I noted the talk of a representative republic, too, back before the “dark days.” They had one and lost it and want to go back to it. That’s my take.
I haven’t seen the movie yet, but my kids tell me the Rue scene is just about like the book. And, I will probably get teary during that. I did get teary during the scene, in the book, of the reaping. I questioned how any parent could accept the reaping, for years, for 75 years, not rebel, etc. Then I had to take myself back into the book/story and imagine 75 yrs of oppression. And the hope some of these people felt and fought for (underground) hoping to change it all. Maybe this yr the reaping wouldn’t occur or my kid wouldn’t be chosen and we’d have another year before another reaping, etc. And the people, they were so crushed. Slaves really. Just like those in ancient history.
Pretty intense stuff.
***SPOILER ALERT BELOW***
Yes, the Rue scene is just like the book, only more heartwreching because we get to look into those big brown eyes, and she is just a baby. :*^( But then it veers from the book right there, because in the book the Capitol cut the feed as she adorned Rue with flowers and sang to her, but in the movie, they morphed that scene into something that happens later in the book. Mostly the movie stayed true to the books, though some things weren’t explained like the fact that all that trading going on in District 12 was black market, and some things were tweaked—like how Katniss got the mockingjay pin. There were a few other things I picked up on, and I am sure you will too.
I was really interested in seeing how they would set up the actual games and the “arena”—and how they controlled the circumstances. I thought that was done very well. I’d be interested in seeing the box office numbers on this weekend. They must be phenomenal.