Hungry for rebellion
Hunger Games sequel builds on previous strengths
‘The revolution has begun.” They are words that sing true to the zeitgeist, which is why The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will no doubt blow the doors off the box office when it opens Thursday.
Not that there weren’t enough reasons to predict a history-making weekend.
Fans of the Suzanne Collins book series have been frothing at the bit to get a second taste of Katniss Everdeen’s heroism in the face of systemic oppression ever since the first movie’s tail credits scrolled off the screen two years ago.
Not only that, but lead actor Jennifer Lawrence is an even bigger star now than she was then, thanks to her Oscar-winning performance in Silver Linings Playbook.
And if that weren’t enough to make it a lock on the chart, the first film dominated its competition and grossed more than $400 million.
The franchise could potentially rival Harry Potter’s receipts, so it’s definitely speaking to the masses at some level, and that level seems to be revolt.
Katniss Everdeen is cut from the same cloth as all the other historic martyrs, from Joan of Arc to Jesus Christ, in that she sacrifices herself for others — and in turn, changes the way people start to think about the established order.
In the first episode, we watched as Katniss valiantly volunteered to take the place of her sister in the annual “reaping” — a lottery-like event where the unfortunate winner is forced to compete in a battle to the death called The Hunger Games.
Using her wits, excellent archery skills and another cunning dose of altruism, Katniss survived the Hunger Games. She also saved the life of her buddy from the District, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), proving the ancient barbaric tradition of sacrifice could reap hope as well as terror and intimidation.
For bearded dictator President Snow (Donald Sutherland), Katniss suddenly represents a significant threat to the system. She is the people’s hero. She has given them a sense of meaning and a growing sense of fight, which spells nothing but trouble for the fat cats dressed in silk suits and sporting shiny baubles.
She must be contained, and the only way to do that is to change the game once more. Despite every guarantee they would never have to fight again, Peeta and Katniss are thrown under the battle dome for a second time, this time against previous victors.
For director Francis Lawrence (Constantine), finding a way to merge such a sprawling plot with such a wide array of characters was clearly problematic because he couldn’t just sit back and use the competition as the centrepiece.
Granted, he had a diamond of a lead in Lawrence. But he also had to explore all the dynamics between the characters and their inherent emotional dimensions in order to make threat of death mean something, and give the movie a real edge of suspense.
He had to do all that without alienating fans, and in the space of a little more than two hours.
So thanks for making our Christmas merry, Mr. Lawrence. You pulled off a pretty tough task with this movie that captures the spirit of rebellion without lobbing bombs of anger.
Lawrence uses the emotions as his compass more than the specific needs of the narrative, which not only relieves the movie of its plotheavy bow, it gives the actors a much broader canvas to work with.
The scenes feel longer. We get more angles showing facial expressions and reactions — and if you give great talent a chance to show what they can do, they bring something special to every second.
Lawrence lets us feel the strength building inside Katniss as she ditches the fear, as well as the swelling feminine maturity that comes with taking responsibility for her own actions.
Young women could have no better role model, and yet she still feels completely human thanks to Lawrence’s solid presence.
Woody Harrelson doesn’t get quite as much screen time as Lawrence, but he makes the most of every shot as the hard-drinking mentor, as does Stanley Tucci in the role of reality show MC.
You can feel these veterans are having a blast under their wigs, and it gives the film a giddiness the dour first film lacked entirely.
Even Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket gets a chance to loosen up a little.
The first movie felt a little stiff, as though the director were mechanically turning the pages, but this movie sinks into your skin because Lawrence immerses us in a pool of accepted injustice until we start to itch.
He makes us feel Katniss’s dilemma, then he links it with the larger elements in the frame, essentially creating a bonfire of drama with deep social undertones and sparks of subversive cinematic brilliance.