Hunger Games

[Wedgewood]

I finally watched the movie Hunger Games and although it was somewhat far fetched, I am haunted by the fact that people in third world countries who are starving today – we must look like the people in the “Capital” shown in the movie.

Any thoughts.

 

[Razanir]

Eerie thought. And may I ask if you’ve read the books as well? Some of the backstory is elaborated better in them.

 

[Kamaduck]

I got the impression that America=Capitol was intentional. Hunger Games is not meant to make us feel good about ourselves. I like to think it’s meant to give form to some of our most disgusting modern probelms, especially the disparity between the rich and the poor. It also ums up how a lot of teenagers feel about “responsible adults” right now, without making the adults in general look evil. I liked that about it.

 

[Wedgewood]

I’ve not read the book or books, but I think I might now.

Sad to think the intention of the film was to make us feel disgusted about the disparity between rich and poor when the actors in the film probably made more than I’ll see in a lifetime.

 

[Razanir]

NOTE: I have a sort of verbal tic where I always inadvertently call Katniss Katnip like Gale does. This transfers into writing.

I’ve not read the book or books, but I think I might now.

Sad to think the intention of the film was to make us feel disgusted about the disparity between rich and poor when the actors in the film probably made more than I’ll see in a lifetime.

I wouldn’t say that… I’m not the type of person to try to read meaning into stories. In my opinion, it’s just a coming of age story in a dystopic setting. Katnip is forced to compete in the Hunger Games to save Prim who almost surely would have died. And without giving away too much about the sequels, winds up having to go back to the Hunger Games in an exception to the rules, all while dealing with a rebellion she accidentally started. The trilogy’s about her being forced to grow up by being thrown into a war she didn’t mean to cause. It’s just that the backdrop of the story can bear your message across.

 

[empther]

I did read all three books and saw the movie.

I finally watched the movie Hunger Games and although it was somewhat far fetched,

There are many far fetched ideas in the trilogy.

1. The population of Katniss’s district 12 is only 8,000. By extension, the population of all of Penam will be around 100,000, or maybe two or three hundred thousand.
   Oh, really?
   Columnist George Will has pointed out that is takes thousands of people with thousands of skills and a huge industrial complex to manufacture a pencil. For example: the erasure is a type of plastic called a factoid. This requires the petroleum industry.
   How could a few hundred thousand people provide the knowledge and industrial base to support a high speed transcontinental train system, television, computers, and the mysterious “hovecrafts” that pluck dead tributes up in the sky. This is impossible.
2. Every night the pictures of the tributes that died that day are projected in the sky so that all surviving tributes throughout the Games arena can see who’s left.
   Oh, really?
   We don’t have the techonlogy to do that today. In fact, it’s impossible, unless you have a superdome twenty miles wide.
3. In the third book it’s revealed that both the Capitol and the 13th district have atom bombs.
   Oh, really?
   You can’t just put an atom bomb on the shelf for a hundred years and expect it to work perfectly later. These things have to be maintenanced. That requires another vast industrial complex.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

I did read all three books and saw the movie.

There are many far fetched ideas in the trilogy.

1. The population of Katniss’s district 12 is only 8,000. By extension, the population of all of Penam will be around 100,000, or maybe two or three hundred thousand.
   Oh, really?
   Columnist George Will has pointed out that is takes thousands of people with thousands of skills and a huge industrial complex to manufacture a pencil. For example: the erasure is a type of plastic called a factoid. This requires the petroleum industry.
   How could a few hundred thousand people provide the knowledge and industrial base to support a high speed transcontinental train system, television, computers, and the mysterious “hovecrafts” that pluck dead tributes up in the sky. This is impossible.
2. Every night the pictures of the tributes that died that day are projected in the sky so that all surviving tributes throughout the Games arena can see who’s left.
   Oh, really?
   We don’t have the techonlogy to do that today. In fact, it’s impossible, unless you have a superdome twenty miles wide.
3. In the third book it’s revealed that both the Capitol and the 13th district have atom bombs.
   Oh, really?
   You can’t just put an atom bomb on the shelf for a hundred years and expect it to work perfectly later. These things have to be maintenanced. That requires another vast industrial complex.

