The Hunger Games – review

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. Photograph: Murray Close

Last year the phenomenon that was Harry Potter came to a dramatic climax and later this year we will see the curtain closing on the Twilight Saga, but the film world’s next all-encompassing juggernaut is already here in the form of The Hunger Games.

As with aforementioned blockbusters, the buzz about The Hunger Games came out of the success of a book series, especially with children and young adults. The subject matter here is much darker and more starkly violent than the more family-friendly combat of the other two film series. Despite a generous 12A classification, The Hunger Games director Gary Ross doesn’t cut away at point of impact, when knives are wielded and arrows fired and there are a number of jaw-dropping moments.

The film is set in a dystopian future in a society formed from post-apocalyptic North America, now known as Panem. The capital of this reformed nation is the aptly-named Capitol, a dictatorship epicentre, from where the nation is run by the rule of fear. The high society in the Capitol is a decadent and extravagant class, dressed colourfully and outrageously like the spawn of Laga Gaga and the Capitol is fuelled by the hard labour the inhabitants of the ‘Districts’. There are 12 districts and the perimeters are patrolled by enforcers called ‘Peacekeepers’. The districts are working-class labour sectors responsible for varying sources of production, manufacturing and farming.

The annual event known as the “The Hunger Games” compromises of a randomly picked boy and girl – between the ages of 12 and 18 – from each district being mandatorily entered into a tournament, the rules of which consist of 24 combatants fighting it out to the death in a wooded arena, filled with weapons, until one child remains as the sole survivor and victor of the most brutal of competitions.

The concept of this ceremony, lead by President Snow (Donald Sutherland), is that the games are a harsh reminder that the citizens of the districts should know their place and no revolts will be tolerated, since the rebellion which forged the event over 70 years before. The lottery-like drawing of competitors is called ‘The Reaping’ and those not-so-lucky children are known as tributes – as though they represent a donation from the districts as an apology for disgracing the nation of Panem.

The tributes are sacrificial lambs sent to the slaughterhouse, satisfying the blood lust of the high society and for Snow it is way of continually hammering down the iron fist of control. As almost justification for the brutality of the games, the president gives the sole survivor the glory of riches, in addition to their life remaining intact. The weapon of hope sits alongside fear in the armoury of the Capitol. Snow is adamant that there should always be hope, just not too much hope and the propaganda phrase that echoes throughout the film is, “may the odds be ever in your favour”.

The focus of the film in the current event falls upon District 12, a fairly humble settlement, where workers specialise in mining and our proletariat heroes to route for are Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the former causing a storm as a rare outer district volunteer tribute – she puts herself forward to replace her younger sister Primose [Willow Shields].

The premise of The Hunger Games may sound familiar – people selected and forced to fight to the death in a spectacle broadcasted live on TV in a totalitarian society – think Battle Royale, The Running Man and Death Race – but this story taps further into the themes of police state politics, dystopian imaginings and modern society’s obsession with melodramatic reality TV.

Like X Factor, Pop Idol and the rest of the conveyor belt of clones, this monstrous spectacle even has mentors, sponsors, contrived sub plots and rules changes. There are echoes of The Truman Show at times when the competitors begin to test the all-powerful puppet master. There are team tactics, sob stories and everything you’d expect to see in a gameshow with delusions of grandeur, but this real life horror show is threatened by the Katniss’ warrior spirit and intrinsic goodness. As she battles the seemingly impossible task of survival, the sweeping action is gripping throughout the 2 ½ hours.

As well as quelling fears that this lowly-classified feature could be lacking punch and realism, there are several entertaining performances to be cherished, most notably Woody Harrelson as Haymitch (a alcohol-swilling former games victor who acts a mentor for Katniss and Peeta) and Stanley Tucci as blue-haired presenter Caesar Flickerman.

In the hands of a daring and ground-breaking director like Christopher Nolan perhaps, The Hunger Games could have been even more spectacular than it is, however, credit to Gary Ross as this is a highly-watchable opener to an intriguing saga that will dominate the box office over the coming years.

The Hunger Games (12A)
Directed by Gary Ross
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Wesley Bentley, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Willow Shields.
Running time: 142 minutes

The Hunger Games is showing at the Hackney Picturehouse until 12 April.