The Hunger Games (2012)

Director: Gary Ross
Screenplay: Billy Ray, Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins (based on the book by Suzanne Collins)
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 
Music: James Newton Howard
Time: 142 minutes
Bottom-line: The modern portrayal of heroism

Recently I have been watching a series of ‘survival’ films, like Life of Pi, 12 Years a Slave, and (in a way) Dallas Buyers Club; The Hunger Games is the next addition to that list. Based on Suzanne Collins’ best seller, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in the lead roles, with Stanley Tucci and Liam Hemsworth in the supporting roles. The film is a faithful copy of the book.

Set in the dystopian future, the story takes place in the nation of Panem, which rules over twelve poor districts. As punishment for a past rebellion, each district must contribute a boy and girl, between 12 and 18 years of age, to participate in the annual ‘Hunger Games’, where 24 competitors should compete in a vast arena (which can hold any environment) until one person alone survives. The games are televised, and the winner is given a lot of wealth and fame. From District 12, the contestants (or ‘tributes’) are Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) – a skilled archer – and Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson). How do the two of them, along with the 22 tributes from the other districts, compete in the Hunger Games? Watch the film and find out!

Lawrence as Katniss

I like the basic idea of the story – where Collins combines various themes like heroism, survival, media, showmanship etc all into one. Since this is teen fiction, there might be controversy if the violence in the film/book is suitable for them. But since I have seen much more violent films, I didn’t really care about the violence in this film. But that apart, the story is quite thrilling from the start. The ending is a bit awkward, and felt bland to me. I felt that the book was a satire on the media – how people do anything to win support; how the media can control the world we live in, how prestige and showmanship and public support can affect one’s life and so on.

Hutcherson as Peeta

Lawrence’s acting is not one of her best works, but she is perfect for the role, except for the fact that the book describes her character as ‘weak and starving’ (and Lawrence does not look like she is starved). Stats say that among the top 200 highest grossing films, not one has a female as the hero, except The Hunger Games. So, in a way, the story sort of encourages females to be brave and strong. And the character of Katniss – like Harry Potter – is the hero that teenagers of today want to see. Very few teens can appreciate the heroism of characters like Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, or James Stewart as George Bailey, but most of them can understand why Katniss is a hero. Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mallark has also done well.

The book

The settings, visual effects and Howard’s score are superb. But the camera work – overall – was sloppy. The ‘shaky-cam’ technique works well in war films, but here, it just made the film a ‘rough ride’. The camera shifted too often and it was too shaky. The cinematography could have been greatly improved. But the thrilling story and excellent acting overcome most of the defects of the film, and The Hunger Games could be the next big thing in teen fiction, after Harry Potter. I am not sure if all adults would find it entertaining, but for teens, it is a thriller that should not be missed!


My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 84%