Sense

         Movie adaptation are always criticized based on its original source. As for the movie Catching Fire, I believe, it had tried its best to make itself attached enough to the book of Suzanne Collins. It may not be better than other movies or its prequel, but for me it has served its purpose.

        One amazing aspect of the film is the kind of technology present in that society. Unbelievable technology was featured. If one is stuffed, there’s a drink that can make him starve. The arena for the games was incredibly manmade. The aircraft and train were also fantastically fast. In our present society, many aspects of the film were unreal. The technology today, obviously, is not the same with the film. The film is set in a very advanced technological society. There’s like a cure for everything. Almost anything could be done – cloning of animals, magnificent engineering, control on natural-like surroundings, etc. These evidences put the film on the science fiction category. Unfortunately, those technologies are not present today and our science is levels lower than of the technology describe in the film.

        The advance technology as a sign, obviously, the film is in futuristic settings. Though it has set itself to the future, it does talk about the past and the present of the human society.

        Past.  Panem, the place setting, evolved from post-apocalyptic society to an organized districts. The history of human civilization always started from a chaotic world, struggling into a more organized settings. The past of every civilizations involves rebellion and the fight for human rights. There was always the rise of one person, the rule of a powerful individual. In the case of the film, the Capitol controls the thirteen districts and deprives them of the technology and resources. There are laws and orders that limit the people, not from capitol, from enjoying the rights that they should be experiencing. These injustices could lead the people to revolt and that can only be possible if there will be a “starter” or someone that could make them realize these injustices. In the film, Katniss Everdeen serves as the igniter or the prime mover of a revolution. In the past of human civilization, there are also “Katniss Everdeen’s”. Jose Rizal, his novels, Andres Bonifacio, and even in the French revolution – there were always the prime mover to make the mass realized their hunger for freedom and equality. This congruence approves the connection of the film to the past of the human society.

        Present. The situation is that Capitol stood out as the one on top of a “food chain” and the other districts are on the lower levels. The Capitol is the ruler and the other districts are the slaves. At present, for example in the Philippines, the elite dominates and the mass are left unsatisfied. Obviously, most government officials and authority are part of the elite class – the rich and the fortunate. The Capitol symbolizes the elite class and the thirteen districts symbolize the mass. Due to this social stratification, the elite and the mass don’t agree on each other. There is always the issue of inequality and corruption. The corruption present in the film is also of the same corruption in our present society. The only difference is that the situation in the film is graver than of today.

        Future. The film talks about the future as something that is highly advanced in technology and of a picture of an on-going tradition of the inequality, as discussed earlier. Technological advancements that are very beneficial and productive are introduced in the film, but in consequence of these, people, those who are experiencing the advancement, are behaving ridiculously. For example is the drink I mentioned earlier.

        In the world of the thirteen districts, science and technology had failed the society since, this society, the thirteen districts, are deprived of the advancements. Science and technology was only experienced by the Capitol and thus, making these senseless to the other districts. These advancements are actually used to dehumanize them. Science and technology exist for the people, for the consumer. If the consumer doesn’t benefit from these, science and technology become senseless, therefore a failure. But, there’s a big but, a reversal could happen if science and technology could be used to bring down the Capitol and let the other districts benefit from these.  

        The Hunger Games Series is a very good portrayal of the human civilization. It could be a realization, a warning, or a premonition. 

Nikka Marie Sales

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