A reader’s greatest excitement is also his or her biggest fear—the prospect of one of your most beloved books being adapted into a film. “They better not cast that guy,” we often say to ourselves. Or, “How is that even going to look onscreen?” is another of my favorite questions. We become so concerned with how something will look because, let’s face it, looks matter. Take Sherlock Holmes for example. Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a character that relies prominently on wits with nothing especially appealing about his physical appearance, the modern day Sherlock Holmes played by Robert Downey Jr. is not only physically capable of kicking your butt, but is also ruggedly handsome with a dash of infectious charisma on the side. Modern audiences invest themselves unwaveringly in a character that looks capable. Despite the fact that these films cater to contemporary audiences, long-time fans still seems to appreciate them because Holmes never lost his wit and his eccentricities. Continuing the book to film adaptation craze is Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games. Every fan knows there will be some sacrifices and adjustments for the sake of so many excuses—time, budget, demographics. As a fan of film and literature, I can say I was equally if not more concerned about the adaptation. I am, however, happy to say that I was completely satisfied with the result.
The first thing I was most thankful for was that director Gary Ross did not opt for the use of the overexposed 3D. The Hunger Games tells the story of Katniss Everdeen, a strong-willed, savvy teenager who volunteers to take her younger sister’s place in an annual televised game in which twenty-four children between the ages of twelve and eighteen are forced to fight to the death. The book does not deal with light material and I would go so far as to say that the film emphasizes the disturbing issues of violence and entertainment. It’s a book that almost needs a visual companion. Ross isn’t overly flashy with his direction. There are a few points in the film where the hand-held camera causes quite the dizzying effect and also makes it hard to see whose hands are flying where and whose blood is whose. Other than that, he allows for the action to speak for itself.
With all the comparisons to the Twilight franchise, adults seem weary to invest their time and money into Collins’s series, but I can assure you the only common denominator is the popularity of the franchises. Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss is an independent, resourceful character. She’s not just a male character wrapped up in a female disguise. She’s a survivor, self-sufficient, and is often coming to the rescue of love interest Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson. Some have used the supposed love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth’s Gale as a promotional tool, but that is not what lies at the heart of The Hunger Games. At its core are ideas of oppressive society, rising above your rank, and a culture’s immunity to violence.
