Perhaps it's cliched for me to be blogging about The Hunger Games right now, on the weekend of the movie's birth. I'm sure that nearly everyone and their mom has also done so. But I need an outlet for my musings. Otherwise I will continue to exclaim "Why does Peeta not exist!" at the top of my lungs for the next 6 weeks.
Rest assured, I enjoyed the books for more reasons than the character of Peeta. And, to be hipster, I read them before everyone else found out about them from the movie release. I also liked Peeta before he was Josh Hutcherson. But that's beside the point.
I really enjoyed the movie. It was perhaps the best book-to-movie adaptation that I have ever seen (the second half of the 7th Harry Potter being second place). Maybe this was because I read the book over a year ago. I probably forgot a number of details. But I think it's best to have some separation between the time of reading a book and seeing the movie. Then they can stand independent of one another. I realize that certain things were changed, and the movie moved quickly, but it was a lot of story to tell in such a short amount of time. So I accept these changes with open arms.
The Hunger Games is a very interesting, artistic portrayal of mankind. It seems to be a sort of commentary on the human condition, man's corrupted nature, but also his potential for good. The scary thing is that this is something our culture could eventually turn into. Maybe we're already here. People have become so desensitized to violence, through movies and video games, that this modern form of gladiator battles isn't too far from reality.
It's the idea of people being entertained by death that is so vile. The Capitol is full of people who revel in violence, who have no respect for human dignity or life. Much like the people who used to watch hangings for entertainment during Renaissance times, or people who gloried in gladiator matches. The only real, good people that exist in Panem are those in the poor districts, who can't afford to "fix" their imperfections. Those who have to fight to survive. The overlooked.
One scene from the movie that seems imprinted on my mind is set in the capitol. The camera focuses on a small boy receiving a present from his parents, a short sword. He proceeds to chase his sister, brandishing it at her. Young children being apart of this twisted society goes very much against God's intention for mankind. It's even more disturbing than the adults like Seneca Crane who create the games.
Career Tributes are potentially the most disgusting of all the characters in these stories, though. They are children bred simply for the killing of others, should they be put in the Hunger Games. This fact is emphasized in the last scene of the games. Cato, a career tribute and the last person standing between Katniss, Peeta and victory, strangles Peeta as Katniss aims her bow at him. He says, defeatedly, that he doesn't know how to do anything but kill.
I guess when I read the books I never imagined the story to be so life-like. It was pure fantasy to me. The movie made it realistic. The violence was so real. I found myself close to becoming physically ill at the site of it (I most definitely do not recommend taking children under the age of 15 to this film).
While this may sound like I'm bashing on the film, I'm really not. I loved it. And I'm hoping to see it again sometime this weekend. I loved it for its honesty. I also loved it for its good characters.
Let's take a while to reflect on Peeta Mellark, aka The Boy With the Bread. Peeta defies all previously set standards for leading male characters in fiction writing. He is humble and kind, self-sacrificing and loving. Peeta is the utter opposite of his counterpart, Gale. Some people would compare the love triangle presented here to that of Twilight (Gale-Katniss-Peeta = Jacob-Bella-Edward), but the literary merit of this book is so beyond that of Twilight that this comparison is unfair.
I was never a fan of Gale. He's the arrogant jock type. Someone who would survive the Hunger Games had he been picked. Peeta's the humble, strong, and loving type. He was never expected to survive. Even he knew that.
Peeta always looked out for Katniss above himself. He was never self-serving. Somehow this is a fault, according to a friend of mine, with whom I debate the issue of Peeta vs. Gale quite often. Peeta is not the kind of man that society puts as the leader. This is why I respect him. He's not cliched. And I realize that he's not completely realistic either. But I think, deep down, this is the type of man every girl wants. He loved Katniss long before she loved him. (not to mention that Josh Hutcherson can make a brilliantly bright blue suit look classy)
Katniss is also more than the stereotypical teenage heroine. She is selfless - volunteering as tribute when her sister is chosen. Before this she has spent her whole life working to provide for her family. And she leads the rebellion against The Capitol. She is flawed, too. Sometimes to the point of the reader becoming disgusted with her. But I don't think she deserves to be put on the same level as Bella Swan.
The Hunger Games is a story that seems to revolve around death and destruction, but I hope people see it for much more than that. If it's read critically this book can be very constructive. Right now I'm a bit obsessed, but this will probably wear off just in time for the second movie to come out (November 22, 2013!) so that I can become re-obsessed again.
