NPR's David Edelstein calls the The Hunger Games a "work of moral cowards." That is why, along with his comparison of the film to an earlier Japanese work, Battle Royale, my interest in the film was suddenly piqued, even though I haven't yet read the series.
So I watched the film, and, to my surprise, liked it, despite the fact that the plot seemed a little too obvious and the Roman references a little too frequent. Of course, that is Edelstein's main critique -- a film about teenagers killing each other is not a film that we should "like."
I agree with him, and if it hadn't been for one factor, I probably would have despised the film. That factor is the leading lady, Jennifer Lawrence, who single-handedly turns a film that veers dangerously towards looking like a 120 minute ad from Vogue (complete with toy guns, sparkly-lighting, and silly costumes) into a powerful(and rather ironic) indictment of the that very same kind of media.
Her subtle expressions of disgust at the glitzy world around her, but her decision to take part in it anyway, perhaps reflects the position of the author and the film itself. By being a major Hollywood production, by utilizing dazzling effects, by hiring breathtakingly beautiful actors to present a disturbing but fascinating story, the film takes part in the very phenomena it aims to critique. But perhaps, by participating for a greater good, it will still manage to be a little subversive. I hope so.
And here's to Jennifer Lawrence. A star has entered the arena.
You can find David Edelstein's article here:
http://www.npr.org/2012/03/22/148941034/acting-trumps-action-in-a-games-without-horror
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