Yes, No, Maybe So: "The Hunger Games"
Monday, November 14, 2011 at 7:51PM We watch trailers. To avoid entirely selling our souls to marketing experts or entirely caving to our preconceived biases, we try to stay balanced as we do so. Sometimes we fail with unqualified "holy hell yes" or "dear god, no!" reactions but it's good to try and keep an open mind.
On the subject of The Hunger Games, I haven't always had one. Though I live for the movies, the past decade has been rough going for me in franchise-land as Twilight and Harry Potter fandom have reigned for so long that I've begun to feel like an outcast from my own church, the church of the cinema. And now yet another YA appeal genre franchise which promises endless movies that will not be judged on their cinematic merit but on how well they fill fan cravings for beloved characters? I CAN'T DEAL.
I felt abused by the marketing, which has released so many morsels that we know they're building not just a bread crumb trail to the box office but a superhighway. But that wasn't the problem. It was the way each crumb, no matter how inconsequential, was treated as if it was a seven course meal. Entire movies don't get the kind of attention each little blip from this movie gets.
But then this trailer arrived and it's either so brilliantly cut together that they've finally brainwashed me, or I've just now opened my heart to The Hunger Games or, possibly both.
YES...
While I've never really thought of Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) as an inspired visual stylist that might be mere forgetfulness since he doesn't direct features too often. There are quite a few shots I love in the trailer. I mean look at the palette, focal precision, and direct but subdued emotion of those tense crowd scene. Jennifer Lawrence, so strong in Winter's Bone and so sympathetic in Like Crazy looks to continue making good on her promise.
If the story beats are as economically and fluidly expressed in the movie as in the trailer we're in for a treat. What great buildup and release. Too few trailers understand that the set-up is what's crucial, not the whole package. If you give us the whole movie, what's left to see in the theater? This feels as exciting as any "ready. set. go..." ever did and I bet we're not even seeing anything beyond the 45 minute mark.
NO...
I haven't read the source material (I know I know) so I can't be sure what is being metaphored up for us -- if it's reality television, shouldn't they all be volunteers out for fame and fortune and thus willing to exploit themselves? Personal potential pet peeve: I hate when theatricality obviously equates with evil -- and all the excessively theatrical people in this trailer appear to be the villains -- since theatricality is so fun and never hurts anybody. If this is one of those movies were physical aptitude is glorious and noble (even if used in the service of killing people) while entertaining showmanship is a sign of evil, I'm gonna be annoyed!
This is just on my mind because people worship sports and winner-takes-all competition to a scary extent and that seems to be a-ok with everyone, no metaphoric condemnation required. Just the other day I was watching the news and a crowd was literally rioting, turning over cars because Coach Paterno was fired. Never mind the sexual molestation scandal at Penn State that wasn't properly handled under his watch that prompted it... SPORTS ROUTINE INTERRUPTED? CUE: MASS CHAOS. Sports being naturally more important than the well being of children.
MAYBE SO...
The subject matter -- 24 people enter the games, only 1 can survive by killing the others, I take it ? -- has the potential to be totally icky in lots of hypocritical "are you not entertained?!?" Gladiator ways and also, if we meet 24 people are they going to divvy them up and make them easily good or evil so that it will be easy to "enjoy" as mainstream movies tend to be. Or is it actually a nuanced portrait of desperate people in which case... isn't it going to leave one feeling sick afterwards that the hero has to murder other potential heroes? The topic just seems so... ewww.
But the trailer works in that ready set... don't you wanna see what happens... go!.
So I'm now a yes. Are you a yes, no or maybe so? But more importantly... were you one of these things before the trailer arrived?
Reader Comments (31)
I am beyond excited for this movie. I CAN'T WAIT.
I completely understand how you feel about YA franchises, and have felt that way before, but I just can't about The Hunger Games. I'm so excited for this it hurts.
Having read the source material, I can answer a couple questions:
No, theatricality isn't (or shouldn't) be demonized. It's viewed more as extreme excess vs. poverty. All the 'theatrical' people spend exorbitant amounts on cosmetic surgery/appearance, while the people where Jennifer Lawrence's character come from have to break the law to be able to feed their family. And, hopefully, if it's a good adaptation of the book, it will sidestep both the "are you entertained" vibe by not shying away from the horror of what these kids are being put through. And (very mild spoiler), the book does allow for nuanced portraits of desperate people (some characters, anyway) without them becoming too violent/reprehensible to identify with.
Eh. None of these "killer reality show" satires have had willing participants. Even Battle Royale (which is the peak of this kind of story), relied on the concept of forced competition.
Read the book and that yes will turn into a HELL YES! It's beyond amazing.
Hell No.
The Running Man for children is still The Running Man.
I just feel sort of alone and nannyish in this peeve, but this is a film that is at least in part about children killing other children. Fortunately I don't have a tween kid so I don't have to concern myself with this all that much, but wtf?
