The Hunger Games was one book I intentionally ignored reading before seeing the film. I'd read all seven Harry Potter books before those films made it to the big screen, and couldn't help but feel the sting of every little moment that got axed. While I adore those films, part of me was ever so slightly disappointed by almost every single one of them. Instead of focusing on what the filmmakers got right, I found myself analyzing what got cut out. Following that series, I made it a habit to read the book after the fact. It allows the book and film to exist separate from one another, with the comparisons being less harsh.
I'm also reminded of a great quote I once read from John Irving, the novelist and screenwriter of The Cider House Rules. Tangled in drafts and conflict with the production team, he finally decided to stop adapting his book to the letter, and started focusing on making the best film he could. I'm paraphrasing, but his quote went something like this: We're not making a book, we're making a film.
Such is the case with The Hunger Games, a divisive motion picture that enraged some fans, but also seemed to capture the attention, and admiration, of many fans and non-fans alike. Adapting The Hunger Games is really a catch-22. After all, the book is a bit of an anti-commercial commentary on the sensationalistic nature of realty TV, while also digging on the domination and destructive nature of the 1%, so to speak. It's hard not to sensationalize aspects of the movie in order to sell it to the mainstream crowd, but with a PG-13 rating, there's a fine line between what is and isn't acceptable. Some have commented that the film feels neutered – such is the case when trying to find that bigger audience.
Also, leading up to the film's release, the buzz among non-fans and movie nuts was that the film was a watered-down, Americanized version of the Japanese cult hit, Battle Royale. While those comparisons are certainly valid on some level, Battle Royale isn't the first story to dive into the reality TV craze, nor is it the first to explore our thirst for violence, mayhem and death. That dates all the way back to the days of the Roman empire, and far beyond. And even novels like Lord of the Flies explore what happens when teens are pitted against one another.
As an outsider, viewing The Hunger Games for the first time, I saw a wholly compelling, well-made, multi-layered teen thriller that was largely a metaphor for the angst-addled trials and tribulations of high school life, and the various social structures that seem designed to tear us down at that age.
The circus of The Hunger Games – the crowds of wildly dressed clowns (a sort of mixture of steam punk and hipster) surrounding the contestants – are the teachers, the parents, the counselors and various relatives – each telling the young students what to do and how to survive. Each are watching with their own motivations – some selfishly or enviously.
Instead of cutthroat tests and GPA contests – where being the best student lands the best scholarship, and one point means the world – are the games themselves. Some students will do anything to win. Some feel forced into competing. Others are angered by the perceived redneck who happens to be naturally better or smarter than the hardworking studious youth who feels entitled to the crown. Others simply succumb to a harsh competitive spirit, and want nothing more than to watch their peers fail. There's even a fleeting romance between two teens simply trying to survive the trenches of high school.
This may not be the point of Suzanne Collins' trilogy, but it's the metaphor that stands out the most in director Gary Ross' film, and it's what made the movie entertaining, alluring and often frightening.
Hunger Games' Josh Hutcherson on Peeta's Progress
The Hunger Games isn't a film that's trying to glamorize violence, either, as some have suggested. That said, the graphic violence depicted in the film definitely pushes the boundaries of the PG-13 rating, so plan appropriately if you're a parent. On that level, the movie doesn't yell at its audience for enjoying the picture or investing in the characters or the story (like Diary of the Dead did, for example), but instead allows the viewer to come to their own conclusions about the film's metaphors and social commentary. If you walk out of The Hunger Games and you rooted for people to die, you missed the point.
The story was a tragedy, on every level. It's a tragedy for Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) who must compete in a war of senseless violence. It's a tragedy for Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), who's unsure whether Katniss actually feels love for him. And it's even a tragedy for the perceived villains of the story, who trained for this day for their entire lives and saw it all erased by Katniss and Peeta.
The film isn't without its share of flaws, of course. The world itself isn't properly set up in the beginning, leaving a questionable string of logic for what follows. The morose setting of the first act doesn't help much, either. Some characters aren't quite fleshed out as nicely as they should have been. And for a world that's allegedly filled with hungry people, pretty much everyone looks fit as a fiddle. Visual effects are often laughably bad, too, even though set design and costumes are downright Oscar worthy. The shaky camerawork can also get a little nauseating at times.
But those are only minor setbacks in an otherwise stunning first chapter in this inevitable trilogy of striking morality plays. The action is compelling, brutal and tragic – balancing the dark nature of the narrative without playing too excessive or exploitative. The Hunger Games may be a flawed beast, to be sure, but there's plenty of subtext to glean from the narrative, and a slew of wonderfully rich characters worth investing in.
The Hunger Games Blu-ray arrives courtesy of Summit and Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The film is presented in 2.40:1 widescreen, encoded in 1080p/AVC and mixed in thunderous 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Considering that this is easily Lionsgate's biggest film this year, there was a lot riding on this presentation, and the disc itself does not disappoint.
The transfer is stunning in almost every way. Colors are bold and vivid, but morose and subdued when they need to be. Textures, shadows and image depth are top notch, with very little bleed or inconsistency. Film grain is a bit on the heavy side (The Hunger Games was shot on Super 35, so that's not surprising), but it's naturalistic and gritty, adding further texture to the story. The encode itself suffers little artifacting, though some noise was detected during darker, nighttime shots. On the whole, this is a reference transfer that brings the dazzling imagery of the picture to life.
Audio is also reference grade. The 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is both nuanced and aggressive, with atmospheric surround usage, perfect balancing, crystal clear dialogue and hefty, moody bass. Never once was there a single high-end crackle or distortion noted. This mix allows for an immersive listening experience that brings you straight into the action.
The Hunger Games Blu-ray includes two discs – one for the film and a disc full of bonus features. There's also a Digital Copy of the film, and an UltraViolet copy. Disc one is relatively free of goodies, other than a few promos and trailers. There's also a nifty DTS-HD calibration feature. It's a shame all discs don't have this feature as a standard goodie.
Moving on to disc two, there's a slew of material to explore, starting with The World is Watching: Making The Hunger Games, an incredible feature-length documentary chronicling the entire production. It's rare to see documentaries like this much anymore, and I whole-heartedly commend Lionsgate for offering up something this cool. Needless to say, if you're a fan of the film or the book series, this documentary is well worth a look.
The remaining bonus features are mostly fluff, albeit interesting and informative fluff, which isn't surprising considering how much ground is covered in the 140-minute documentary. There are five additional featurettes, totaling about 45 minutes. They include a look at the game center, an examination of director Gary Ross and discussions with Suzanne Collins, Gary Ross and Elvis Mitchel, and Donald Sutherland. The second disc concludes with 90-second propaganda film and a marketing archive for The Hunger Games, including trailers, posters and photos from the film.
Even with the odds stacked against it, The Hunger Games turned out to be a pretty fantastic piece of sci-fi cinema that rides a very fine line between compelling and exploitative, and manages to make the morose, fantastical setting and violent themes work. For some, the adaptation is less than perfect. But for others, particularly newcomers, the film will only inspire more to read the original books. As for the Blu-ray – if you dug this film, this disc is worth owning. With a terrific transfer, knockout audio, and an outstanding collection of bonus features, there's little reason to skip this disc. The Hunger Games survives the competition.
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