Hunger Games & White Privilege: "Walking In Another Person's Shoes"

It has been a quiet week in my little town, so I thought I’d write about war…or rather about some story about how war affects us. The movie “Hunger Games” (based on the first book of a trilogy of books by Ms. Suzanne Collins) premiered this week and I knew you would want my careful review of this film.

Alright, I couldn’t wait to see it! The books are riveting, disturbing and inspiring – especially the heroine Katniss Everdeen. She is a terrific character for the ages and she remains staunchly herself, in spite terrifying circumstances. Unlik Bella from the over- appreciated Twilight series, Katniss never has to change herself for the boy(s) she loves. (Oh, that statement is going to get me some comments on the blog!) If you are not between the ages of 10 and 18 and/or not a parent and/or not obsessed with all good books, like me, what follows in the next paragraph is a basic overview of the movie.)

The Hunger Games takes place in a post apocalyptic place called Panem. There is a 12-district federation headed by sneaky President Snow (Donald Sutherland).  The Capitol, Panem's central city, is wealthy and decorated (in primary color hair, jewels embedded in eyebrows and nails as long as a forearm) –  a place where comfort and security are “a given” even though such strappings come on the backs of the poverty stricken 12 districts. The government ensures its authority over the districts by staging the annual Hunger Games, a TV show broadcast for days. It’s sort of like the Olympics except there are 24 kids fighting until only one survives. One boy and one girl from each district are abandoned in a technology-created world. The brave, smart Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is from the poorest region of all – District 12, a coal-mining area that looks a whole lot like poor places in the United States. With her from her district is Peeta (Josh Hutcherson, well done on casting here) who once saved her life when she was starving by offering her bread.

Director Gary Ross ("Pleasantville," "Seabiscuit") and screenwriter Billy Ray ("Shattered Glass") – who shares the screenplay credit with Collins – have stayed close to the original text. Okay, okay…I noticed the parts where the movie was different from the book. She buys the mockingjay pin instead of getting from the Mayor’s daughter who appears to be dropped from the movies, the time frames are different and much less about District 12 life, etc. This is my tactic with books that are made into movies. I simply think of the movie has a partner to the book. This helps because the book is always better than the movie. You know why? Because our own imagination is always brilliant. (My mom used to say, “Imagination was the window you look out and can see whatever!”) However, I love movies too, so this is how I solve “it-wasn’t-the-same” stress: I allow that it doesn’t have to be “the same” and can enjoy the movie.

Okay, so I really liked the movie. Some things I loved. First I think casting Ms. Jennifer Lawrence was an act of perfection! She was so great. I realized watching the movie that a lot of the book is in Katniss’ head. So, in the movie her range as an actress had to cover sorrow, fear, terror, fierce anger, joy and love. She gets it done as well as she shoots an arrow. (She took lessons, which she needed for the movie, from one of the world's best archers, Khatuna Lorig.) I love Ms. Lawrence playing this character because she is not petite – she is physically strong and she seems to weigh a normal “I-eat-food” amount. I think about the messages such a movie will send to youth and her character is a woman who is fierce, funny and kind. Well, such a role model makes me smile.

I appreciate the casting of Woody Harrelson as the alcoholic former champion who coaches Katniss and Peeta; Stanley Tucci as the broadcast's preening host; and Lenny Kravitz as Cinna. I loved Elizabeth Banks as clueless Effie.

I didn’t know Mr. Harrelson would be cast as Haymitch and had I known I would have thought he was too young because he is described in the books as old. Then, I remembered to kids that age he is old! He was an excellent addition to the story and did not overplay drunk as actors often do. He also was able to convey his difficult situation in training kids he believes will die.

Some specific observations follow : (Spoiler alert if you haven’t seen the movie skip this part…)

First who didn’t love her boots? The ones that tie up? Super rugged chic. (If you read my Footloose review you may have gathered boots are my fashion weakness.) I think the movie was able to show some things visually that didn’t get through as deeply from the novel. For example, the very poor youth from District 12 laying out their one fine outfit to go get picked for slaughter. Watching Katniss move from the desolated District 12 to the forest was breathtaking in the difference between these two places. Watching her hunt with Gale (Liam Hemsworth) was a great visual and when he says to her “You know how to hunt” and she says, “Animals,” Gale responds: “There is no difference.” Thematically this is jarring on screen in a way that only seeing the look on her face could be.  I was not sold on the Mr. Liam Hemsworth’s performance but it may have been too small and he will improve in the other movies. The depiction of the Capitol and the people there was delightful and reminded me of Oz from the Wizard of Oz.