Joe K said exactly what I wanted to say regarding the "theatricality". As for your other concerns, you shouldn't worry. Trust me :)
Obviously, I'm a yes. I am also totally biased. I love these books, I love Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, not to mentioned I dressed up as Katniss for Halloween. Fangirl, all the way.
(Read the books, Nathaniel!)
I was kind of caught off guard recently when I realized how big a fan of Jennifer Lawrence I've become, so I'll follow her anywhere.
As for the franchise fatigue, I think I've gotten to a point where I realized expounding energy begrudging other people their enjoyment of something is a waste of my time. I'm happy that other people can enjoy something even if I can't (i.e. Twilight). It does no harm to me whatsoever.
I'm actually a little bummed out that I don't get the excitement at all. As someone who spent most of her young life getting happily caught up in YA phenomenons (HP! Twilight (er, for about a month)! Lemony Snicket!) I just really don't get the obsession. I read the books. I liked them. I saw all the promotional "blips". I think it's interesting and I'd like to see them when they come out. But whaaaaaaat. Maybe I'm getting old.
I think if you read the source material (and the writers of the film didn't steer too far away from them) then your NOs should be no problem at all.
I'm a big YES. Loved the books and the trailer got me incredibly excited.
I have franchise fatigue. I know nothing about the books and have studiously ignored all the endless buzz. But that's a thrilling trailer.
AND Stanley Tucci is in this? I'm so excited about this movie, and I'm usually not excited for book adaptations. But it looks like they're sticking with tone of the books, so I am a definite YES.
READ the books Nathaniel. You will be converted to the masses..
Looks fantastic. I'm more excited for this than I was for the last couple Harry Potters, and I didn't think that would be possible until The Dark Knight Rises this summer...
HEY shout out to Elizabeth Banks getting a quality role! She makes the most of what she gets on 30 Rock too. This girls' got talent.
Read the first book. I'm not saying it's well written, but it's a heck of a lot of fun, especially after they enter the games. I was a yes just based on the books and I'm refusing to watch the trailer since the movie comes out on my birthday and I don't want even the slightest inkling of how awesome it could be, in case I get let down.
The theatricality, as said before, is not demonized as much as excess is. Some of the "tributes", such as Peeta or even Katniss, are a little theatrical and they are the good guys. And even the theatrical bad guys don't know they are being theatrical or bad guys. Just read the book.
Nathaniel, the reality show aspect of it would make more sense if you read the books, but (spoiler if you don't want to know the backstory that leads to the hunger games) -- there was a huge civil war awhile back. The Capitol won. The 12 Districts lost. As punishment, the 12 districts have to send one boy and one girl to the Hunger Games every year (pretty much as a sacrifice). The rich people of the capitol watch it as an entertaining reality show that they chat about and place bets on and stuff. The poverty stricken people of the districts watch in horror as their children are killed. The winner's district gets FOOD for a year. It's pretty terrible.
I love the write-up, Nathaniel!
I'm a Maybe So. Haven't read any of the books. I'll wait for the reviews.
Man, I just posted about this very same thing on FB the other day. Granted, I haven't read the books (I've heard from 3 friends that the first is great but they get progressively worse) but I'm so annoyed by all the brainwashing--er--marketing that it makes me want to stay away. Your comment about how "each crumb, no matter how inconsequential, was treated as if it was a seven course meal" is dead-on!
Hype just kills it for me. And these days, very often, the hype is all there is...
I posted my initial reaction the other day here, but you expressed my feelings pretty point-by-point, Nat. Like you I have no previous familiarity with the stories (other than what I've read at this site); I was actually impressed by the lack of visible CGI, the emphasis on the actors, and the use of real settings, or settings that feel real. That the visuals of the prison courtyard brought to my mind past prison/POW films (like Papillion) is a plus.
So there's real actors, and real sets in a real movie, not in an all-digital imitation conceived and produced entirely inside a computer. Like they used to do it - should I be depressed that a lot of my "yes" stems from that?
//3rtful: Aside from, maybe, people needing a version of Battle Royale without subtitles, I don't understand why this is being filmed. Battle Royale was a beautiful, frightening satire that knew how horrific what it's presenting was. Based on this trailer, I'm guessing The Hunger Games might be heading into a much more high gloss action-schlock presentation. My advice: We can reject this and watch the one with subtitles.
I hadn't really given much thought to this movie, but your write-up has me intrigued, Nathaniel. I love the points you make about theatricality/sport - regardless of whether Hunger Games falls into these traps you're spot-on about the valourising of sport as something noble and "honest", whilst any kind of stylized expression is to be mistrusted. The belief that artifice signifies shallowness/vanity/evil is rife in so many revoltingly sentimental movies. Personally, I love going to the movies if there's gonna be a good debate afterwards and I'll take any excuse to get going on a rant, so the discussion potential in the points you raise for the "No"s actually make me more of a "Yes" than the "Yesses"!
I'm in for the film. We're never going to get that Battle Royale remake so this is close enough for me. I like what I've read of the plots of the books. There's a very interesting story arc here that could build nicely over multiple films if its not toned down and padded.
