The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) Directed by Francis Lawrence. Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. IMDB says: “When Katniss destroys the games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol.”
When you split a story in half, it’s pretty unavoidable to avoid a certain feeling of wheels spinning, moving all the parts into place but not really experiencing much momentum. I was especially wary of this problem going into Mockingjay – Part 1 because so little seemed to happen in the first part of the book. How could they actually form this into a movie worth standing on its own? Luckily it overcame my fears. This is a movie that stands on its own, if only for the fact that fans of the series will want to spend as much time as possible in the world, and this is their best chance for that.
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire both follow an extremely similar formula – reaping, pre-game interviews, training, arena, escape. Both films stay on course without taking much time to venture outside of that plot progression. I think the first film does a great job setting up the society of Panem and tone of the story, while the second does even better expanding upon that. When Katniss and Peeta go on their Victory Tour and you see other districts, it is eye-opening and world-building. Mockingjay – Part 1 is essentially a movie all about that.
After Katniss is pulled from the Quarter Quell Hunger Games by a group of rebels, she is transported to the previously thought to be destroyed District 13. Turns out they have been operating underground and building up a resistance movement, waiting for the right time to strike and take down President Snow and the Capitol. Katniss’s revolutionary win in her first Hunger Games is just that catalyst. She’s always been reluctant to take on this responsibility even though it is what she believes in.
This film is about her becoming this figure of rebellion and inspiring the other districts to take up arms against their oppressors. It also continues the character arc of Katniss doing whatever she can to protect those she loves, and here she’s again focused on rescuing Peeta who was left in the arena to be taken hostage by Snow. The more she gives in to becoming the Mockingjay symbol, the more people are hurt for the cause. Katniss has difficultly with the concept that she is the cause of harm to strangers, but when it directly impacts one of the most important people to her it’s near impossible.
Katniss spends a lot of time throughout the first half of the book in a deep depression, experiencing harsh PTSD, and struggling to cope with all she has been through. Jennifer Lawrence’s talent elevates the material just as she has done in the past two movies, even when she’s tasked with a lot of wallowing (maybe too much, but it’s never egregious). She has a transformation over the film to firmly take on this symbolic position, although she still has that healthy dose of doubt in it all that I’ve always found interesting.
I didn’t see much material to base an entire movie around, but I completely underestimated how many of the events mentioned in the novel could be expanded on the screen. Small moments that we only hear about on the page become action sequences in the film. Scenes taking place in several of the districts give you a greater understanding of how this rebellion is spreading and what actions are taken for the cause. Sure, there’s no one main action piece like the first two movies, but when you enjoy a fictional world, the more you get to see, the better the experience as a whole. I was happy to get so much expansion, and a solid build up to the finale.
There was also some very interesting dynamics at play in this film about the bureaucracy of a rebellion. Every part of Katniss’s involvement in the revolution has been manufactured. Julianne Moore joins the cast as President Coin, leader of District 13 and the rebellion. She makes all the calls and assigns the tasks required to move things forward without the passion you’d think one might have in her position. She’s cold and calculating, never worried about human casualties in the wake of the cause. Phillip Seymour Hoffman returned as Plutarch Heavensbee, the traitorous Gamemaker turned propagandist, who crafts Katniss’s image. There’s a film crew capturing genuine moments at people’s most vulnerable state just to make a good TV spot. Yeah, the intentions are mostly noble, but the way it’s orchestrated just rubs wrong.
Moore, Hoffman, along with other returnees Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, and Stanley Tucci give the film series a gravitas that continues to make this young adult franchise feel impressive. Elizabeth Banks role as Effie Trinket has been expanded from the books to give some much needed comedic relief, especially whenever she’s joined by Harrelson’s Haymitch. Sam Clafin nails some pivotal Finnick scenes (some of the darkest from the books), while Hutcherson does a good job (but not stand out, admittedly) in the most versatile of Peeta’s material. I’m hoping he gets a chance to do even more in Part 2. With an ensemble as well-casted and acted as this, it’s hard not to write out a laundry list like that.
I might be getting long-winded here, because I’ve realized I’ve never written a review on the previous two films despite being a big fan of the series. Mockingjay – Part 1 does not outdo the two before (Catching Fire is still the best out of them), but it’s a fine movie – not the cash-grab I initially thought it would be. If this was combined with the second half of the book it would all seem quite rushed, I now believe (dammit, I’ve totally bought into it). It takes advantage of the extra time to further realize the world and characters from the novels, while making certain themes better defined and explored. The only thing that holds this back from getting more praise is the feeling that there’s much more to come, and you’ve been left in the midst of the story with another year to wait until it’s complete.
FTS SCORE: 80%