Favorable Odds

It took me while before I was able to watch the much anticipated film adaptation of The Hunger Games. Without all the promotional hype surrounding it, I’ve seen it a more honest and non-biased way. The book will remain to be the original, but the movie has its’ own charm and excitement on the silver screen.

There are certain points that I was so crazy about the movie. The first was it successfully transcended the love triangle of Katniss, Peeta and Gale. Gale may just have a limited exposure, but I was convinced how passionate he is about Katniss that he is willing to try to run away with her if not only of their families that they can’t live behind. And the ever sweet and shy Peeta, he finally got his chance of being with his long-time crush only to be manipulated on the arena for his own survival. Then there is Katniss, with a chance to find real love, but she restrained her emotions to be loyal to the book that her heart still belongs to her best friend. The romance in the movie is subdued, but there is depth, longing and sincerity on it. It is something that would not gag the audience but instead invite them to patiently be with Katniss until the time that she will finally make her choice.

Another triumph of the movie was that it presented the irony of the Hunger Games to morality that was trampled upon on media and society. The media had urged the tributes to show their best foot forward to be liked by the mob who unvalued their lives as mere entertainment. Society dictated that the Hunger Games was a necessary reminder to the districts not to commit treason again against the Capitol. It was dystopia at its’ finest, wherein morality had been greatly compromised after a war. It is an idea which is not confined in books or movies, it can be a dark and painful reality.

Rue’s story arc had been one of my favorite part of the book and the movie gave justice to it. Seeing how innocent and young she is in the screen gripped my heart ten folds compared to when I just read about her. It is as if her death was more real, thus the anger on what sent her in the bloodbath in the first place, was also magnified. It was sheer genius when the movie showed the reaction of her district after witnessing the murder and how Katniss sang for her, surrounded her with flowers and saluted her in respect. That riot was just a tip of the iceberg on what to come. The trigger was pulled at that very moment. Katniss was shoved in the center, and there is no looking back but to embody the ‘girl on fire’.

The movie ended as powerfully as the book. The rage of President Snow may be contained, but he is nothing less but vindictive. His revenge will propel the second installment of the trilogy in a more explosive plot.