NO Hunger for Hunger Games

[jjkrkwood]

OK, so I havent read the book trilogy Hunger Games, but I understand this franchise is about a future society where Teenagers compete, and KILL each other for sport.... Led by their star, a heroine named Katniss.

 

I may by naive, but in a present society with a socail climate where BULLYING is a major problem, do we really need a movie that glamorizes KILLING ????

 

Teens seem to have abandoned their love affair with Vampires, and Werewolves in the Twilight franchise to frantically embrace Hunger Games.....

 

Is this a good idea? Please explain this to me ?

[josephga]

sounds allot like the Asian film the battle royale where teens are forced to fight to the death on live tv

[seeker630]

OK, so I havent read the book trilogy Hunger Games, but I understand this franchise is about a future society where Teenagers compete, and KILL each other for sport.... Led by their star, a heroine named Katniss.

 

I may by naive, but in a present society with a socail climate where BULLYING is a major problem, do we really need a movie that glamorizes KILLING ????

 

Teens seem to have abandoned their love affair with Vampires, and Werewolves in the Twilight franchise to frantically embrace Hunger Games.....

 

Is this a good idea? Please explain this to me ?

 

JJK, if you haven't read the books OR seen the movie, how do you know the movie 'glamorizes killing'? (And it wouldn't be fair to judge the movie by the previews alone either - I think most of us know that previews often give a distorted view of what an entire movie is like.)

[seeker630]

sounds allot like the Asian film the battle royale where teens are forced to fight to the death on live tv

 

Anyone remember 'The Running Man'?

[jjkrkwood]

JJK, if you haven't read the books OR seen the movie, how do you know the movie 'glamorizes killing'? (And it wouldn't be fair to judge the movie by the previews alone either - I think most of us know that previews often give a distorted view of what an entire movie is like.)

 

Well Seeker, fair question, but since the premise is Killing for sport, its safe to say the intention would be to glamorize it, and from what I HAVE seen, the heroine is held in high regard for her killing skill.. Hence, my comment.

[seeker630]

Well Seeker, fair question, but since the premise is Killing for sport, its safe to say the intention would be to glamorize it, and from what I HAVE seen, the heroine is held in high regard for her killing skill.. Hence, my comment.

 

I guess you're going by something in the previews, since that's all you've seen. It's possible that the movie makes it clear that the value system being portrayed is flawed (its a dystopian setting and I have read that the games were set up as punishment for a rebellion against an authoritarian regime) - but I haven't seen the movie yet either, so I think it's pre-mature for either of us to comment on the values it presents.

 

I think your initial point has parallels with the arguments about violence in films and pornography (especially that involving BDSM, etc.). Do they enable or promote undesirable or immoral behavior (and whose definitions/values do we use?), and should they be banned?. Not a simple topic!

[jjkrkwood]

I guess you're going by something in the previews, since that's all you've seen. It's possible that the movie makes it clear that the value system being portrayed is flawed (its a dystopian setting and I have read that the games were set up as punishment for a rebellion against an authoritarian regime) - but I haven't seen the movie yet either, so I think it's pre-mature for either of us to comment on the values it presents.

 

I think your initial point has parallels with the arguments about violence in films and pornography (especially that involving BDSM, etc.). Do they enable or promote undesirable or immoral behavior (and whose definitions/values do we use?), and should they be banned?. Not a simple topic!

 

I'm not a proponent of censorship of any type, but perhaps I feel its a bit irresponsible. I will have to go by what others feel about it since its not the type of movie I would care to see or endorse. I could however be totally wrong.

[jimboivyo]

OK, so I havent read the book trilogy Hunger Games, but I understand this franchise is about a future society where Teenagers compete, and KILL each other for sport.... Led by their star, a heroine named Katniss.

 

I may by naive, but in a present society with a socail climate where BULLYING is a major problem, do we really need a movie that glamorizes KILLING ????

 

Teens seem to have abandoned their love affair with Vampires, and Werewolves in the Twilight franchise to frantically embrace Hunger Games.....

 

Is this a good idea? Please explain this to me ?

 

 

I'm going to retread on what some have already said. if you haven't read the books or know much about the movie, how are you making any real point with this post?

