The Hunger Games | Teen Ink

The Hunger Games

December 8, 2023
By Vanely BRONZE, Methuen, Massachusetts
Vanely BRONZE, Methuen, Massachusetts
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Adults nowadays spend their time watching violence as a sport and children play violent video games as entertainment. Well all of this comes to life in a world where a battle to the death is a sport and is broadcasted to everyone as entertainment. In The Hunger games, 12 boys and 12 girls participate in a battle to the death where only one remains. What is great about this movie is that we get to not only see their strenuous adventure but this film is so well put together that we are able to connect and feel for the characters throughout the entire movie. Science fiction before was not everyones cup of tea, it was mostly seen as a kid genre,  but as it began to progress there started to be meaningful symbolism that it would show in science fiction that had a powerful, heart-reaching effect on viewers of all ages. Nowadays, you ask yourself how technology is going to affect us in the future and fighting to the death battles isn't something out of this world either with the amount of inhumane wars that have occurred throughout human history. Who's to say we as a society won't evolve to see our people kill one another being broadcasted as entertainment? Perhaps, in The Hunger games you will find your answer and are able to recall that empathy towards one another that we as a society are losing day by day as technology advances.

     In The Hunger Games, a dystopian society in which 12 districts choose one girl and one boy to participate in a fight-to-death battle where only one will remain is considered entertainment. A film directed by Francis Lawrence and Gary Ross debuted in 2012, with two main characters, actors Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, playing the characters Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark where they both are in the same district living in poverty. In this movie, the wealthy are separated from the poor. Since the wealthy are at an advantage they keep themselves occupied by forcing the districts that are all financially struggling to survive to play as tributes in The Hunger Games.

   In the beginning of the movie, while the capitol was selecting tributes for the battle of The Hunger Games, Katniss’s younger 12 year old sister is selected to participate in the game. Katniss does not allow this and volunteers as tribute to take her spot. A boy named Peeta was also chosen as tribute. Katniss and Peeta are forced to fake a romantic connection between the two in order to become an audience favorite for the televised battle. Katniss in battle is seen helping and forming alliances with many children and tributes in the game but there is a separate alliance that is against her. Peeta & Katniss struggle with grief, injuries, and enemies in hopes to make it to the end.

   One extraordinary scene is when Katniss is being evaluated by the game makers in order to be rated by her skill. Her specialty is with the bow & arrow. First attempt, while the game makers are watching, she fails to shoot the bullseye first try. The game makers laugh and stop focusing on her. Second attempt, she proceeds to shoot another arrow but this time she shoots bullseye, looking up she realizes no one is paying attention to her. In order to get their attention she aims and shoots at an apple that was resting in a cooked pork’s mouth that the game makers were feasting on. When she shot the apple all the game makers went silent and just stared at her, mesmerized. In this scene you feel the strong message Katniss was trying to get across by doing something risky and out of style for the game makers.

     The Hunger Games for a fact is one of my favorites with the strong messages, suspenseful action scenes, romance, and heart-touching moments that will have you questioning why your eyes are watering. Science fiction may not be everyone's cup of tea but perhaps after watching The Hunger Games, it will be.



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