The Hunger Games Movie Review, a.k.a., the post you all have (not) been waiting for
Actually I am posting this because I promised my friend that I would write in some detail about the movie. Because I procrastinated today, I don't have a ton of time to write about it, but I will do my best.
Let's see, where do I start? I'm going to try and keep the movie and book comparisons to a minimum, although some comparisions and commentary on the movie v. the book are inevitable. For instance, I feel that the movie is probably easier to understand on a grander scale if you read the books. There is a lot more explanation, background, and internal monologue, so you have a better idea of what Katniss is going through, what the background behind the Capitol and Panem is, etc. I honestly feel like Gary Ross made the movie as a love letter to the book, as though he intended it to be seen as a companion piece, after you've read the book. We know he read the book and loved it, and co-wrote the script with the author, so at times I felt there were details left out (perhaps intentionally) on the assumption that most people had already read the story. I also understand that it was a logistical problem; they only have so much time to show what happens and the movie already topped out at two-and-a-half hours, which is a pretty long running time.
However, that being said, because you have creative forces and individuals involved, the movie becomes its own animal and own entity with what I feel are both subtle and obvious differences between the characters in the book and the characters in the movie. My favorite examples are the three main characters, Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch. What was interesting to me about Katniss was that, as played by Jennifer Lawrence, although she was still reserved and tough and hesitant, she brought this warmth to Katniss that melted off this feeling of petulance I got when I read about her in the book. I think part of that may also be due to the fact that we don't get her internal monologue, so although we hear what she says and read her expressions, we never REALLY know what she's thinking. I've often thought that if we knew what everyone was thinking all the time, we'd all probably either hate each other or become much more cynical.
Peeta was interesting to me, too, because in the book, he came off as a very sentimental, open and honest guy who wasn't afraid, after he had confessed his feelings, to openly share his affection for Katniss. In the book we read it all through Katniss's suspicious POV, but even in that, his actions are very obvious. In the movie, they played it with much more subtlety, reducing his lines, toning down his actions. He is both shy and yet gently persuasive the entire time. I noticed upon watching it a second time how much of what he says and does is a reflection of that persuasive, but likeable part of his personality. He manages to be convincing without being controlling. He is manipulative without being cruel. But his actions around Katniss are very guarded. It's, in my mind, much more realistic for a guy who has liked this girl for ten years but has never really talked to her. It's easy to have all these thoughts and feelings, but actions are so much harder. I also loved how they added the part to his cave monologue about how he should have gone to her, when he threw her the bread, how he regrets not doing that - and of course he would, because of his kindness and his feelings for her. His desperation during that speech was really great. I also loved the part where he put the ointment on her forehead, and it's such a weighted moment; he has wanted all his life just to have an opportunity to really look at her, be this close to her, and the awfulness that it has to be here, in this moment, but still, his emotions are so raw and close to the surface without him having to say anything. [Also I want to note how much I hate how everyone on the internet ruined that moment for me by pairing it with the Simba scene from The Lion King. It was all I could do not to mention it right away.]
The other thing I found interesting about the way they portrayed Peeta, and this was something Gary Ross had mentioned, was how they did not immediately show Peeta's physical strength. We get a little taste of it when he throws the medicine ball during training (which probably piqued the Careers' interest to bring him onto their team), but not again until the very end, when he's fighting Cato and you see him pull Cato off Katniss, and literally body-slam him onto the other side of the Cornucopia and all of a sudden, I was like, "Holy shit, I am so turned on right now, haha." I also loved the braid touch during the berry scene. In the book, he kissed her lightly on the lips, but here, he just has this little touch, like this is all he can do, even in our last moments, we hang onto our anxieties and fear and this is all he can muster to do, is just gently touch her braid, remember what it feels like to touch her before they both die. It was a powerful moment. I will say that I don't know what to make of the fact that Katniss did not explain how Haymitch coached her to kiss him and make it seem like they're in love. I feel like there was a touch of sadness on his part when he says he "doesn't want to forget" what happened in the games, but we don't get that shock and feeling of betrayal like we did in the book. So I wonder if they're going to touch on that at the beginning of the second movie?
