The Hunger Games - part 2

Having seen The Hunger Games again, it’s time for the second post in this series (first post is here).  Here are a few thoughts about the film (SPOILER ALERT).

• It is very re-watchable.  I’ve actually seen it three times now (I intended to see it twice, but ended up going a third time anyway), and it is not boring me.
• The two leads, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, really are excellent.  I spent a lot of one viewing watching Lawrence’s performance – it’s pretty special.
• This story is by no means finished, and it feels it.  Being part one of a trilogy, this is not surprising.  It definitely feels like there is a lot more to come.
• I loved the defiance and subversion at the end, when Katniss and Peeta refuse to kill each other, forcing the Gamemakers to allow two winners, and throughout the Games, as Katniss allies with Rue and then gives her a respectful funeral.
• I love the ambiguity of the relationship between the two leads – this gives a great extra dimension to the film.
• I love Katniss’ character.  I love how she finds it hard to make friends, how she often doesn’t know what to say, how she doesn’t always get jokes.  Brilliant.
• One of the most interesting aspects was the role reversal of the male and female leads – usually it is the male who is the braver, the more heroic, the more reserved, the more determined.  I love that this is flipped in this film.
• I still think the film could have been longer, to incorporate a bit more backstory.
• There is no way this should have been a 12A.  It was reduced from a 15 after cutting 7 seconds of violence, but surely the whole concept (essentially gladiatorial combat for kids) is more disturbing than any particular shots of blood or gore.
• I hope that the books and next two films don’t sell out.  I don’t know what happens, but I hope they manage to keep the integrity of the characters and develop the themes that have been set up.

I plan to read the books sometime this summer.  Parts 3 to 5 of this series will appear then.