The
Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part I
A
review
November
22, 2014
Viewed
November, 21, 2014
****.5
out of *****
Our
common heritage is war. There are myths
of war, pains of war, the costs both tangible and the costs to the ones who
fought and lost and the unseen costs on those who survived. Wars have been
fought, won, and lost since mankind took its first precious breaths. War’s
ravages leave no survivors, and yet the true measure of a war’s toll is mostly
found on the vacant stares of the ones who fight for something that can’t even
name. All revolutions begin with a
promise of glory, but the survivors know a bitter truth. The battle within has no ending.
As
the first part of the concluding chapter in the four film series, The Hunger Games Mockingjay- Part I is a drastic and sudden departure from both the
tone and substance audiences found in the first two. The worldwide best-selling books by Suzanne
Collins contain a not so subtle metaphor of a dystopian world that is North
America by the author’s own admission sometime in the future. The massive popularity of the books and films
and the rising ascent of their mega-star Jennifer Lawrence has only increased
anticipation for the two part conclusion.
The complaints rage about Hollywood’s milking of lucrative properties
into multiple films, but after seeing this latest installment and the
workmanship and craft that has been produced the film it seems doubtful that
one much longer film could have really done the property justice.
In
this find we find the tortured heroine in an awful state reeling from the
results of the second film. Despite her
goofy public persona, Ms. Lawrence has always been best in her film career at
playing tragic and struggling characters and she has found her soul mate in
Katniss Everdeen, and Ms. Lawrence’s work he is her best yet.
Director
Francis Lawrence who took over for the second film in the series has provided
fans a disturbing and painful landscape of dreams lost and the horrors of
war. This bracing and sudden
departure in tone (the film opens in total darkness with Ms. Lawrence in an
almost manic state, and concludes with a horrifying image of pain for her
character) is one of many adjustments the viewer must make to this nightmare
world.
This
is not to say that the first two films are sunny picnics of joy, but Ms.
Collins targets and her intended reach has always been more about the
character’s struggles to come to grips with the horror of the world she
inhabits. This is especially true here
as the screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong with contributions by the
author herself allows multiple opportunities to explore the character’s choices
and decisions. By exploring the themes
of the costs of war on those who stand on the sideline, and in a deeper sense
the way we have become desensitized to these costs, the filmmakers have given
food for thought along with great entertainment. The
films have never been about just which boy she will wind up with in the end.
The
film’s two jarring set pieces are perfectly done, yet the primary complaint
viewers may have with this edition is a lack of excitement. The first two films with their game action
have offered thrilling and morally challenging climaxes, and this film in
contrast offers a dark dénouement and a promise of something more to come that
leaves viewers hanging and waiting for part two to begin. The moral issue at stake here with this film
is much more complex. Katniss the
center piece in the chess battle that is her homeland Panem’s war is not Queen,
but Pawn of the powers that be.
The
elaborate look of the second film with its bright colors and costuming has been
replaced with this new worn turn look as the inhabitants of the District 13
huddle together for the speeches that will carry them to victory and its
inhabitants try to spark a rebellion from afar. The effect of this on the viewer is
immediate as it provides an aura of dread.
The
casting of the series has always been first rate and both Liam Hemsworth as
Gale, who has an increased role here and is especially effective in all his
scenes, and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta offer first rate work here. The film is dedicated to the late Philip
Seymour Hoffman who returns along with marvelous work again here from Woody
Harrelson and especially Elizabeth Banks whose work as Effie Trinket has always
made the character more interesting and deeper than expected. New to the cast is Julianne Moore as
President Coin, who is likely to become the head of the country if the
resistance survives. Ms. Moore’s presence
is a virtue to a film that already has many.
The
series is set to conclude next November, and this stunning, powerful effort
only increases the anticipation for its conclusion. Whether one sees her as symbol, heroine, or
pawn the journey and struggle of Katniss Everdeen will continue to hook readers
and viewers for years to come. One can views this as a reflection of the times
we live in, or as just an allegory for the loss and struggle of war, the enduring
message of the story endures and the odds are in the favor of those who enter
this challenging world.
Tommy
Key
Rated PG-13(intense sequences of violence and action,
disturbing images, thematic material)
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