Haymitch to me was the most different. I had always pictured [book] Haymitch as Hugh Laurie, a sarcastic, sloppy, hard-edged guy who wasn't keen on hygiene or life in general. He was much more mean in the books, too. I know Woody purposefully played him differently, partially because he saw the character differently, and I think, partially because as an actor, you always bring a bit of yourself into your roles, whether you admit it or not. So [movie] Haymitch was a less of a drunk, a bit more dapper, and seemingly a bit smarter from the get-go, although I always think Haymitch was smart; he just wasn't recognized as much from behind the drunk fog. I liked the way Woody played him, though. I loved watching his disdain for the Capitol citizens and his love and support for Katniss.
The fascinating thing is that there was so much love and support for Jennifer Lawrence playing Katniss and I feel like that made its way into the characters, too, from Peeta, and Gale, and Prim, to Cinna and Haymitch and Rue... everyone who spends any amount of time around her can't seem to help but love her, and I hear the same about Jen from all of her co-workers when talking about the movie. I think she has the unassuming magnetism that Katniss also possesses.
I heard a lot of complains about the handheld [shaky] cam in the first part of the movie, and while I agree at a couple parts it was very jarring and difficult to follow, it also made it much more jarring and real. I loved the way he played with the sights and sounds in order to bring us into Katniss' world, like during the tracker jacker scene after she's been stung and everything goes all wiggy. Or after the explosion of the Careers' supply pyramid when her hearing goes out temporarily and all we hear is the high pitched ringing in her ears and the muffled noise. He also did this during her interview scene, and I thought that worked incredibly well there, too. But speaking of sound, I was absolutely shocked and grateful how minimal the musical score in the movie was. They could have really played it up with a lot of brass and strings in order to pull at our heartstrings or build suspense, but instead, Ross relied a lot on the ambient noise, crunching leaves, falling trees, birds, in order to bring us into the arena with Katniss. The moments where the music came into play were powerful moments, like during Rue's death scene, or the train coming into the Capitol. The reaping scene was so much more powerful with the silence that precedes Effie's introduction. That was probably the part I liked the most, and made it feel less like a big budget picture and more like a small indie film.
Not gonna lie, either - I totally cried when Rue died. Amandla Stenberg played her so perfectly, so sweetly, that you couldn't help but really feel the pain in that moment. And also that moment right before they eat the berries... sniff.
Other random thoughts:
- Seneca Crane's beard looked even more dashing on the big screen.
- I did appreciate the parts that they added with Seneca and Snow that weren't in the book. Loved the gamemakers' scenes and the little glimpse we got of Haymitch rallying for sponsors.
- Effie was played so perfectly for me. She is so prim and proper yet so despicable, which is how I felt about her in the beginning; just so clueless, you wonder how?
- The train was beautiful and even more opulent than I expected, while the training center was much more minimal and futuristic than I'd imagined, but somehow it made sense.
- Did anyone else think it was weird that they picked Century Gothic as the font for the opening monologue [Treaty of Treason] and the closing credits? I mean, I like that font but it was jarring because it seems so modern and a part of this current time, as opposed to some post-apocalyptic future. I am not sure what I would have suggested otherwise, though.
- I really hope there are some deleted scenes in the DVD release that show scenes they had to cut for time and/or story.
- I REALLY hope Gary Ross does a commentary on the DVD.
- I can't wait for the DVD to come out.
OK, 'tis all. I have to actually get some real-life things accomplished before I have to take off here! I will shoot for a non-Hunger Games post soon. I haven't written anything on here for a while; kinda feeling guilty about that. Tumblr has taken over my life and fried my brain so it can only process silly pictures and gif photosets. What is life.
PS: Wes has got me watching Game of Thrones now, and I'll be damned if I don't love that show. THIS IS WHY I DON'T LIKE WATCHING NEW SHOWS. GRRR. Now I'm gonna have to read the books!! I don't have time for this!
