could assume that it’s been a while as he has supposedly been pining over her whilst she completely ignored him, but because they don’t look any younger; it could have only been a week and a half before the events of the film took place. Using some younger actors, or even making them up to look younger, would have helped to give us a better sense of what was happening, and made us care more about Peter.
On a final note for characters, I can’t be the only one who saw Lenny Kravitz and heard his songs in my head whenever he was on screen…
Going back to the flashbacks in the film. Peter is feeding the pigs when he sees Katniss hiding behind a tree, throwing her a loaf of bread. This is more or less the entirety of the flashback. Apparently Katniss was starving and that was why Peter gave her the food, but because of them both looking like they were healthy and well nourished, this scene makes little sense. It also doesn’t help that there is no timeframe between when the flashback occurred and the present day. The purpose of the flashback is meant to be when Peter and Katniss first met and when Peter fell in love with her. One could assume that it’s been a while as he has supposedly been pining over her whilst she completely ignored him, but because they don’t look any younger; it could have only been a week and a half before the events of the film took place. Using some younger actors, or even making them up to look younger, would have helped to give us a better sense of what was happening, and made us care more about Peter.
The arena itself puzzled me too. It appears to be a dome, but the second Katniss appears to be getting near the edge of the (presumably walled off) arena. She’s attacked by the people running the games, shooting fireballs at her to return her to the centre. This is exacerbated by the random dogs that are created for the climax and appear out of the ground. It seems incredibly unlikely that it would be the first time ever in the seventy four years of running the Hunger Games that they would have needed to alter the arena, so why not have it referenced at an earlier in the point of the film? It would have been easy to slip in a line whilst they are showing footage of previous Hunger Games, discussing how the arena had been altered in some way to come to the climactic spectacle. But without it, it seems like an afterthought thrown in by someone saying “This’ll be cool.”
Finally let’s look at camera work. I swear that I saw a bottle of vodka just dipping in and out of shot during the action sequences in the arena. That or the cameraman was in training for the Olympics and was making up for not having had time to train that day. I don’t know what made them think it was a good idea to use so much handheld camera work, but it shouldn’t make someone feel seasick when they are on dry land, sitting in a comfy chair. It’s just dodgy film making.
Well there you have it. How did I do? Let me know in the comments and don’t be afraid to argue a counter argument. I'm intending to read the book through and see how my opinion differs.
I’ll be back next week, looking to sink my teeth into another movie. If you have any suggestions, please let us know! Until then, stay safe, and may the odds be ever in your favour.
Well there you have it. How did I do? Let me know in the comments and don’t be afraid to argue a counter argument. I'm intending to read the book through and see how my opinion differs.
I’ll be back next week, looking to sink my teeth into another movie. If you have any suggestions, please let us know! Until then, stay safe, and may the odds be ever in your favour.
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