Of hunger for games, reality TV, Big Brother

Film review: The Hunger Games

MANILA, Philippines - George Orwell began it all with 1984, the classic novel about the dystopian future ruled by Big Brother and the police state. Now readers’ hunger and fascination for more novels and movies dealing with future shock have created a spate of other literary work and movies that sound the alarum.

In Francois Truffaut’s classic Fahrenheit 451 (1966), books are banned and burned; to preserve the legacy of books for the next generation, rebels read and memorize every word printed in those published treasures. Less intellectual and more visceral is the action described in ancient literature, telling of gory, fight-to-death battles within an arena, with Roman gladiators pitted against each other and the Greeks’ Thesseus against the Minotaur.

Suicidal gladiators continue to exist, at least in memorable futuristic sci-fi movies, like Rollerball (with James Caan) and Death Race 2000 (with David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone), both made in 1975, and The Running Man (Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1987). In all three, human beings are forced into life-threatening competitions for sheer spectacle beamed live to every home via television. (A remake of Rollerball was released 10 years ago.)

That’s entertainment? Apparently, that is not the ultimate objective of the government. In cahoots with Big Business, these games are meant to boost TV ratings and something sinister. Reality TV keeps folks from seeing reality, the better to shut their eyes and mind and preserve the status quo.

The ultimate goal is deception and suppression. In this terrifying totalitarian world yet to come, oppression is the order of the day. Man is dehumanized and degraded. Dissent is crushed. Killing people is spectacle that serves a purpose.

Logan’s Run? Soylent Green? Government is the villain.

Comes now the hugely successful American trilogy by Suzanne Collins — The Hunger Games, the first novel of which has been adapted nicely for the big screen by debuting director Gary Ross, writer of Seabiscuit, Big and Dave, with a directorial heavy, Steven Soderbergh (sex, lies & videotape, the Ocean’s 11 franchise, Traffic and Contagion), as second unit director.

As readers and fans may know, the first book is set in the not-so-distant future in which 12 poor communities, or districts, in North America, are tyrannized by an evil government led by President Snow (played by Donald Sutherland). Each district is compelled to have a young representative, a pawn really, to the Games. Sure death awaits everyone except the winner.

The pawn is called a Tribute. Every citizen is made to watch the event. Tributes are picked by lottery. Except for one, these Tributes will die. Early in the movie, the public raffle dooms a very young girl, a turn that drives her elder 16-year-old sister Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) to plead in her place.

For slightly over two hours, the movie shows how Katniss hurdles every challenge. As in a video game, she and the other pawns are hunted down, run for their lives, and destroy one another. Lurking in the obstacle course from the control center are a swarm of genetically-engineered vicious wasps and a virtual beast which grows in number at the flick of a switch. The moviegoer may have his idea what fate awaits the plucky heroine but the movie nonetheless keeps him attentive.

What sets The Hunger Games apart from other similar movies is that the story cares about the characters, and they are caring characters. It extols friendship and sibling love and making a sacrifice. It is not without romance, with Katniss torn between two boys (Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth) but her relationships with them are mature, and not silly, cloying, or exploitative as in other movies. Romance is casually dealt with, or depicted in flashbacks — at least in this first of three movies.

Just as noteworthy, while the action is intense and continuous, it isn’t relentless. The movie dares to be different in that excitement is paced just right, avoiding the usual quick shots and dizzying narrative that the MTV generation and teens with short attention span are used to. This allows moviegoers to understand and appreciate what is going on even when he blinks. Ear-splitting loudness of the soundtrack is also carefully controlled. For contrast, think The Transformers.

Much of the action is set in the woods, the Athena-like heroine’s milieu. This makes one futuristic thriller that is still optimistic that natural vistas, the forests, lakes and rivers will be there for our grandchildren and great grandchildren to enjoy. Most other movies foresee that these beautiful sights will disappear.

Also, in many other sci-fi thrillers, the characters are not fully-realized human beings but mere victims or pawns, as one-dimensional as those kinetic but essentially bloodless clashing figures on PS3.

In The Hunger Games, there is humanity to Katniss; she has heart and is governed by a sharp mind.

The other characters are a colorful bunch. Only the powerful and famous are allowed the luxury of goofy, eccentric ‘do’s and fashion, most notably one called Haymitch Abernath (Woody Harrelson), a washed-out former winner and now the district Tributes’ counselor, who redeems himself over time; the quiet menacing Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley of American Beauty), his beard and moustache painted on, like Groucho Marx’s; the glib, irrepressibly jubilant TV host Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci); and the woman who conducts the raffle — Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) whose coif and costume are straight out of Fellini or some Disney cartoon (as are other characters’ looks). Johnny Depp would be at home in their company.

In the long run, what The Hunger Games is driving at is the dark, horrible prospect of governments, big business, and yes, reality TV running our lives and disposing of them, and creating dog-eat-dog situations. Just prospects? Big Brother and ruthless Survivors are already daily fare on highly-commercialistic reality TV. Though for the time being bloodless, the Hunger Games are a reality.