Let's see, where do I start? I'm going to try and keep the movie and book comparisons to a minimum, although some comparisions and commentary on the movie v. the book are inevitable. For instance, I feel that the movie is probably easier to understand on a grander scale if you read the books. There is a lot more explanation, background, and internal monologue, so you have a better idea of what Katniss is going through, what the background behind the Capitol and Panem is, etc. I honestly feel like Gary Ross made the movie as a love letter to the book, as though he intended it to be seen as a companion piece, after you've read the book. We know he read the book and loved it, and co-wrote the script with the author, so at times I felt there were details left out (perhaps intentionally) on the assumption that most people had already read the story. I also understand that it was a logistical problem; they only have so much time to show what happens and the movie already topped out at two-and-a-half hours, which is a pretty long running time.
However, that being said, because you have creative forces and individuals involved, the movie becomes its own animal and own entity with what I feel are both subtle and obvious differences between the characters in the book and the characters in the movie. My favorite examples are the three main characters, Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch. What was interesting to me about Katniss was that, as played by Jennifer Lawrence, although she was still reserved and tough and hesitant, she brought this warmth to Katniss that melted off this feeling of petulance I got when I read about her in the book. I think part of that may also be due to the fact that we don't get her internal monologue, so although we hear what she says and read her expressions, we never REALLY know what she's thinking. I've often thought that if we knew what everyone was thinking all the time, we'd all probably either hate each other or become much more cynical.
Peeta was interesting to me, too, because in the book, he came off as a very sentimental, open and honest guy who wasn't afraid, after he had confessed his feelings, to openly share his affection for Katniss. In the book we read it all through Katniss's suspicious POV, but even in that, his actions are very obvious. In the movie, they played it with much more subtlety, reducing his lines, toning down his actions. He is both shy and yet gently persuasive the entire time. I noticed upon watching it a second time how much of what he says and does is a reflection of that persuasive, but likeable part of his personality. He manages to be convincing without being controlling. He is manipulative without being cruel. But his actions around Katniss are very guarded. It's, in my mind, much more realistic for a guy who has liked this girl for ten years but has never really talked to her. It's easy to have all these thoughts and feelings, but actions are so much harder. I also loved how they added the part to his cave monologue about how he should have gone to her, when he threw her the bread, how he regrets not doing that - and of course he would, because of his kindness and his feelings for her. His desperation during that speech was really great. I also loved the part where he put the ointment on her forehead, and it's such a weighted moment; he has wanted all his life just to have an opportunity to really look at her, be this close to her, and the awfulness that it has to be here, in this moment, but still, his emotions are so raw and close to the surface without him having to say anything. [Also I want to note how much I hate how everyone on the internet ruined that moment for me by pairing it with the Simba scene from The Lion King. It was all I could do not to mention it right away.]
The other thing I found interesting about the way they portrayed Peeta, and this was something Gary Ross had mentioned, was how they did not immediately show Peeta's physical strength. We get a little taste of it when he throws the medicine ball during training (which probably piqued the Careers' interest to bring him onto their team), but not again until the very end, when he's fighting Cato and you see him pull Cato off Katniss, and literally body-slam him onto the other side of the Cornucopia and all of a sudden, I was like, "Holy shit, I am so turned on right now, haha." I also loved the braid touch during the berry scene. In the book, he kissed her lightly on the lips, but here, he just has this little touch, like this is all he can do, even in our last moments, we hang onto our anxieties and fear and this is all he can muster to do, is just gently touch her braid, remember what it feels like to touch her before they both die. It was a powerful moment. I will say that I don't know what to make of the fact that Katniss did not explain how Haymitch coached her to kiss him and make it seem like they're in love. I feel like there was a touch of sadness on his part when he says he "doesn't want to forget" what happened in the games, but we don't get that shock and feeling of betrayal like we did in the book. So I wonder if they're going to touch on that at the beginning of the second movie?
