As I saw the Hunger Games over the weekend my mind automatically compared the Capitol and the Games itself, because of my four years of latin, to the Roman empire. Prominent characters from the Capitol are named Caesar, Flavius, Cinna and Portia. Much like the Romans, Capitol citizens worship their heavier weight, idolize fashion, and pursue pleasure, even at the expense of others.The Hunger Games themselves are a combination of reality television and the Roman Colosseum. Rome allowed gluttony and idle pleasure which swayed against political and moral responsibilty which contributed to its downfall. This is could cause some trouble for the Capitol.
The Capitol also has some similarities to our own society. There is a big contrast between the rich and poor as people have protested about in occupy wall street. While the Capitol feasts extravagantly, the Districts are starving. The Districts work back breaking jobs for long hours to support the Capitol's recreation. The Capitol delights in the Hunger Games while the Districts dread them. Capitol citizens undergo drastic alterations to become more beautiful, much like the American obsession with appearance and plastic surgery.
While Americans may not enjoy actual murder as entertainment there is enought violence in television, video games, and movies. We may not kill 23 children annually for a thrilling show, but American still have an obsession with fashion and frivolous entertainment and have a lack of concern for more important matters.
Many of the shots from the arena are tight and shaky shots to show the audience what Katniss was seeing and track all of her movements. The Hunger Games are being broadcast across the country of Panem as the tributes kill one another in real time while director Gary Ross has made these moment brutally effective to the movie-goer.
I saw this movie last night with my family. This movie was a lot like the book except for the rebelling I thought there was more in all the districts. Though out the movie I realized that the camera work didn’t look all that great because it was really bouncy when the girl was running from the other fighters. Soon after I thought the camera work was bad I noticed that the camera work was exactly the best for the parts that they used the technique. I also noticed that they used a couple wide shots in the film. They used a couple to show they are 12 different districts and to show that there are large amounts of people that enjoy watching these hunger games which evolve the death of 23 people and the victory of only 1. They also used a wide shot to show you how the area works that the hunger games takes place in. they show you the roof how it has a hologram above them to show fighters updates during the fight. And lastly the director uses long shots to show how miss evadeen is smart and hides from her enemies. It shows that she was in a tree and all her enemies walked right past her and didn’t notice her.
ReplyDeleteThis week, I went to see Hollywood’s latest craze: The Hunger Games. I definitely enjoyed the movie, however, I do not think that it did the book justice because of details and key plot events that were left out. What I did like about the movie was the extensive use of film techniques. In the games, one of Katniss’s greatest strengths is her ability to use a bow and arrow. Whenever she is preparing to shoot, the camera gives an extreme close up shot of her face, showing how much concentration she is using. Another important usage of camera is in the scene where Katniss is hallucinating because of her tracker-jacker stings, during which you see what is happening through her eyes. This first person point of view definitely helps the viewers understand what is happening and how serious the hallucinations are. The various types of camera work throughout the movie add to the intensity of the movie and help to play out the story better. Another important film technique used in the movie is sound. In several of the violent scenes, when the tributes are fighting, the only sound is the background music, the tributes aren’t making any noise. This makes the scenes a lot more intense because you really pay attention to the details that you see, rather than dialogue.
ReplyDeleteThis past week i too saw the Hunger Games, while not reading the first book in the trilogy may have hindered some key plot points, the movie was overall excellent. While all of the 12 different districts are showcasing their players to the entire crowd at the introduction of the games, there is a use of a extreme long shot and multiple close shots. The long shots show each districts team from afar being introduced on chariots to show the entire crowds reaction from each one. They also use close shots to show each districts style of clothing that they use to try to acquire sponsors.
ReplyDeleteDuring another scene in the Hunger games, Rue from district 11, and Katniss from district 12, plan to distract the group around the cornucopia in the middle of the arena. During this scene Katniss shoots apples out of a sack to trigger the explosives. The only sounds that are heard are her inhaling then exhaling to perfect her aim. this adds suspense to the scene until she finally shoots and hits her target spilling the apples. After the explosions the camera is slowed down and vibrating and the sound she can hear is muffled. This is used to emulate an actual explosion that close by.
