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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 Review
Other | Monday 24th November 2014 |
Often compared to Kinju Fukasaku’s Battle Royale (2000), The Hunger Games tells the tale of a ruthless Capitol who annually select boys and girls aged between 12 and 18 from each of the twelve districts in Panem, placing them in a post apocalyptic landscape with limited tools in a game of survival, where they must eliminate each other to death.
Based on the book trilogy by Suzanne Collins, a lot of fans were surprised to see the third part split into two movies. That being said, Mockingjay Part 1 suffers from a definite lack of action and takes a while for the story to build. However, the narrative is approached from a different angle than it was with the first two movies.
In Mockingjay Part I, we pick up from Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), having survived the arena from Catching Fire, being is taken to the depths of District 13, an underground compound that is still fully operational. She reluctantly accepts her position as Mockingjay – a symbol, or perhaps even a propaganda piece that represents the rebellion in their war against the Capitol. A lot of reviews have emphasised the brilliance of Jennifer Lawrence’s performance, which is undeniably true and expected.
Different from a typical action film, we enter a different kind of game, a game of propaganda where the participants are the Capitol and the rebels, although Katniss still remains the reluctant hero as assured by her keepers: “everyone is going to want to kiss you, kill you, or be you”.
The movie does a grand job in highlighting the role that propaganda plays in warfare and how leaders use this tool to influence the masses. Director Francis Lawrence describes The Hunger Games as a “thematic mirror” which reflects real life wars, consequences, and people damaged because of it. I would agree with Josh Hutcherson, who plays the character of Peeta, that although the movie is portrayed in a large scope, Lawrence still manages to keep it grounded and relatable so that people are able to connect and see correlations to the current real life world. Producer Nina Jacobson has also described Katniss as the “face of social change”.
The last scene of this movie is a definite OMG moment, a set up to what is going to be an amazing, eagerly anticipated part 2. If you’re a fan of the books and have watched the first two movies, this one is definitely worth your time and money.
The games may be over… but the real games are only just beginning.
Rating: 8/10