Seriously?

1. Pencils as we know them - a graphite core surrounded by wood or a similar material - date from the 16th Century. I can’t image what Will was thinking of.
2. The Batman comics far back apparently had no problem with sky projections. There’s a street in Las Vegas that goes on for blocks with a dome of lights capable of amazing effects.
3. Yes, it does take some industrial skill to make an atom bomb. North Korea seems to have managed, not sure if they qualify as having a “vast industrial complex.”

And at the end of the day, it’s just a story. Why the outrage?

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

I finally watched the movie Hunger Games and although it was somewhat far fetched, I am haunted by the fact that people in third world countries who are starving today – we must look like the people in the “Capital” shown in the movie.

Interesting observation. I remember a friend from college who had a foreign exchange student come live with her. They were driving through a moderate neighbor and this student was amazed at the size of the houses and kept asking “how many families live in THAT house”.

I would imagine that someone from a third-world country would probably feel that way if they came down my block - which isn’t the richest section of my subdivision and all our houses were built in the 40s.

I only read the first book (and saw the movie) and didn’t get the impression that THAT was the point. But I like a good story and don’t necessarily read into them as commentaries => the three pigs is a funny story about pigs and a wolf with powerful lungs - I never read it and get the ‘moral of the story’ out of it. That’s just the way I read fiction though.

 

[matt1985]

The greatest movies are often far-fetched. In this case it is great that it was far-fetched as we wouldn’t want a reality show where kids kill eachother. My complaint was that HG borrowed from Stephen King’s Running Man, which was about a reality show where contestants killed one and other. We have to give more credit to King for the success of HG. I’ll have to watch Running Man again soon. It was also a good movie.

HG was not original, but it was a brilliant film on par with Dark Knight and other contemporaries.

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

My complaint was that HG borrowed from Stephen King’s Running Man, which was about a reality show where contestants killed one and other. We have to give more credit to King for the success of HG. I’ll have to watch Running Man again soon. It was also a good movie.

My first thought too when I saw the movie - I turned to my wife and said the author is ripping off Running Man (I only saw the movie - never read King’s book)

 

[empther]

This is too good to resist.

Seriously?

1. Pencils as we know them - a graphite core surrounded by wood or a similar material - date from the 16th Century. I can’t image what Will was thinking of.

Pencils as we know them didn’t exist in the 16th century. Today’s pencils are far more sophisticated. It’s like comparing Cadillac to a horse and buggy.

1. The Batman comics far back apparently had no problem with sky projections. There’s a street in Las Vegas that goes on for blocks with a dome o f lights capable of amazing effects.

Batman is fictional.
I’ve been to that Las Vegas street. They use 2,500,000 light bulbs that can light up in any one of five colors. Pretty impressive. But it doesn’t span over twenty miles.

1. Yes, it does take some industrial skill to make an atom bomb. North Korea seems to have managed, not sure if they qualify as having a “vast industrial complex.”

Apparently they have some kind of vast industrial complex because they developed the bomb. China didn’t help them. China doesn’t want them to have the bomb.

And at the end of the day, it’s just a story. Why the outrage?

What outrage? I’m just agreeing with the original poster. I liked The Hunger Games.

 

[Kamaduck]

The greatest movies are often far-fetched. In this case it is great that it was far-fetched as we wouldn’t want a reality show where kids kill eachother. My complaint was that HG borrowed from Stephen King’s Running Man, which was about a reality show where contestants killed one and other. We have to give more credit to King for the success of HG. I’ll have to watch Running Man again soon. It was also a good movie.

HG was not original, but it was a brilliant film on par with Dark Knight and other contemporaries.

I don’t understand this about it being unoriginal. Having a reality show where contestants kill each other is not such an unusual idea that two people cannot come up with it independently. In fact, there’s a Doctor Who episode with a similar premise. In my social circles, many accuse HG of ripping off some Japanese story called Battle Royale, which apparently has the same premise also. It is a fairly common premise, and in that sense it is indeed ‘unoriginal’. However, I think the series (books as well as movies) simply resonates with teenagers, and they’re not really borrowing their plot from anything else. They’re just taking a similar idea and running in a different direction with it.

