The Hunger Games

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Running Header: HUNGER GAMES

My Reviewing of The Hunger Games

Kimberly Lindsey

ENG 225 Introduction to Film

Professor Allison Sansbury

December 10, 2013

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I will be giving my review of The Hunger Games film that is based off the best-seller young

adult trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. Gary Ross (director & screenwriter), Suzanne Collins (writer

& screenwriter), Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik (producers), and Tom Stern (cinematographer) all

worked closely to make this dystopian fantasy, that takes place in Panem, what we know as North

America. The Hunger Games came about because of a rebellion in district thirteen seventy-four years

before. The capital completely demolished District thirteen in the end, and they decided to make an it to

were no other district would want to rebel. They forced each District to give one male and one female,

twelve to eighteen years old, once every year, to fight to the death. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer

Lawrence) is the heroine of this story, and she only does only what she must to survive, even though

she knows its wrong to kill, she only kills another competitor only when there is no other viable option.

I will be analyzing this film from a feminist approach, I will support this in the storytelling, acting,

cinematography, editing, sound, style and directing, societal impact, genre, and theme of The Hunger

Games.

Katniss is from District twelve, and the product for this District is coal. Katniss's father passed

away in a coal mine explosion. After this tragic accident is when Katniss had became the main provider

of her family, which was now only her mother (Paula Malcomson) and Primrose also known as Prim

(Willow Shilds); because their mother went into a deep depression and zoned out to were she couldn't

take care of her girls. Katniss would go hunting in the woods outside the electric fence, that was hardly

ever on (SparkNotes, 2013). Her father taught her how to hunt, to provide for the family if something

should ever happen to him. While on hunts she would meet up with her best friend Gale (Leam

Hemsworth).

This is the dreaded day, the day the government will come and take two of the young people for

their entertainment; The Hunger Games are here. There are more guards on this day, but Katniss needs

to hunt to provide for her family, just in case she is chosen this time. She starts out but Prim is wakened

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out of a bad dream. Katniss soothes her sister by singing to her. She tells she has to go and runs to the

woods, hopping not to get caught, because it's against the rules to go outside the fence or hunt. It is

punishable by death if one is caught, but she does it anyway, showing a rebellious streak (SparkNote,

2013).

While in the woods she feels free, and knows she can provide meat or forage berries, ect. to

trade or to cook, this implies a disregard for the rules (SparkNote, 2013). She is ready to take a shot at a

deer; when Gale shows up and scares off the deer. Gale knew she would not be able to carry, sale, or

trade that much meat without getting caught, not on this day. Gale helps Katnip as he calls her, to get a

quail to take to market. There is a hint of something other than friendship as they sit in an open field to

have a small picnic before going back home. Katniss goes to the black market and trades the quail for

what they'll need, as well as a mockingjay pin. She goes home with her goods to get cleaned up,

dresses, and gets her hair done by her mother for the Reaping. This goes against everything Katniss

does on a daily basis. Katniss is not a girly-girl, but she does have a feminine side; she is not over

aggressive, she is tenderhearted and protective of those that are defenseless. Katniss has qualities that

are normally given to boys; she hunts keeping her mother and sister feed, intrepid and tough, better at

hunting than she is expressing how she feels, and she is a skilled bargainer (Pollitt, 2012). Katniss's

mother tells her she is beautiful and Prime says she want to look like her. Katniss says to Prim that she

would rather look her. Then to keep her sister calm she hands her the mokingjay pin, and says to keep

you safe. Then they are off to the "Reaping."

This is Prim's first year to have her name in, it's not likely her name will be called. Katniss had

put her name in 20 extra times to get provisions for her family. Gale has even put his name in 42, they

have a higher chance getting called than any of the first years. Katniss had more fear than she was

showing, she was being strong for her sister. Prim was so scared that she got out of line and wanted to

run, Katniss stopped her and explained what was going to happen, it takes a lot of strength