Haymitch to me was the most different. I had always pictured [book] Haymitch as Hugh Laurie, a sarcastic, sloppy, hard-edged guy who wasn't keen on hygiene or life in general. He was much more mean in the books, too. I know Woody purposefully played him differently, partially because he saw the character differently, and I think, partially because as an actor, you always bring a bit of yourself into your roles, whether you admit it or not. So [movie] Haymitch was a less of a drunk, a bit more dapper, and seemingly a bit smarter from the get-go, although I always think Haymitch was smart; he just wasn't recognized as much from behind the drunk fog. I liked the way Woody played him, though. I loved watching his disdain for the Capitol citizens and his love and support for Katniss.
The fascinating thing is that there was so much love and support for Jennifer Lawrence playing Katniss and I feel like that made its way into the characters, too, from Peeta, and Gale, and Prim, to Cinna and Haymitch and Rue... everyone who spends any amount of time around her can't seem to help but love her, and I hear the same about Jen from all of her co-workers when talking about the movie. I think she has the unassuming magnetism that Katniss also possesses.
I heard a lot of complains about the handheld [shaky] cam in the first part of the movie, and while I agree at a couple parts it was very jarring and difficult to follow, it also made it much more jarring and real. I loved the way he played with the sights and sounds in order to bring us into Katniss' world, like during the tracker jacker scene after she's been stung and everything goes all wiggy. Or after the explosion of the Careers' supply pyramid when her hearing goes out temporarily and all we hear is the high pitched ringing in her ears and the muffled noise. He also did this during her interview scene, and I thought that worked incredibly well there, too. But speaking of sound, I was absolutely shocked and grateful how minimal the musical score in the movie was. They could have really played it up with a lot of brass and strings in order to pull at our heartstrings or build suspense, but instead, Ross relied a lot on the ambient noise, crunching leaves, falling trees, birds, in order to bring us into the arena with Katniss. The moments where the music came into play were powerful moments, like during Rue's death scene, or the train coming into the Capitol. The reaping scene was so much more powerful with the silence that precedes Effie's introduction. That was probably the part I liked the most, and made it feel less like a big budget picture and more like a small indie film.
Not gonna lie, either - I totally cried when Rue died. Amandla Stenberg played her so perfectly, so sweetly, that you couldn't help but really feel the pain in that moment. And also that moment right before they eat the berries... sniff.
Other random thoughts:
- Seneca Crane's beard looked even more dashing on the big screen.
- I did appreciate the parts that they added with Seneca and Snow that weren't in the book. Loved the gamemakers' scenes and the little glimpse we got of Haymitch rallying for sponsors.
- Effie was played so perfectly for me. She is so prim and proper yet so despicable, which is how I felt about her in the beginning; just so clueless, you wonder how?
- The train was beautiful and even more opulent than I expected, while the training center was much more minimal and futuristic than I'd imagined, but somehow it made sense.
- Did anyone else think it was weird that they picked Century Gothic as the font for the opening monologue [Treaty of Treason] and the closing credits? I mean, I like that font but it was jarring because it seems so modern and a part of this current time, as opposed to some post-apocalyptic future. I am not sure what I would have suggested otherwise, though.
- I really hope there are some deleted scenes in the DVD release that show scenes they had to cut for time and/or story.
- I REALLY hope Gary Ross does a commentary on the DVD.
- I can't wait for the DVD to come out.
OK, 'tis all. I have to actually get some real-life things accomplished before I have to take off here! I will shoot for a non-Hunger Games post soon. I haven't written anything on here for a while; kinda feeling guilty about that. Tumblr has taken over my life and fried my brain so it can only process silly pictures and gif photosets. What is life.
PS: Wes has got me watching Game of Thrones now, and I'll be damned if I don't love that show. THIS IS WHY I DON'T LIKE WATCHING NEW SHOWS. GRRR. Now I'm gonna have to read the books!! I don't have time for this!