A word about Rue (Amandla Sternberg): much has been made about the “surprise” that she was cast by an African American actress. The book suggests this character is dark skinned. (I had pictured her Latina and/or Indian.) I think Ms. Sternberg is a delight on screen and has the excellent rapport she must have with Ms. Lawrence. I think the “surprise” is based on white privilege. The definition of “white privilege” is a term used in critical race theory.  White privilege may be defined as the "unearned advantages of being white in a racially stratified society," and has been characterized as an expression of institutional power that often goes unnoticed by white individuals. Basically it means because I am white and receive more privilege than people of color I often expect others to look like me and I assume that certain advantages I receive are given to others. (Advantages are well described in my fellow blogger’s piece about statemen’s made after the death of Trayvon Martin. The piece by Michael Skolnik “White People, You Will Never Look Suspicious!” is something I highly recommend you Google and read.)

I am glad we have a president who is African American. However, we are not in a post-racial society. (If we were Mr. Martin would not have been “suspicious” {sic: “White people You will Never Look Suspicious”}, Mr. Obama’s birth would not be questioned and racist tweets about the race of the character Rue would not have happened.) We are no more a post- racial society than the 12 districts in the Hunger games are happy citizens! If you reacted to the race of this actress I recommend you inquire about your understanding of race and privilege in our world. There is no reason to feel defensive: it is simply an opportunity for more learning. I am all about the learning! The best we can do is "try to walk in each other’s shoes a bit more." You know, like another great fictional girl heroine learned in “To Kill A Mockingbird” (Scout ­– my dog’s namesake) by the amazing Ms. Harper Lee. (I do not think the similarity between “Mockingjay” in “The Hunger Games” and mockingbird is a coincidence.)

One of the things the movie was able to depict even more clearly than the book was these were children set up to kill one another for sport while fellow humans watched. I see this as a metaphor for the cyber life many people have nowadays. I am deeply grateful that Facebook was not around when I was teenager or you would Google my name and there would be 1,000 poses of me doing nothing but embarrassing things. However, for our kids “publicity” is a norm and there is a constant stream (like a show that is on 24 hours). I wonder if Ms. Collins in writing this book is also saying such constant “screen time” is its own form of violence. As Gale points out, “If no one watched there would be no Hunger Games.” 

The same could be said of reality TV and/or opportunist news that seeks to shock and fear us. I learned in journalism “if it bleeds it leads.” However, my journalism teacher Dr. Briggs also asked us, “What is propaganda?” His answer: “Education.” What he was saying is that all information can be manipulated and in “The Hunger Games” there is a propaganda video that does just that to “show” the citizens why the Hunger Games are needed.

Another fascinating moment in movie as different from the book was when the “Careers” (Tributes who have trained for the Games) are searching for Katniss to kill her.  We hear them laughing, yelling and this scene felt like it wasn’t in the book because it is entirely different to hear kids tracking each other for killing. Yet, this is a depiction of bullying that has received more attention in the last few years because of youth who have committed suicide because of such victimization. What if we all pledged to offer only positive posts and comments on line? Would that take the fun out of it? I do not think so. It is my practice to stick to positive posts because why add more negativity to the world? However, to be critical thinkers I think must at times make critical statements. It is my belief we do this only with facts, clarity and respect for other people viewpoints.

Okay so I have (as usual) tried to cover too much ground here. Let me recap:

“The Hunger Games” was filled with action, emotion and entertainment! I think the very fast camera movements handled the violence along with actors who covered dark themes well. I do think the movies screenwriting was a bit “safe.” The books are very funny in places; particularly with Haymitch and Peeta, there were opportunities missed in the wit of the story. Yet, it was the start of a trilogy so groundwork must be laid. I loved much of the casting and acting and a huge shout out to Ms Judianna Makovsky the incredibly creative costume designer. All in all I give the movie a solid B+.

If you heard about the race ruckus or you didn’t, I recommend you educate yourself about white privilege and I really love Mr. Skolnik’s blog about the death of Trayvon Martin and white privilege in our county (“White People, You Will Never Look Suspicious”).

Oh it’s too many topics. My sister says I cover too much…but she also doesn’t have ADHD like me. This is just the slim pickings of my brain!

Please comment and feel free to disagree! However, remember youth may be reading this so show an example of healthy respectable debate please. Also, I am offering writing workshops for youth everyday during Sspring break, and many new workshops: “Read the Classics Workshop”, “Read with Speed & Feed” and a “For the love <3 of Mom” (Mother’s Daughters Workshop) - please email me from my site if you want me to teach and learn writing with your kids and they want to learn from a Hunger Games fan(atic)! www.explorewritingworkshops.com