Friday, March 30, 2012

The Hunger Games: A Response to the Reviews

I had no intention of “reviewing” The Hunger Games. In fact, I rarely (if ever) write a review of a movie, because if it’s controversial enough, then most likely other people with whom I agree will have already written about it, and this introvert hates being just another voice spouting the same thing as everyone else. But for this book/movie, something was different. Almost every time I read a review, something seemed wrong. Even if the review was good, I would read comments that readers posted, and their thoughts would trouble me. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what was bothering me. Vaguely I knew it was because people were just spouting but not thinking through their arguments (yeah, I debated in high school, and yeah, it still affects me). But an odd sensation was growing inside of me: I wanted to write a response to the reviews of The Hunger Games. Something about all the other reviews made me think that something was missing. And then I figured out what it was.

I did not watch the movie for entertainment. If you are going to watch it for entertainment, just don’t.

I watched the movie for instruction. Because I had read the books, I knew what was coming. I knew about the violence. I knew it would be hard to watch. But I chose to watch it anyway because I knew that seeing the movie would make me think, and think really hard.

In our entertainment-driven society, it’s hard to think about reading a book or watching a movie for a purpose other than entertainment. And that’s why so many of the Christian reviews that I read bothered me. It’s because they weren’t actually reviews of the book or movie as a book or movie, but they were cautionary cries against going to see a movie that was so “dark” or so “violent” and they claimed that “as Christians” we shouldn’t be watching or thinking about things that are not pure, lovely, virtuous, true, etc. etc.

And that’s why I said that if you’re only going to watch the movie or read the books for entertainment (and have NO discussion of the ideas), then don’t do it. From things I’ve read from and about the author (Suzanne Collins), the series was meant to critique our “vulture-culture” that loves to see and hear about violence in the news, in stories, and in our own neighbors’ lives. (You’re probably guilty, too. Ever wished the person giving a prayer request at church would have provided just a few more details?) That was her intention. It saddens me to see all the entertainment hype surrounding the opening weekend of the movie, because that goes against the very critique of the book. But maybe it also illustrates a point. And that point may be this: That our society no longer knows how to watch a movie or read a book and be instructed or warned by it; a movie today automatically says “entertainment for a couple of hours” and viewers, figuratively speaking, shut their brains off. That is tragic to me. Why? Because one of the best ways to be instructed is through stories – stories of another person or society’s failure or triumph. Through those stories we gain knowledge and wisdom about how to live our lives, how to love well, and how to influence and understand culture.

The simple truth is, every story has a message. No movie or book is exempt. And if a person is mature enough to read or view a story with discernment and take instruction from that, then by all means, go read or watch. If a person doesn’t have the discernment to watch for a purpose other than being entertained, then please do not go see this movie, and do not read the books. In fact, I can’t think of very many movies or books you should read if your sole purpose is entertainment and you aren’t willing to think a little bit. As Christian viewers, we’re called to “take every thought captive” in every area of our lives. I don’t think this means we shy away from controversial issues, because our whole existence consists of controversial issues. Instead, I think it means we tackle them, know them for what they truly are, and use discernment in how to think about them.

What did I learn from reading and watching The Hunger Games? I saw a bleak picture of where our society could be headed. It happened to Rome, and there is nothing to say that it could not happen to the United States. I entered into the story and ached for the Districts of Panem whose sons and daughters were forced to endure a bloodbath every year. I was sickened by the violent society that enjoyed watching the bloodbath. I was touched and inspired by the courage of some of the children that defiantly stood against the evils of the Capitol, and were willing to suffer personal pain and the possibility of losing everything and everyone they loved because they knew that the Capitol was wrong, and that there was something better to fight for. I was moved by the themes of self-sacrifice, unconditional love, and honor and courage that stood strong in the midst of the violence.

I want to offer a brief aside before I wrap this response up. For those who have not read the book or watched the movie, please understand this while you read all the reviews: The story is not about violence. That was one thing that really bothered me about many of the reviews that I read; the author (sometimes someone who had not even seen the movie or read the book) thought that because there was a lot of violence in the story and that because so many people in the culture enjoyed watching it, that the book and movie advocate violence, and therefore, people should not read or watch it. This is a far cry from the truth, and we should not be guilty of such blatant misrepresentation of the story. The story uses violence to illustrate a point; it is not about violence, and in fact portrays it as being against everything that is good and true.