I’m the opposite of some on this thread- I LOVE reading into things. Whether or not I’m right about intent, analyzing fiction is fun!

 

[Razanir]

I don’t understand this about it being unoriginal. Having a reality show where contestants kill each other is not such an unusual idea that two people cannot come up with it independently. In fact, there’s a Doctor Who episode with a similar premise. In my social circles, many accuse HG of ripping off some Japanese story called Battle Royale, which apparently has the same premise also. It is a fairly common premise, and in that sense it is indeed ‘unoriginal’. However, I think the series (books as well as movies) simply resonates with teenagers, and they’re not really borrowing their plot from anything else. They’re just taking a similar idea and running in a different direction with it.

I’m the opposite of some on this thread- I LOVE reading into things. Whether or not I’m right about intent, analyzing fiction is fun!

BAD WOLF.

Ahem, that aside, I sometimes like to read into things. If it’s on the internet, though, it can’t be anywhere where religion’s a banned topic, like it is on my other forum to prevent flame wars. I refuse to discuss LotR and Les Mis unless religion is allowed. Otherwise I’m leaving out a lot of good analysis

 

[empther]

My complaint was that HG borrowed from Stephen King’s Running Man, which was about a reality show where contestants killed one and other.

That’s a stretch. They have no connection. It’s not kids in Running Man.

I don’t understand this about it being unoriginal. Having a reality show where contestants kill each other is not such an unusual idea that two people cannot come up with it independently. In fact, there’s a Doctor Who episode with a similar premise. In my social circles, many accuse HG of ripping off some Japanese story called Battle Royale, which appare

Author Suzanne Collins has said she never heard of that Japanese story when she wrote HG.

Many people have said Collins adapted the story form the Greek myth about the Minotaur, a monster with the head of a bull.
The Minotaur lived in a vast building with many rooms and halls ( believed to be derived from the extensive palace on ancient Crete ). A Greek city had angered the gods and as punishment it had to sent eight virgins every year to the Minotaur as sacrifice. The hero Theseus finally killed the Minotaur.

Collins has not said whether HG is derived from the Greek myth, but she does make a lot of references to the ancient world. For example: Penam is the Latin word for bread.

 

[Razanir]

That’s a stretch. They have no connection. It’s not kids in Running Man.

That and (according to the Wikipedia page) Running Man has professional serial killers hunting them down, but Hunger Games has them killing each other

Many people have said Collins adapted the story form the Greek myth about the Minotaur, a monster with the head of a bull.
The Minotaur lived in a vast building with many rooms and halls ( believed to be derived from the extensive palace on ancient Crete ). A Greek city had angered the gods and as punishment it had to sent eight virgins every year to the Minotaur as sacrifice. The hero Theseus finally killed the Minotaur.

Collins has not said whether HG is derived from the Greek myth, but she does make a lot of references to the ancient world. For example: Penam is the Latin word for bread.

Yeah… The minotaur’s a stretch. Sacrificing people to a monster in a maze v televising kids killing each other so people don’t think to rebel.

Also, she fully acknowledges Panem being Latin for bread. It’s stated IN THE BOOKS, even, as coming from “panem er circenses” (bread and circuses)

 

[Kamaduck]

Yeah… The minotaur’s a stretch. Sacrificing people to a monster in a maze v televising kids killing each other so people don’t think to rebel.

Also, she fully acknowledges Panem being Latin for bread. It’s stated IN THE BOOKS, even, as coming from “panem er circenses” (bread and circuses)

That’s brilliant. I picked up on the Rome symbolism, but not the word Panem specifically. I need to finish up the last book still.

I don’t think Suzanne Collins borrowed her plot from anybody- not Running Man, not Battle Royale, not anything else. The minotaur maze was probably somewhere in her consciousness, but I hardly think basing an excellent series on an underdeveloped mythological idea is something to be ashamed of. And yeah, it’s a stretch anyway.

