The Hunger Games (2012): Entertaining (Troubling?)

One of the more anticipated movies of the season, The Hunger Games, based on Suzanne Collins’ bestselling “young adult” book of the same name, is a gripping, action-filled drama, with socio-political undertones. It features a very watchable Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) in another “breakout” role (assuming it’s possible to describe two back-to-back performances this way) as a tough young woman in survivalist mode. Set in a dystopian future, it’s something like a cross between the reality show Survivor and the The 10thVictim (1965).

The 10th Victim was about a future TV show called The Hunt, in which volunteers were selected to participate in legalized assassination for fun and profit, and public entertainment. Any contestant who completed ten rounds, five as “hunter” and five as “victim”, retired with glory and a sack of money. The popular program was cynically promoted by the world government as an outlet for the masses’ violent tendencies, much like the Romans used the gladiatorial battles and public spectacles in the Colosseum. The movie featured Ursula Andress as a huntress seeking her 10^th victim, and Marcello Mastrianni as her prey. Unlike The Hunger Games, the multiple settings are urban and urbane, in  James Bond/Ocean’s Eleven style, and the picture is intended as a satire.

The Hunger Games is darker, more muscular, and more disturbing. It is also about made-for-TV government sponsored murder, although carnage is a better description. The “show” plays out in an artificial wilderness and pits 24 randomly selected teenagers, one boy and one girl from each of twelve districts, against one another.  The  sole survivor gains glory for self and district, the other 23 are dead.  This annual contest is the legacy of and punishment for a failed rebellion against the Capital by those districts 75 years ago. As further punishment, the  districts themselves are kept dirt poor by the  wealthy,  oppressive capital.

At least that is the case in District 12, where 16 year old Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) lives in a shack in the woods with her twelve year old sister Primrose (Willow Shields) and a traumatized, barely functional mother. Things are so rough, Katniss, the effective head of her little family, has to (illegally) hunt squirrels and other critters for food. District 12 seems to be a coal mining area and the other residents have a depression era Appalachian look – drab, grey, gaunt. When the annual selection of contestants (the “Reaping”) takes place, Primrose’s name is called, and to save her, Katniss quickly volunteers to take her place. The baker’s son, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), is the selected boy.  These two are wisked off to the Capital – which looks like a high tech, fascist version of Oz, and their horrible adventure begins.

Katniss is the center of this tale – a scared, yet resolute and capable, if reluctant, warrior.  We experience the “Games”  and learn to understand what is going on with her, through her.  Lawrence nails this role, and is as believable here as she was as Ree in Winter’s Bone two years ago. Indeed, the two characters are quite similar, albeit Katniss is far more vigorous, of necessity, in this film, and the story here is far more exciting. Credit director and screenwriter Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit, Big) working with Clint Eastwood’s cinematographer Tom Stern (Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, J Edgar) , for creating such a visceral, compelling action-adventure.  

Yet, while I was gripping my armrest and rooting for Katniss to succeed, to survive, I was troubled. A world where the rulers force children to hunt each other down as blood sport on a “reality” television show is horrid, of course. Worse still is the idea that millions of people would find the  spectacle of teen killing teen entertaining.  And then I realized that I was one of them! I was participating in much the same thing by digging a movie depicting this (thankfully fictional) world, watching kids savaging other kids in a battle for survival. And I’m  not alone: this picture is doing boffo at the box office.  And why? There’s not really a moral to this story. It’s not Lord of the Flies. It’s just a  Hollywood entertainment, innit?.  Sure, there’s a bit about the fascistic ruling class holding down the hardworking common people, but let’s not fool ourselves into believing  that this is anything but a frame, a plot device to set up the terrible yet riveting  action scenes.

I must say, however, that the rendering of the decadent Capital with a kind of updated 1930’s fascist architecture was neatly done, while the style and behavior of the ruling class seemed like a clever melding of the court of Louis XVI just before the revolution and the world of Luc Besson’s Fifth Element (1998). The contrast between this place and its people with the ordinary people ‘back home’ was stark, interesting and just maybe, part of a broader point. Something about the 99%, perhaps?  And how our ruling oligarchy is crushing the middl …  No, can’t be!

While Lawrence clearly carries the movie, Hutcherson  (The Kids Are Alright) holds his own as strong, shy Peeta.  StanleyTucci is brilliant as the smarmy, effervescent MC of the Hunger Games show;  Woody Harrelson convincing as Hitch, a world-weary, crusty former  contest winner/survivor, now mentor to the District 12 teens; Elizabeth Banks bizarrely interesting as their escort; Lenny Kravitz reassuring as Cinna, their designer/friend; and Donald Sutherland coolly evil as Machiavellian President Snow.

The set design, costuming, action scenes, editing are all first class, too.

In current release.