Interestingly, I watched this movie as I was finishing up the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer written by Eric Metaxas. He was the real-life embodiment of so many of the themes of this book and movie, and his courage and perseverance in the fight for what was good and true was inspiring. Knowing about his life and his dedication to the truth helped me think through many of the themes in the book/movie and see how they play out in “real life.”

To live the Christian life is to be called to more than either partaking in the mindless entertainment mentality of the culture or standing against it and refusing to even think through the ideas presented. It is a call to understand who we are, what we were made for, and how to live in the times in which we were chosen to live. That doesn’t mean that every Christian needs to go see The Hunger Games. But I think it does mean that whether you see that movie or any other that you are called to think, and reason through ideas and know how you can be instructed by them.

16 comments:

  1. Thank you! I had a lot of people criticizing me for seeing/reading the books and I couldn't quite put into words why I saw/read it. This is perfect! These were my thoughts exactly! Thank you!

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  2. Thanks for writing this Marcie! I probably haven't read as many reviews as you have... but I've read enough to see your point and agree with you :).

    I admit that when i started the series (not really knowing anything about it except for it's popularity) my plan was to read for enjoyment. I had just finished reading 4 C.S. Lewis books and my brain needed a break! I started reading and I couldn't turn my brain off! Yes, it's not the deepest book in the world and didn't require a ton of brain power to see what the author was trying to convey. It really saddened me to think about a "future America" being like that! Something that i noticed a lot in myself as I read was I kept asking- "would I make that sacrifice? would I still love that person? Could I stand up and be accountable for my actions if I knew them to be right?" I'm not necessarily saying that I think America will go all the way... but even now in our country there is SO much going on that needs to stop! How are we so comfortable???

    I can't say that I "loved" the books... but they definitely provided some serious food for thought and it was a very interesting perspective.

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    1. Marcie, I'm reading that Bonhoeffer biography, too ~ we are SUCH kindred souls! Thanks for THINKING ... and WRITING.

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    2. Marcie, this is excellent! I'm pretty sure the reason I loved the books, but didn't care for the movie is because the movie went quickly - with so much visual action - that I didn't have time to digest what I was seeing. I left feeling unsettled. Fortunately, I saw the movie with two friends who are good at talking through themes, etc. with me. I'm not letting my younger teens see the movie because they didn't seem to understand the author's motives or purpose for writing the book. Maybe later.
      Great post! I'm sending this to a few people who need to read it :)

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  3. Thanks Marcie. Three of my girls have read the books, and I intend to read them, but haven't yet. I have been unsettled with many of the comments, reviews, etc. and decided I'd sort all of this out eventually. Your comments are quite interesting. Thanks for taking the time to share. Now I'm wondering if/when I see the movie I should go with Debbie's two friends! :)

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  4. This is probably the best review I have read yet. Thanks for offering your honest thoughts.

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  5. I had exactly the same reaction to the books. My son read them when they first came out. He was a young teen, and these were the first books that he would talk to me about. Thus, I had to read them, too. I definitely saw the correlation between Rome and the U.S.

    Last week, my family and I had the chance to go to Orlando with the exchange student program through which we host a student from Spain. Everywhere we looked, there were people covered in tattoos. My first thought was, "How is this different than the Capital City?" Between the body art and plastic surgery, we are well on our way to the level of vanity found in that aspect of the books/movie.

    We are definitely well on our way to the total focus on entertainment and consumerism to the exclusion of human relationships and cross-cultural engagement. There is a fine line between watching the news reports of violent wars and terroristic acts in third world nations and the scenes depicted in the books (I've not seen the movie yet).

    I've been known to say that sometimes I just want to remove my brain and watch a movie or read some "brain candy" to unwind. This is not one of those books, for sure. It made me think a lot, and I was able to have some excellent discussions with my children.