 

the books have nothing to do with bullying and don't glamorize death. the story is all about a lead character who fights against such things. twilight is sesame street compared to this story.

[BewareofNick]

Anyone remember 'The Running Man'?

 

Killian!!!!!!!! I'll be back!!!

 

Only in a rerun.

[seeker630]

Interestingly, there was segment about the books' author on ABC NEws tonight: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/meet-woman-created-hunger-games/story?id=15970640 . it's pretty clear that the intent of the books was not to glorify violence but to make people question.

[Lohengrin1979]

The series is not about "glamorizing killing at all." The heroine is indeed a skilled warrior(ess) but she begins to rebel against the barbaric killing system and the authoritarian regime. It's much better written than the Twilight Saga nor does it share that series shallowness. I would recommend reading the first book before jumping to the conclusions you appear to have arrived at. If anything, these books would be used as a lesson for kids to stand up for their rights and their humanity.

 

Lohengrin

[ErieBear]

I have read and loved all 3 books. It is not about glorifying violence at all. In fact, it's about the opposite. A young lady gives up her life to save her sister's life. The authoritarian government is glorifying violence and she takes a stand against it. The first book is incredible in its portrayal of the voyeuristic tendencies that our society is flowing towards. Books 2 and 3 are an incredible look into the minds of oppressed peoples and oppressors both and what lengths individuals will go to in order to save their own power.

[jjkrkwood]

I have read and loved all 3 books. It is not about glorifying violence at all. In fact, it's about the opposite. A young lady gives up her life to save her sister's life. The authoritarian government is glorifying violence and she takes a stand against it. The first book is incredible in its portrayal of the voyeuristic tendencies that our society is flowing towards. Books 2 and 3 are an incredible look into the minds of oppressed peoples and oppressors both and what lengths individuals will go to in order to save their own power.

 

Thanks for the insightful explanation which puts a new spin on my outlook to the film. As Seeker scolded me, I should not have judged by the snippets that I have seen on TV...

[nate_sf]

There was an interesting story on Battle Royale and Hunger Games yesterday on NPR:

 

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/21/148991013/battle-games-cold-brutality-a-common-theme

[gallahadesquire]

"Ya gotta tell them - Soylent Green is people!" Just sayin'

[Rod Hagen]

sounds allot like the Asian film the battle royale where teens are forced to fight to the death on live tv

 

Battle Royale is fucking fantastic film.

[tom1980]

I've also read this trilogy and would add a little to E's description. The heroine isn't killing for sport but out of self preservation. The Hunger Games are an annual competition staged by an authoritarian government for the pleasure of wealthy citizens who live in the capitol. The Games are a fight to the death among children (one boy and one girl from each of the 12 districts) selected by random drawing. That's a little bit of an over simplification because one child can volunteer to take the place of another (as the heroine volunteers to take her younger sister's place) and in some districts children do train for the Games and volunteer because they want to kill for sport and win the games. But the moral of the story is that the authoritarian government and those who go along with the Games are barbaric. The hero and heroine spend much time thinking about how they can retain some sense of self even if it means dying because they will not play by the rules of the Games. The books are written to show that violence and war are bad, not to glorify them.

[seeker630]

I've also read this trilogy and would add a little to E's description. The heroine isn't killing for sport but out of self preservation. The Hunger Games are an annual competition staged by an authoritarian government for the pleasure of wealthy citizens who live in the capitol. The Games are a fight to the death among children (one boy and one girl from each of the 12 districts) selected by random drawing. That's a little bit of an over simplification because one child can volunteer to take the place of another (as the heroine volunteers to take her younger sister's place) and in some districts children do train for the Games and volunteer because they want to kill for sport and win the games. But the moral of the story is that the authoritarian government and those who go along with the Games are barbaric. The hero and heroine spend much time thinking about how they can retain some sense of self even if it means dying because they will not play by the rules of the Games. The books are written to show that violence and war are bad, not to glorify them.

 

In her Scholastic interview, the author said that the inspiration for the series came from the juxtaposition of seeing reality TV shows and coverage of the US wars in the Middle East, and she wants her readers to 'think critically' about the government.