Posted on 11/22/2013 4:27:13 AM PST by Truth29
Mission accomplished, and with the sequel, the gloves come off. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is a muscular, engrossing, unexpectedly bleak epic of oppression and insurrection, directed with dramatic urgency and a skilled eye by Francis Lawrence (“Constantine,” “I Am Legend”). Set in the fascist future state of Panem, the movie takes pains to show its young mass audience what living under a totalitarian dictatorship might look and feel like. But the sharpest aspects of “Catching Fire” — the parts that sting — play as an allegory for today. Very few people will take in this spectacle of a society amusing itself to death, of “reality games” and the vapid media hysteria that surrounds them, and not draw a parallel to our own televised bread and circuses. At its best, “Catching Fire” is a blockbuster that bites the culture that made it.
(Excerpt) Read more at bostonglobe.com ...
Yes, the author used Katniss’s growing connection with her makeup team and handlers in the plot. But the primary function of the makeup team was female wish fulfillment. And I am a woman and the mother of daughters.
I don’t think it was primarily as wish fulfillment at all. I don’t think anybody’s wish includes imminent death, which is the only reason she’s getting that luxury. The luxury is very much presented as the lipstick on a pig of a situation, including frequent references to Katniss not enjoying it because of what comes next.
Our culture romanticizes the beautiful and the doomed, and has since Romanticism began. Katniss is nobly facing death and doesn’t enjoy the glamour and celebrity, but she has them anyway. It’s not Katniss’s wish fullfilment; it’s the intended reader’s.
I don’t see it fulfilling anybody’s wish. Who really wishes to be a painted doll then killed?
We currently have an authoritarian government that is based on ripping off wealthy and productive people and giving away tons of free stuff to the unproductive "poor."
The authoritarian government of THG is a government of the wealthy based on the principle that all wealth is stolen from the poor. The THG government is effectively the New York Times/Salon.com/The Nation/Mother Jones caricature of a conservative government.
It is about rebellion against a tyrannical oppressive government and the price that must be paid to resist.
All populist leftist entertainment is based on similar themes.
I am going to see the movie later today and see if is close to the book in its portrayal of resistance to a dictatorial degenerate government
The money from your ticket will help fund contributions by the Hollywood supporters of our current regime.
The books, like the movie, are a leftist fantasy about what would happen if conservatives controlled the government.
Enjoy the movie, but don't pretend that it somehow has a conservative message.
Precisely.
Good point. Atlas Shrugged is playing out now, yet it was written 50+ years ago.
Even good stories by lib authors may have consequences and interpretations that they didn’t anticipate.
Rollerball with Bows and Arrows?
I have zero interest in female action heroes... at least not this kind. This movie is for the 15-30 year olds who think gay marriage is perfectly normal.
“and that’s how babies grow?”
“you gotta be kidding me”
I think it’s simply an anti-government theme...regardless of which political party is representative of the one in the books/movie.
The author’s opinions aside, I still view it as a good story about resistance to tyranny. Frankly, I can see either side of our political aisle acting in the manner portrayed here - because they’re really no different from each other. The objective for both Dem and GOPe politicians is nothing short of power and control over the citizenry.
Think North Dakota wheatfields and Noo Yawk City.
ND wheat fields are producing with late 20th c. technology - fossil fuel fertilizers and giant harvesters - and NYC can’t stage the Hunger Games or anything close to it.
I tend to agree. The 15 - 30 year olds that see this movie have been steeped in Marxist ideology from K till grad school. The people that read on this site usually have a conservative world view through which they see and analyze ideas. If today’s young brain washed masses see this film they will not think, “Obama and the Dems are bad - be ware!” They will think, “Oh, so this is what would happen if the Bible thumpers and the Tea Party were in charge. Boy, we better not let that happen.”
Every night I want you to hold Marvin the cat.
LOL.
“he’s not a real cat...”
hahahahaha...they did a great job with that clip
We don’t know anything about the technology the districts get to use to produce. We know the technology for living in District 12 is early 20th century, but we know nothing about the technology in the mines, or the tech in the production areas of other Districts. Given that everything is rationed and part of that rationing is specifically geared towards punishment it’s entirely feasible the Capital is sending all good tech to production only. We know 13 has some pretty sweet tech, and 1 and 2 seem to have some good stuff, but we have a very narrow tunnel we get to view that world with, so the overall tech level is only something we can guess at.
I thought “Atlas Shruged vs. Lord of the Flies.”
We are never going to agree. I am not pretending anything. The movie can be viewed with a conservative, freedom loving message as is evidenced by a number of the commenters here. It is a major popular culture vehicle that will reach millions of people. It should be used to educate the dangers of an Obama, authoritarian, decadent regime and encourage resistance to the same. If you wish to denounce it, that is your viewpoint, but you won't reach nearly as much of an audience that is not already conservative.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.