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  6. Thank you for putting my thoughts into words :)

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  7. I can't stand when Christians bash something, and don't take away the actual point of the thing they're criticizing. You're absolutely right, the point isn't the violence. The point is what the main characters do when thrust into situations completely out of their control. The point is a cautionary tale about society. How can one miss these things? Thanks for the review. I'll def. be checking back for future posts. :)

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  8. OH thank you so much for this! Someone referenced your review on Vicky Courtney's blog where the movies/books are being discussed. I've been so perplexed as you mentioned at the beginning of your article as to why this whole debate has been bugging me so much and I really think you hit the nail on the head. I love literature- always have and I am trying to instill that love into my 4 daughters. We are raising them overseas so we miss a lot of the cultural hype around things like this in the states- all I knew is that I was very frustrated that I felt so harshly judged my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ for reading these books and eagerly anticipating the movies! Thank you again!

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  9. Some people can see the connection between the America portrayed in the book and ancient Rome. Yet the public spectacles crossing our screens each day don't seem to stir Christians to that analogy regarding America today. Instead, the church is either silent or an approving witness to the unjust wars and illegal killings our government is daily prosecuting. If the Nazis had put a gun to Bonhoeffer's head and told him to kill Jews, he'd have taken the bullet to his brain. But because they didn't kill him right away, he worked to support the assassination of Hitler. Yes, he decided to kill. But wasn't his decision markedly different from the one made by the heroin in Hunger Games? Yes? No?

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    1. I whole-heartedly agree that Bonhoeffer's story is markedly different than the story told in The Hunger Games. My point in bringing him up was two-fold: First, because I had recently finished reading his biography and his story was on my mind; second, because I recognized traits that were themes of Collins' trilogy that were characteristics of his life (self-sacrifice, care and concern for others, selfless love, etc.). I didn't mean to imply that his decision was the same as Katniss' or any other character from the books.

      "Yet the public spectacles crossing our screens each day don't seem to stir Christians to that analogy regarding America today."

      I would agree with that statement, and it is tragic to me. I think one of the reasons this is true is because most American Christians today find themselves in a sacred-secular divide that Francis Schaeffer warned about. In other words, many American Christians have so compartmentalized their lives as to live one way on Sunday morning (or around church people) but completely differently during the rest of the week; instead of allowing the truth of the Gospel to affect EVERY area of their lives, they merely see it as their "ticket" into heaven. Because of that "divide," they don't think critically about issues of culture, unjust wars, or illegal killings. They aren't able to think their way through "entertainment" and as a result, they do stand silently by. This fact was highlighted for me in a sobering way as I was reading about Bonhoeffer and his foresight and ability to see what was coming and what was happening to the church in Germany. In many ways, the church in America is in the same place.

      Thanks for your comment! I hope my thoughts in response to it were clear.

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    2. Yes, your response is very clear. I apologize if it seemed I was critical of your reference to Bonhoeffer. I didn't mean to insinuate that you made an incorrect comparison. Rather, I was simply contrasting his attitude with what could be deemed a subtle undertone of the story, i.e. that killing is okay if it's government sponsored. Thanks for the review!

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  10. Thank you for your well-crafted, intelligently thought out response to the mostly uneducated reviews out there. I found your take compelling and quite refreshing.

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  11. Years ago I had a piano student who was a child in Korea at the time of the Korean War. Our friendship devoloped as the US went to war in Iraq. As all around us citizens debated whether the US was right or wrong in our war efforts, she told me that she had seen her eight year old sister blown up in their own back yard during that conflict, and that it hurts her when people take war lightly, not understanding its effects. Now over a decade later I have to explain to my children why Call of Duty is not an appropriate form of entertainment. Playing at something as serious as war is an insult to all who have lost. I laud and praise Ms. Collins for writing a novel that may help us and our older children see the devastating details of war, while also showing why sometimes it is necessary. The books/movie was not for my 10 year old son who is too sensitive to handle the deaths and too emotionally immature to handle the lessons implied. I did take my older daughters, and I am glad I did. Thank you for your review. I thought it was spot on.

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