Posted on 11/30/2013 2:34:46 PM PST by LS
When I saw "The Hunger Games," I was sure there was a strong anti-government message that seemed closely related to our current situation in the USA. The newest episode in the trilogy, "Catching Fire," sharpens that message even further.
Jennifer Lawrence is headed for a position as one of those generation-defining actresses, much the way Katherine Hepburn, Raquel Welch, and Meryl Streep were. I'm not talking acting talent, although it's pretty clear Jenny can act. I'm talking about the actress who most quickly comes to mind when you talk of the early 21st century. She delivers another excellent performance as Katniss Everdeen, the reluctant rebel who must feign love for Peeta Millark (Josh Hutcherson) so that they both can survive the Hunger Games. Episode 2, "Catching Fire," picks up not long after they have become "victors" in the games and now live, relatively speaking, a life of Riley in District 12. (Not to be confused with District, 9, which is where the aliens live).
For those unfamiliar with the general story, a rebellion against the "Capital District," or "CD," has resulted in the feds crushing the "districts." Each district is defined by what it produces---food, lumber, fish, coal/gas, and so on. However, the Capital District doesn't produce anything. It leeches off all the other districts, which have been brought into subjugation. Further, to teach the districts a lesson about rebellion, every year the feds have an "entertainment" called the Hunger Games in which two candidates are "reaped" from each district---always teens to young people---and they fight to the death until there is a single victor. At the end of "Hunger Games" (episode/book 1), Katniss and Peeta find poisonous berries that they threaten to take unless both are named victors, and President Snow (whose heart is entirely black), his back against the wall, has to allow them to live for propaganda purposes. But he doesn't like it!
By episode 2, Katniss is becoming a revolutionary symbol to the oppressed people of the districts (symbolized by the Mockinjay and a hand gesture that resembles that of the Boy Scouts accompanied by a short whistle). Snow, of course, can't tolerate this kind of challenge, so he arranges through a new Games Master Plutarch (!) Heavensby (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to have a "Quarter Quell," a special once-every-25-years reaping to be fought by only victors from the districts. That leaves as the District 12 candidates Katniss and either Peeta or Haymitch (Woody Harrelson). Predictably, Peeta ends up as Jenny's death date.
What is stunning is that the messages and symbolism of the series tracks extremely well with "Atlas Shrugged." Both books were written by women, with strong heroines as the central character. Both feature rebellion against the "Man." Toward the end of "Catching Fire," Katniss finds herself on the way to her own version of "Galt's Gulch," District 13 (which supposedly had been destroyed . . . but wasn't).
But more than "Atlas Shrugged," the message of the Hunger Games Trilogy is very much the D.C./government elites (not "the rich") vs. everyone else. As Heavensby tries to convince Snow not to kill Katniss but to subject her to the games again, he uses her pending wedding to Peeta as the bait. "Show executions and floggings," he says, then show Kaniss in her wedding gown. "Show executions. Show the wedding." In other words, show the Kardashians and show the seamy side of America and get the people agitated against the elites. . . .
Except, it isn't the elites that Heavensby is setting up, and it isn't "the rich" that the people in the districts hate but rather the D.C. "Capital District" elites. The "gubment." It is clear that the only people in the CD are those who don't do anything, while all of the people in the other districts---think "flyover country"---produce everything.
Perhaps the most striking message to me was the degree to which everyone conducted their own mini-rebellions against the CD. Effie Trinket, Katniss's "handler" for the games, played by Elizabeth Banks, surreptitiously refers to Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch and herself as a team and makes them each gold, well, trinkets. Katniss's is a gold Mockingjay pin. Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), the dressmaker and stylist goes out of his way to take digs at Snow, making Katniss's "wedding gown" burn up to reveal a stunning blue Mockingjay dress. Even half of the combatants are participating in a plot to overthrow Snow and the Capital District.
Cinematically sound, "Catching Fire" has memorable and epic theme music by James Newton Howard. As a sequel, it surpasses by far Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and ranks IMHO with "The Empire Strikes Back" and "The Two Towers."
Oh, and did I mention that the primary reading audience of this was teenagers? It is just the message they need to be hearing right now. But the theatrical audience has crossed all boundaries, and the theater was as full of adults as teenagers and young people. (Analysis of ticket buyers confirms that the movie is reaching all age and demographic groups.) So if "Atlas Shrugged" the movie hasn't caught on as well as some of us would like, there is a film out there that speaks to the dangers of big government, the romance of resistance, and the value of standing up to "the Man." And, as the graffiti in the train tunnels says, "We are always outnumbered." Big deal. Get used to it.
Most of the professionals were barbarians, probably prisoners of war who somehow escaped summary execution on the battlefield per ancient rules of engagement. Many of these were already professional warriors from warrior cultures. They had been raised to fight and expected, sooner of later, to die in battle. The arena was not the battleground they had sought, but for many of them, fighting was preferable to slavery. So they fought, and a few survived and prospered. Some even continued to fight after they had gained their freedom and were free to walk away.
You referenced Spartacus. We need to remember that Spartacus was not Kirk Douglas. Spartacus and his army could have escaped had they wanted to. They had defeated the initial Roman attempts to catch them and fought their way to northern Italy and the Alpine passes. They were free to go. But they turned back to loot and pillage. It turns out the gladiators were barbarian pillagers to the end.
Of course, there were also plenty of suicides among people condemned to the arena. I've never seen an estimate about how common that might have been. But in the context of the HG/CF movies, the motivational structure of the careers is certainly not unprecedented.
Huh? I bet she didn’t even read what he wrote. The burden of proof is on you, I’d say, to show that Collins agrees with the views. People invoke my name as supporting this or that all the time, but a) I don’t follow what they say and b) unless I say it, it doesn’t come form me. I think that’s the case with most authors.
Yes, and I think for all its sex and over-the-top blood, the Showtime series “Spartacus” (three seasons under a different subtitle each season) made that clear. I thought it dealt with the criminal element of the gladiators quite well.
Have you seen this?
Incite Your Passion with the Instigator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC8PqBKHrXA
The first film of hers that I saw was Winter’s Bone. Not an upbeat fun film, but it displayed a range of acting not often seen.
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