The Hunger Game: Dystopian Future

I will proceed by discussing the setting and symbolism of the movie, The Hunger Games.

The description of the movie is set in the wealthy Capitol of Panem, North America, a universe in a dystopian setting that contains 12 impoverished districts, in which students are forced to fight until death by selecting a male or female opponent called Tributes. It’s a competitive and immense event called The Hunger Games that is nationally known and broadcasted for the Capitol to view. Katniss Everdeen, who is portrayed by actress Jennifer Lawrence, has very little to rely on, other than her effective hunting and archery skills and judicious instincts, in an arena where she must weigh survival against love. Katniss is one of 2 daughters, Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields) who plays her younger sibling and mother (Ashley Judd) and father. One of Katniss’ skills is a deadeye archer who never misses. She provides for her family as she shoots animals in exchange for replenishments and necessities, which is a skill you will later read about and works to Katniss's advantage. Katniss isn’t your typical neighborhood girl who wants to be the center of attention or who wants to save the world and wants everyone to be equal. She’s a female who would rather be left alone, who prefers personal time to envisage and take care of her younger sister. She is willing to go to the extreme for her sister and those she cares about, even if it means volunteering for the Hunger Games. Katniss has other attributes but it can sometimes hinder her performances while trying to defeat the Hunger Games. Katniss is afraid for her family, especially her little sister because one shouldn’t have to endure fighting to survive on a daily basis to have empowerment which may lead to death.

Every year, students ages 12-18 years old, from the districts are selected by raffle to participate in a mandatory televised death battle called, The Hunger Games. The winning tribute of his/her home district is then rewarded with luxuries of food, necessities hand assets. The purpose of the Games is to provide fulfill entertainment for the Capitol and a reminder of the people living there that the Capitol's power and lack of anguish and repentance, abstraction and absolution for the failed insurgency of the competitors' ancestors will continue annually for the sake of people's lives. President Coriolanus Snow of the Hunger Games, a paranoid older man, who is continuously intrigued about Katniss’s abilities and strengths. Mr. Snow tries to overemphasize Katniss's importance and actually makes it worse but it doesn’t prevent her from trying to accomplish the best, with a smack in the face of every authority figure she encounters.

Before the development of the narrative, there were 13 districts that eventually rose up in rebellion, led by District 13. The Capitol eventually defeated the rebellion, and District 13 was demolished to the ground. However, the rebellion was not the end of the story, and the current dictator of Panem upholds an annual tradition in remembrance of the districts of their violent past, called 'the Dark Days'. Twenty-four are chosen but only one will become the winner. It’s a fight-to-the-death contest in a badland jungle arena controlled by unseen arbitrators in a war room of personalities. The games are showcased on large screens, similar to projections, so members of each district can watch the fates of their representatives. The event is hosted by a television game-show host/MC, Claudius Templesmith (Stanley Tucci), who has a humorous but derisive personality. 'And may the odds be ever in your favor!' is the motto of the Games.

Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields), Katniss' younger sister is willing to participate until Katniss offers to volunteer for the Games in her sister's place. Since this is the first time someone has ever volunteered, the State accepts the proposition. The other tribute from District 9 is Peeta Mallark (Josh Hutcherson). Katniss and Peeta eventually become friends, who are then chaperoned by Effie Trinket to the Capitol on a bullet train, which takes a few minutes’ commute. There they meet their mentor, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) a middle-aged man, who was the winner of the Hunger Games many years previously. He is a trainer and instructor for Katniss and Peeta, but his highest priority seems to be drinking and snoozing every chance he gets. In order to defeat the other divisions, he needs to get sober soon to coach Katniss and Peeta to victory. Eventually, Katniss and Peeta finesse and convince Abernathy that they are worth helping.

Once at the Capitol, they have pranced in front of the elite residents who cheer and decide which tributes they wish to cheer on. The tributes are then brought to a training facility, where they are told not to 'hurt' any of the other opponent tributes. They are advised there will be plenty of time for violent engagement relatively soon. They are treated like celebrities about to embark on a fashion pageant walking the red carpet and being given beautiful outfits to wear during interviews. Of course, everyone knows the outcome of the pageant means 23 of the 24 tributes will not survive. Eventually, on a fateful day, the 24 tributes are transported to the arena-wilderness area where food and weapons are dispersed about which can be used to better someone's chances. The game is also 'rigged', which makes your chances of winning fairly impossible. The control room doesn't just monitor the tributes but has the power to influence situations. There are also 'sponsors', Capitol residents, who can aid tributes they like. This story has become more transparent, especially the rise of 'fake news' and distrust of television journalism and social media with deceivable information that we encounter every day. It’s a fight for survival, struggle to succeed, benefit for someone or something world we live in.

Overall, it’s a well-done, symbolism comparison view of The Maze Runner by James Dashner, in an anecdote of survival in a world where teenagers fight for their lives on a daily basis. An insubstantial oasis in the middle of an enormous maze where it’s survival of the fittest. Exploring the maze during the day and defeating at night. No one knows how to get out and no one remembers how they got there. James Dashner will keep you on your feet and in suspense manner throughout the movie. Another symbolism movie takes place in a desolate future of 2018, which is a 1975 classic 'RollerBall'. In 'Rollerball' two teams battle violently skating against each other on a rink in a world where corporations replace countries, where one player fights for his personal freedom. In the final game, players can only leave the game if they're assassinated, which is essentially the same idea as 'The Hunger Games'. The film finds a good balance between the amalgamate of the competition and the despair of the characters. At one point, Katniss befriends a young girl, Rue (Amandla Stenberg), who is obviously too young to be part of the games. They become accomplices to help each other defend against another clique who desires to kill them. One of the most touching, poignant and compassionate moments of the film is their friendship and Rue's fate. Katniss sparked friendships with those she honestly cared about and setting the stage for her heroism she’ll eventually become.