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week six

This week I watched the Hunger Games.



I love the hunger games series so much, they came out as I was in high school and I absolutely fell in love with the idea of revolution and standing up to those who are evil. The Hunger Games kind of started the obsession with the dystopian genre that is so popular today. But, to me, HG did it in the best way.
The first movie is heartbreaking. Katniss goes into the games fully believing she will die but also knowing that she will fight to the bitter end. She experiences terrors in there that no 16 yr old should ever have to experience. She is forced to kill other children for the pleasure of the Capitol, who treat this bloodbath as some sort of reality TV show. It’s so, so sad. There’s a scene that always sends chills down my spine, it’s when Haymitch is watching a small Capitol child get a play sword for a gift. The kid immediately chases his sister and tries to stab her with the sword, as their parents laugh and clap. Haymitch quickly looks away, and I feel like you can see the pain in his eyes. He has been through these games and he has felt the pain that comes from killing other children and seeing the Capitol trivialize a massacre is just shocking.

Another scene that really hits me is when Rue dies. I talked a little bit about media and empathy in my previous post, but I’m going to mention it again. I have a little sister who is 12, she doesn’t look like Rue, but her mannerisms are the same. Her hair has a lot of volume and is very curly, just like Rue’s. And she is kind, the kindest person I have ever met. Rue reminds me of her so much. Rue reminds Katniss of her little sister as well, and so Katniss commits to protecting her. As Rue dies, and she dies in such an unnecessary and horrible way, she asks Katniss to sing her a song. As Katniss sings to her, Rue fades away and Katniss has a breakdown. Katniss sets little flowers in Rues hair and around her body as a sign of respect for this little girl that was killed for no reason. I see my little sister in this scene every time, and I can’t help but cry and cry and cry. Do you guys cry when Rue is killed?

After Katniss finishes setting flowers around Rue, she turns around and does that HG salute, which the people in Rue’s home district copy. They immediately start rioting, protesting the death of an innocent and recognizing the rebellion in Katniss’s flowers.

This is why I love the Hunger Games. It paints such a story of hope and revolution, and it talks about such heavy topics. It shows so clearly how right and wrong can get blurred, and how hope is needed to change the world. I just really appreciate the storyline, the characters and their flaws, the themes, the motifs, and the soundtrack. It truly is a work of art to me. It always makes me cry. And it makes me feel like hugging my little sister as tight as I can. 

Comments

  1. tmc448October 18, 2020 at 10:32 PM

    Hunger Games was definitely an obsession of mine when I was younger. I think it's so important to not let ourselves become desensitized to the pain and suffering of others. As soon as we stop viewing people for what they are—an individual with a life and a family—it becomes so easy to brush away their suffering.

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  2. Whitney ParkOctober 20, 2020 at 10:44 AM

    I loved Hunger Games as well! I think I looked up to Katniss when I first watched it because of her bravery and strength as she struggled with poverty in her district and then dozens of other difficulties in the arena. It's cool that media can give us these role models of sorts!

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  3. Tailey RowleyOctober 22, 2020 at 1:31 PM

    Such a good movie! Thanks for sharing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Allyn JaspersonOctober 22, 2020 at 8:37 PM

    HG is for sure one of the best dystopian stories I have read! The movies did a good job at portraying the struggle of a rebellion. I ALWAYS cry when Rue dies. It's such sad scene, and a turning point in Katniss' story. Thanks for sharing!

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