So, anybody else interested by HG’s portrayal of the adults in the world? I think all of them really enhance the narrative, particularly Haymitch and Effie. They’re not actually bad, and they really do want to help you- but there’s only so much they can do when they, too, have to play the system. And, unlike their students, they’ve done this over and over. They’ve practically given up hope that it can ever go better than it always does.

It made me think about my teachers.

 

[empther]

About Haymitch

When you’ve read all three books as I have, Haymitch becomes intriguing.

Since Katniss is the narrator she certainly wouldn’t have noticed Haymitch while she was volunteering to take Prim’s place except to see him fall off the stage ( not in the movie ).

But now,
I realize that as soon as Katniss volunteered, the little wheels in Haymitch’s head must have started turning. “At last, after all these years, a tribute whom I can use to develop a rallying symbol for the revolt I’ve been waiting for all these years.”

Then, when Peeta is selected: “Holy smokes, Batman! A perfect match for Katniss. I can make something out of this. This is it. This the year we revolt against the Capitol.”

---

At the end of the third book, when Katniss and the others are asked to vote for exterminating the Capitol managers’s kids, Haymitch says he’ll go along with what Katniss does. He lets her vote for him.
He suspected what she might do.

 

[Kamaduck]

About Haymitch

When you’ve read all three books as I have, Haymitch becomes intriguing.

Since Katniss is the narrator she certainly wouldn’t have noticed Haymitch while she was volunteering to take Prim’s place except to see him fall off the stage ( not in the movie ).

But now,
I realize that as soon as Katniss volunteered, the little wheels in Haymitch’s head must have started turning. “At last, after all these years, a tribute whom I can use to develop a rallying symbol for the revolt I’ve been waiting for all these years.”

Then, when Peeta is selected: “Holy smokes, Batman! A perfect match for Katniss. I can make something out of this. This is it. This the year we revolt against the Capitol.”

---

At the end of the third book, when Katniss and the others are asked to vote for exterminating the Capitol managers’s kids, Haymitch says he’ll go along with what Katniss does. He lets her vote for him.
He suspected what she might do.

Haymitch is quite possibly my favorite character.

 

[empther]

Haymitch is quite possibly my favorite character.

While not saying Suzanne Collins is lacking in success with her trilogy,
I wonder if she missed a great opportunity with Haymitch.

After some twelve hundred pages Katniss remains a mysterious character. What does she really think or feel about anything? I don’t find her a loveable character. She’s a brave soldier but what else does she have?

Meanwhile, there’s Haymitch who doesn’t get that much time “onstage”. Considerably more could have been done with him.
I think he’s the real hero of the story. He kept Katniss alive and,
in ways not fully revealed in the books because it’s Katniss narrating and she can’t know everything,
it’s Haymitch who either leads and organizes the resistance, or at least tells them what they can accomplish and how to time it. We don’t know details because Collins didn’t write them down, but Haymitch’s maneuvering probably deserved its own book.

 

[Kamaduck]

While not saying Suzanne Collins is lacking in success with her trilogy,
I wonder if she missed a great opportunity with Haymitch.

After some twelve hundred pages Katniss remains a mysterious character. What does she really think or feel about anything? I don’t find her a loveable character. She’s a brave soldier but what else does she have?

Meanwhile, there’s Haymitch who doesn’t get that much time “onstage”. Considerably more could have been done with him.
I think he’s the real hero of the story. He kept Katniss alive and,
in ways not fully revealed in the books because it’s Katniss narrating and she can’t know everything,
it’s Haymitch who either leads and organizes the resistance, or at least tells them what they can accomplish and how to time it. We don’t know details because Collins didn’t write them down, but Haymitch’s maneuvering probably deserved its own book.

TBH I’m totally OK with Katniss not being “lovable”. Not every main character needs to be someone we want to protect.

While I do wish Haymitch had more “onstage” time, I don’t think he should have been the main character. He’s too far removed from the horror that is the actual Hunger Games. The series has more power when told through the eyes of the teens who face death in the arena.