I borrowed the book from my girlfriend and timed my reading of it so that I would finish it the night before the screening. After a mildly weak first few pages I quickly got a feel for the main character, Katniss Everdeen, and found that I could really relate to her situation as a sad reality.
The first book follows the 74th annual Hunger Games, a battle to the death among one male and one female 'tribute' from 12 outlying districts. This game was enacted as penance for a failed rebellion against the Capitol of the nation of Panem, which rose from the ashes of the collapsed North America. Over time, these games grew into a media spectacle for the debauched Capitol citizens in which the tributes are introduced through a 'fashion show' and interviews with a quirky television personality before being sent off to their brutal murders.
Katniss Everdeen lives in the coal-mining District 12, which lies in the Appalachia region of the former United States and has had only two victors in all 73 previous games. After being given perspective on Katniss' day-to-day life we lead into the yearly 'Reaping,' which is the event in which one boy and one girl from each district between the ages of 12 and 18 are randomly chosen as tributes. Katniss has previously traded her name into the lottery for extra food rationing, meaning her name is in the lottery far more than usual.
However, her 12-year-old sister is randomly selected despite this being her first year in the Reaping and only having one name in the lottery. Of course, Katniss elects to volunteer in her place, being the first to do so in the history of District 12. Thus begins her journey into the garish Capitol, the media frenzy surrounding the games and the actual bloodbath that follows.
There is a romance angle to the story, but it's actually very integral to the development of the story and the survival of the characters. Do not be dissuaded by this element because it is absolutely necessary to the overriding story at hand rather than simply being the story itself. As a girl, you'll be instantly drawn in while as a male you might still find yourself fascinated by how easily Katniss plays into the role of a 'star-crossed lover' out of necessity rather than desire.
This is a book that you could easily enjoy in a single sitting. Collins writes engagingly well without ever falling into the usual Young Adult vices of overwriting or sidetracking. The story is focused and engaging until the last page. What I found most appreciated is that the main plot thread is fully resolved by the end of the book. There's no cheap sequel hook or cliffhanger ending; you could set the series aside and never go on, though if you were paying attention and are fascinated with the world-building you can find that there's much more to explore. That is brilliant.
Now, the film itself is an excellent adaptation; perhaps the most faithful I have ever seen. I would even suggest that certain elements of the film are better than the novel.
I think where the film really stands out is in its visuals. The coal-mining community of District 12 is easily inspired by the famous Depression-era photos by Dorothea Lange. Through only five minutes of visuals the exact situation of the world outside the Capitol is perfectly conveyed with all emotion and desperation intact.
The Capitol itself is pure fun. District 12 escort Effie Trinket perfectly captures the naïveté of the Capitol as well as its stunning fashion. Many scenes depict Capitol citizens in extravagant clothing, makeup and hair-styling that simply draws the eye. They're all done up as if Lady GaGa became the norm; fitting, as Glenn Hetrick did the makeup/costume design for both the film and the singer.
It's set decoration with people that I just love, from the future fashion of Demolition Man to the dinosaur/human hybrids of Super Mario Bros.
A major draw for the book is that it is written in first-person, from Katniss' perspective. She's clearly an intelligent, intuitive girl, which makes her mental workings as suspenseful as the action around her. This wasn't fully translated to film, but the focus does largely remain on her. In the instances that we cut to other characters/situations its very effective. As a first-person story, you never really know what's happening within the Capitol or how the people are reacting to the Game.
In the film, we are offered looks at the arena-manipulating Game Makers as well as the humorous commentary from television personality Caesar Flickerman. It ties things together well and actually introduces an intelligent subplot that establishes the characters and themes of the coming sequels much more effectively. Even better, they did this subtly without in any way hanging-on a sequel hook or cliffhanger.
My only complaint is that certain scenes and moments happen much too quickly for the audience to fully connect with the events on-screen. The entire book takes place over several weeks, but the film doesn't feel much longer than a few days. Considering the themes of the novel, there really wouldn't have been an issue with depicting in more detail Katniss' struggle for survival. Padding is not always a bad thing.
In the end, the film is an excellent companion to the novel. It can be argued that it doesn't completely stand on its own, but if you're an intuitive film-goer I'm sure you can appreciate what you're seeing without much of the focus found in the source. Still, I'd highly recommend giving the book a read first. It's not a long read, but it's certainly one that'll give you a deeper appreciation for the subtleties found in the film.
Read Roger Ebert's own review on his site HERE.
Has anyone looked into the property yet or intend to? I'm hoping my above summary gives a good impression of both the novel and film's strengths, though I would be happy to discuss both in more detail if anyone still has any reservations. Let me know!
