If Only All Film Adaptations Were This Good

By a stroke of good fortune, I had the chance to see the new film adaptation of The Hunger Games at midnight on Thursday. I had wanted to see the movie, but I wasn’t especially excited about it and had very neutral expectations. Boy, did I get a surprise.

The story follows Katniss Everdeen, a teenage girl living in a crapsack world who volunteers for the eponymous Hunger Games when her sister’s name is drawn from the lottery. Each year a boy and girl from each district must journey to the ruling Captial to participate in the sadistic Games, a fight to the death to remind the Districts of the Capital’s power, and of the failed rebellion over seventy years ago.

Not only is the adaptation excellent, the film itself is incredible. The quality shown and the effort put in are truly surpassing, and as both a reader and movie lover, that just makes me so happy. The transformation of the story from page to screen is one of the best I have seen, ever. The film’s more faithful than most of the Harry Potter movies to the source material, in capturing the feeling of the book, the characters, and the plot. It is absolutely beautiful to behold. What’s even better is that the book works so well in a visual medium, and as an observer you can take in so much more. Of course a few minor things were changed, as they must be, but any changes made are small, logical, and still keep to the essence of the book. One change of particular note is that the scope of the movie is broadened a touch more than in the book, and it is a very wise decision. In the book Katniss narrates for us, and because she understands the world she lives in and can make explanatory notes in passing, there is no need to show much outside of what’s happening to her. That’s quite a bit harder (if not impossible) to do in a film, so we end up with a few scenes of Haymitch acting on Katniss and Peeta’s behalf, the gamemakers deciding on new challenges, and scenes from outside the Capital to show the impact of the Games on Panem. There’s also commentary from the hosts with several “as you know” moments. These scenes are integrated seamlessly into the action and do a lot for the reader’s comprehension. And as far as comprehensibility goes if you haven’t read the book, you should be able to understand and enjoy the film with no trouble. Of course some things will resonate a lot more if you have read the book, such as the three fingers gesture and characterization, particularly of minor characters like Rue, Cato, and Foxface. The world will also make more sense, although a film viewer is less likely to be concerned about worldbuilding than a reader. Katniss and Peeta’s relationship receives less attention as well, in part because there’s simply not enough time to develop it fully. Unfortunately, this does result in the relationship being slightly less believable and not nearly as major a part of the plot, but your mileage may vary on whether or not this is a good thing.

A large part of why this story works so well as a film is that all of the characters are extraordinarily well cast. There are several famous faces that don’t draw attention to themselves and fit their parts well – the best example would be Donald Sutherland as President Snow, who gives off that subtle repulsion beneath a genteel exterior that the character needs to work. Effie and Haymitch are also wonderful, and provide some of the movie’s funny moments. And now I must take a moment to fangirl about Jennifer Lawrence, because this movie would not be what it is at all without her. In the book, Katniss is strong, aloof, and lethal, but at times it’s a bit hard to relate to her because not a whole lot truly gets to her. That is not a problem here. Jennifer Lawrence is an immensely talented actress, and her face says what words can’t, humanizing Katniss a little more without sacrificing any of her toughness. The death of a specific ally and Katniss’ reaction especially proves this, and the acting was glorious to behold.

Part of what turns some people off about this series (my mother comes to mind) is the amount of violence involved in the story. Because of the premise, filmmakers obviously can’t get rid of it – but they can, and did, portray it with taste. Graphic violence is used sparingly, so there’s enough to leave an impact and a deep impression about the sort of world these people live in, but it’s not gratuitous (especially considering the subject matter/premise). Not that that means you should be taking your ten-year-old to see this movie, but still, the depiction was a pleasant surprise.

On a technical note, the production design, cinematography, and use of sound are all done exceedingly well. The costumes and makeup look exactly as I imagined they would, and the contrast between the aesthetic of the Districts and the Capital only underlines how dystopic this world is. The camera work is quite interesting, and contributes a lot to capturing the feeling of the movie. Tons of close-ups keep the focus narrow and internal, while the “shaky cam” technique (never one of my personal favorites) gives the audience a sense of utter confusion and chaos of the Games (and is also not used ubiquitously, a definite plus). The use of silence is fantastic, and provides isolation and impact. It also makes you pay attention, because at times scores can distance us from the characters and actions. Not to say that the score in this film isn’t used well, because it is, although it doesn’t particularly stand out either.

Overall, The Hunger Games is a beautifully made film, which still has some of the flaws of the original (like serious holes in worldbuilding). Most of these flaws, though, can be overlooked or at least aren’t as important in a movie. The story’s also an interesting treatise on reality television and manipulated (and manipulative) it is, although that’s hardly the point. Moreover, the film is well-paced – the action doesn’t move at breakneck speed, but nor does it ever really drag. There is also, as pointed out by my boyfriend, a subtle Lady Macbeth reference if you’re the type of person who enjoys those things.

Definitely worth your money to see it in the theater, or at least on Netflix.