When Fire Was Caught

 Maybe I will always have the chance but I am sure that I lack the opportunity to read the books of Suzanne Collins. Not because I can’t allocate some of my time reading it but because I lack access to it- both to its books and e-books. Then you’ll ask...why? Whenever I’m not in school, I’m at work and usually got home late. We don’t have laptops, tablets or even just a simple PC at home. And if I have any money, I would rather pay it to our debts in a nearby sari-sari store than go to a computer shop and read or watch things as such.

But I was able to watch the movie Catching Fire because of my boyfriend.

I have not watched the first Hunger Games movie so I don’t really know what to expect from it. I really have that feeling that not everyone watching such movies do understand the thought of the story but just did it to be “with the flow of the current trend”. But there’s no doubt that the essence of the story was really great.

Is it a commentary on the past, present and future human society? Yes, somehow. I don’t really think that the author thought of the serious societal problems when she was writing the book. It does show poverty and the serious lack of resources of people depriving them of almost everything they may achieve but these existing societal problem may have just been an idea she have started on then it’s up to the people to interpret it as something that can be associated to such problems. The author was really creative but I don’t think she was concern of the existing problem when writing this story. She was a good writer of a very amazing story and most likely thought of leaving to the people how they would see and interpret the story.

For me, it was able to package the reality on current reality shows and the manipulation of influential people to those whom they may control. In my opinion it was showing more of the monopoly that great company owners have and how they continue to monopolize everything that leaves us nothing but to go with the flow since they are limiting the range of our options. A more specific explanation is like what we have on our market today, big companies almost own every products you may see in the shopping stores from low ends to high ends products. If you want cheaper products, they own it, if you want more expensive products, they also have it. It was they who are actually growing and getting richer and richer while the rest of the population continue to follow these “invisible rules” which they unconsciously follow. They continuously work and spend and stay on the same state of living they belong to. Just like in the movie, Katniss Everdeen and all other people in the Districts continuously follow orders from the President and remain to be in the same level. Even surviving the annual Hunger Games promises a better life but no one really wins the freedom they are dreaming of since they will have to remain following the orders from above.

Most people would probably consider this movie as a science fiction, but for me it becoming not. The use of bow and arrow can be learned, the creation of a dome with such features was done in some zoos and park nowadays, the existence of different social class was true, and even the use of human lives for entertainment was happening in real life, just in some more acceptable forms for some. The Pinoy Big Brother was an example, prostitution, child trafficking and human cockfight can be considered also.   

                You want something more like the real hunger games? Those involved in syndicates where they have to kill or they would be killed first was an answer.

                Science, Technology and Society, not only in the 13^th District but to all, only favour the ruling class. Science and technology was used to serve them. The society was created to entertain and feed them. Death is the only option they are giving the lower class aside from being their servant.

                Catching Fire is a visual representation of anything dependent on the perception of its readers and watchers. It was an art that would bear various set of meanings and associations based on the eyes of its critique. Its fire would expand wide unless someone sees it useless and irrelevant. And at the end of the day, when the fire was caught, aren’t we entertained with the movie while the districts are still in chaos?

Jaimie Katrina L. Barrera

2010-30752