This past weekend I saw The Hunger Games and it was a very good movie. Although it was not as good as the book, it still had some really great parts throughout it. You see that during the movie, there are many special effects and camera techniques used as well. In the beginning of the movie, there is a lot of tracking going on because there is so much confusion. The tracking is to make you feel confused as well because you can’t really get a clear picture as to what is going on. Whenever someone is killing someone else, there is always a high angel shot because it is showing that they have no power and they will die soon. There are also many extreme close ups when Katniss gets hurt. You can see her burn marks up close and see that she is really in pain. When the candidates enter the arena, there is an extreme long shot to show you how big it is and to show you what it looks like. The music during movie was very well done. It kept you interested and it helped with the pace of the movie. It made it seem like you were actually in the arena with Katniss.
ReplyDeleteI recently saw the much anticipated, box office hit, The Hunger Games. I have also read the first bok, giving me a better understanding of the true message. Yes, the thrilling story is a basic struggle of good vs. evil. But I also believe it is a satire of increasing government control and even reality television. The Games occur every year in order to remind the districts that the Capitol "owns" its citizens. It is a punishment for a rebellion, 74 years ago. The Capitol even destroyed district 13 to scare the others. They also show control when they change the rules throughout the Games. They change the number of winners, the natural disasters, and create circumstances calling for bloodbaths for entertainment. The Gamemakers and the Capitol become extremely angry when protagonists, Katniss and Peeta, outsmart them and win as a team. They do not like to be defied. Second, the movie symbolizes an extreme and futuristic mockery of reality TV. I am a reality TV junkie myself, but this potrayal is sickening. The entire Games are televised, and the tributes are treated like celebrites before the start. They make the reaping seem enjoyable, feed them amazing food, and even joke around in their interviews. The tributes all do a parade in the Capitol and drives the audience wild. Stylists dress and pretty eveyone up in order to impress sponsers. They are treated like show dogs. Then they put them in the arena to fight to the death. Surprisingly, it is actually supposed to be disgusting and uncomfortable to us; treating humans like their puppets. The sarcasm used to mock and oppose dictator-esque governments and reality TV is an extremely effective strategy in The Hunger Games.
ReplyDeleteI recently just saw The Hunger Games and it was a really good movie. Throughout the movie there were various film techniques used. Walking to where the reaping occurs, that’s where the people get picked for the hunger games, everyone’s sad and nervous looking. The camera shows everyone’s body and faces and it shows them walking slow with fear in their faces. Another part in the movie where the audience gets a good view of how someone’s feeling is when right before Katniss enters the tube to go into the games there is a close up on her face to see how nervous and scared she really is. Sound is another film technique I picked up on throughout this movie. In the scene where Katniss goes on the talk show before going into the games the sound is all muffled as if she’s alone or dizzy and it makes that scene more intense. In the background you can hear the muffled cheer of the audience but it’s almost as if the audience is in a distance because of the way it sounds. Another part where sound is affective in this movie is when there’s various fighting scenes where only background music is playing and there’s no voices so it makes the scene more intensified.
ReplyDeleteI also saw The Hunger Games last weekend. The film has a lot to do with media, and it seems to take a stab at reality television in particular. The Hunger Games is set in the future after the destruction of North America. The actual Games, in which 24 people are forced to fight to the death, are broadcasted as live television for the entire nation of Panem to view. This gruesome inhumane form of reality television, in my opinion, is meant to spark thought among the film’s viewers. What will entertain the public next? People look at the reality television we watch today: The Jersey Shore, Toddlers in Tiaras, etc. While no one is being killed in those shows, every one of those programs could be picked apart and debated on the kind of lifestyle these TV shows promote. The Jersey Shore: depicting the “glamorous” life of partying until four in the morning and leaving a club every night with a drunken girl on your arm to take home and then kick out in the morning. Toddlers in Tiaras: giving young girls a false sense of beauty and a sense of entitlement to thousand dollar dresses and hair extensions. While The Hunger Games is an extreme example of what reality television could come to, I believe it offers up a very relevant question of what our entertainment industry will come to. Besides the underlying theme involving the media, the Hunger Games uses a variety of film techniques. The camera frequently tracks the characters through the forest as they run, jump, and sprint to survive. Katniss is also frequently seen in extreme close ups while she is shooting her bow and arrow: to emphasize her skill and concentration.
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