And to clarify, I'm relieved we will never get the Battle Royale remake. Thrilled, actually. I dismissed The Hunger Games as a knock off until I began to read about them. There's something to this concept that I'm looking forward to. It's so much more than high school kids forced to kill each other to survive (which, obviously, was the case with Battle Royale).
I started reading The Hunger Games a little while ago, and I have to say: I love it. It's very lean so far, very focused and well-paced without sacrificing character (although subtlety sometimes takes a back seat). As for the trailer: HELL YES. THAT is how you construct a trailer. It's pretty close to perfect. I'm really glad that they seem to have cast people who are actually good actors in this. It bodes well, even if that alone isn't always a guarantee of a good film. And Gary Ross did very, very good things with Pleasantville that also give me hope for this.
Last year I started reading "The Hunger Games" at about 9:00 at night and did not stop turning pages until I was finished at 6:00 the next morning. I simply could not stop reading it. I would buy my tickets now if I could.
Okay...now on to see the trailer.
Before the trailer: No. No. No. Stop making franchises. Stop it.
After the trailer: I plead the fifth.
Nathaniel!! what you are writing about regarding theatrical = evil is something that is heavily explored in the book. Honestly - whole heartily - Please read the book. It gives your written word about 4 more levels right now.
On first learning what the story is about, I was curious and a little exited. I have a thing for sick themes that are able to shake me emotionally, and paired with satire it's even better.
After reading the books I was a definite yes.
After finally seeing this trailer (and btw, you don't get much of the hype over here in Germany), I'm a definite HELL YES.
From the trailer the movie seems perfect. Very true to the books in a very good way, with good stunning but not overdone visuals where the story requires and deserves them. Like... there's lot of excess and stuff in the capitol as said before, and it will be fun seeing this on screen, even with that bitter side-taste.
I'm sorry, but every time I hear hunger games, I just think of it's uncredited predecessor: Battle Royale
If you don't have time to read the whole book (or too skeptical to commit) I'd say just read the 1st 2 chapters to be a little bit more informed. It pretty much encapsulates the ESSENCE of what it's all about and what you need to know about the ...mood? tone? of the subject matter.
Here's two excerpts from 1st chapter that says a lot about their world, who the main character is and the perspective:
"When I was younger, I scared my mother to death, the things I would blurt out about District 12, about the people who rule our country, Panem, from the far-off city called the Capitol. Eventually I understood this would only lead us to more trouble. So I learned to hold my tongue and to turn my features into an indifferent mask...do my work quietly in school...make only polite small talk in the public market...Even at home, where I am less pleasant, I avoid discussing tricky topics. Like the reaping, or food shortages, or the Hunger Games. Prim might begin to repeat my words and then where would we be?" (HG, p6)
"Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. 'Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there's nothing you can do'...To make it humiliating as well as torturour, the Capitol requires us to treat the Hunger Games as a festivity, a sporting event pitting every district against the others...All year, the Capitol will show the winning district gifts of grain and oil and even delicacies like sugar while the rest of us battle starvation." (HG p. 19)
Hunger Games Trilogy is a kids book about kids killing each other in a game show, like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is a a kid's show about a cheerleader who slays vampires with stakes and puns. If you're a FAN of BTVS, you know exactly what I'm getting at--and I know you are Nathaniel, since I actually only stumbled upon this link while reading your "Once More w/ Feeling" 10th Anniversary, squee!:)--That that's not the point. That that's OH SO CLEARLY not what it's actually all about.
HG themes are "topical" and "adult" while the main protagonists are in their teens...teens who certainly hardly live in their world, child-like. It's Young Adult simply because of the age of the protagonists (and written starkly through one girl's 1st person-limited perspective), not the significance of the subject matter, which gets more complicated and political, and murky, as the series goes on.
And it's pretty dark, which is kinda right up my alley.Which is why I was hoping they wouldn't kill it by turning it into a movie...a movie that I figured would obviously be about getting the hottest young teen stars and dumbing the novel down into merely an action-adventure with MTV angles and soundtrack.
Then I found out the author herself (who you can tell doesn't really pander to anybody, from her choices) was writing the first draft of the screenplay, and chose Gary Ross as Director for his DRAMA work. Then I heard their choice for Katniss was Academy-Award nominee from Winter's Bone (which might as well have been her audition for HG), and I thought...'Wait, their casting includes ACTING ability?...wait, their SERIOUS about this?...like, their going to do this like for real-for real?...And then the following tidbits...Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, even Steven Soderbergh, composers Danny-freaking-Elfman, T. Bone Burnett...Oh, damn. Yep, they're not playing.
p.s. It just so happens that it has something for everyone, including the "TEAM" teens, or people who are only interested in one aspect, but whatever, to each his own. I learned over a decade ago that if I let that stop me, I might be missing out.
I am excited for this film and it is a big yes. You should read the book to have a bigger 'yes' on this one.