Hunger Games, The

Story

The Hunger Games is set in the future where a post-apocalyptic North America, now called Panem is divided into 12 districts, most of which are poverty stricken. The 12 districts are controlled by a totalitarian government lead by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and an affluent minority, who are comfortably situated in Capital City. In an attempt to intimidate the masses, and as a reminder of past failed rebellions by the districts inhabitants, one female and one male between the ages of twelve and eighteen years referred to as “tributes” are chosen by lottery from each of the twelve districts to compete in the annual ‘Hunger Games’. This is a televised battle to the death where the 24 tributes must fight each other until only one remains alive.

When Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields) is selected as the female tribute from district 12, her sixteen-year old sister Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to take her place. PeetaMellark (Josh Hutcherson) is selected as district 12’s male tribute. Peeta has known and lived alongside Katniss all his life.

When they arrive at the Capital, Katniss and Peeta are befriended and assisted by former games winner Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) and games stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz).

When the siren for the 74th Hunger Games sounds the bloodbath begins with Katniss and Peeta forced to fight and kill in order to survive. However, the final outcome is not what President Snow or the games promoters expect.

Themes

Totalitarian government; corruption, poverty and oppression; fighting to the death;

Violence

The film contains segments of intense violence involving Hunger Game contestants viciously slaughtering each other with a variety of weapons including hunting knives, swords, spears and arrows as well as being physically bashed to death. However, the onscreen violence/blood and gore is mostly or inferred or depicted as obscure, quick glimpses.

Examples of the more brutal and explicit violence include:

A brief image of a teenage boy bashing the head of anotherboy with a house brick. The dead body of the boy lies on the ground with the second boy standing over him holding a very bloodybrick in his hand.
A flashback image of a mother yelling at her son and slapping him across the face.
As the Hunger Games start 24 teenagers, ranging in age from 12 to 16, run for a collection of supplies and weapons.We see quick images of stabbing, hacking and slashing with large knives, with blood dripping and spraying. By the end of the scene 12 competitors are dead, lying on the ground with their bodies and clothing splattered with blood and their eyes open.
An older boy brutally kills a youngerboy by using his hands to twist the boy’s head around, snapping his neck.
A boy throws a spear into a young teen girl’s chest.She grabs the spear and pulls it from her chest leaving a bloody wound. Katniss holds the young girl her in her arms as she dies with her eyes open. After the girl dies Katniss has an emotional breakdown crying in anguish.
A riot scene involves people smashing windows and setting fire to buildings with riot police using batons and water cannons to repel the rioters.
A teenage girl slashes at Katniss’s head with a hunting knife,causing a bloody wound. The two girls wrestle each other to the ground with Katniss’s attacker head-butting her and then holding a knife across her throat.
A boy pulls the girl off Katnissand brutally slams the girl’s head several times into a wall, killing her.
A boy attacks Peeta with a sword while on top of a shelter then attaempts to strangle Peeta. The boy then threatens to jump off of the roof of the shelter into a pack of savage animals waiting below taking Peeta with him. Katniss shoots the teen in the hand with an arrow causing the boy to fall from the roof and we hear the sounds of the animals below savaging the boy.

Sexual references

The film contains occasional low-level sexual references. Examples include:

In a couple of scenes teens refer to Peeta as “lover boy”. Katniss and Peeta are referred to as “star crossed lovers”.
We hear Hunger Games promoters discussing the promotion of ‘young love’, referring to Katniss and Peeta, in an attempt to please the crowds.
After seeing Katniss kissing Peeta on the cheek, a man asks, “You call that a kiss?”

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

In several scenes we see the character Haymitch Abernathy drinking alcohol and acting in a mildly intoxicated manner. When asked why he came to one event Haymitch says it was because of the free drink.
Several dinner party and celebration scenes depict adults and teens drinking brightly coloured drinks.

Nudity and sexual activity

The film contains occasional implied nudity and some low-level sexual activity. Examples include:

We see a teen girl and boy lying on a table being washed by a hand held shower.
In a couple of scenes we see Katniss kissing Peeta passionately.
Katniss falls asleep while lying against Peeta with her head resting on his chest.

Product placement

None of concern

Coarse language

The film contains a few very mild curses and name calling. Examples include:

"Oh my god”, “Stupid”, “Little punk”, “What the hell?”, “Damn life”.

Ideas to discuss with your children

The Hunger Games is an action adventure based upon a series of teenage fiction books by bestselling author Susanne Collins. The film is emotionally intense, violent and thought provoking and more suited to older adolescents and adults. The film closely follows the book, but younger children aged ten to thirteen years who have read the books and coped with them may not be prepared for the film’s violence and its level of emotional intensity, and as a result find it disturbing and upsetting.

The main messages from this movie are:

Oppressed peoples by who are given hope, or a cause to believe in, will find the strength and determination to rise up and rebel against their oppressors even if it means sacrificing their own lives.
People should hold on to their humanity regardless of the costs.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

Self sacrifice: both Katniss and Peeta put their own lives on the line a number of times to save others.
Family love: Katniss is depicted as having taken risks as well as putting her personal happiness aside is order to care and provide for her family (mother and younger sister).

Parents may wish to discuss with their children the dangerous nature of a voyeuristic society, and how the society depicted in The Hunger Games parallels our own - for example,in child TV reality shows such as Scorpion Island where children are pitted against each other in an elimination process.