Suzanne Collins’ series about a dystopian world filled with war and corrupt government has taken both the teenage and adult literary worlds by storm. The trilogy has sold over one million copies, and is to become a major motion picture in just a couple short months. As a devout Hunger Games fan, I can honestly say I have no desire to see the movie besides to see how utterly horrific it is going to be.
Let’s start off with the casting. When I first heard that my new favorite books were going to be movies, I was really concerned about the casting, because it’s one of the first and most important things Hollywood can severely ruin. I was praying to the mighty God of literature that He should take mercy on us, and cast the main characters at the appropriate age. Obviously, I must have sinned or something down the line, because my prayers were not answered.
Jennifer Lawrence, a 22 year old mature looking woman, was chosen to depict the scrawny, 15 year old protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. Yes, I am aware Hollywood love to do this for TV shows and movies, but this particularly bothers me because one of the main themes of the books is to show how war and violence affects the youth of our nation- how corrupting and utterly horrifying it can be at such an early age.
Not only is age a factor, but race. Katniss was always described as “dark-haired and olive skinned.” Of course, that is a broad description of race, but I think it can be concluded that it Katniss was not supposed to be Caucasian. Taking this into consideration, the casting directors called for the palest, blondest actress in the country. I find this unacceptable.
In a media dominated by white-culture, I was happy to read Collins’ books that tastefully included race in her story while not making it an issue or a plotline. I was really disappointed to see Katniss and Gale (another dark-skinned protagonist) played by Caucasian people. Most theorized them to be either Latino, African American, or of some mixed heritage.
Lastly, I am troubled by the possibility that instead of showing the terrors or war and corruption, the films will glorify the violence. It is possible, as it has happened in so many other movies, that the direction of the characters and scenes may look mindless fighting attractive and desirable, as opposed to horrifying, as the books presented it. It is very easy to let this happeall it takes is some special effects and some misinterpretation of the book on a producer’s part. It could even happen as a result of an audience’s bloodthirsty and craving to see violence.
Admittedly, I will be seeing “The Hunger Games” when it comes out in late March, but I want people to understand that the books are definitely worth reading. It’s a fast, somewhat easy read with many interesting themes and plot twists. Trust me when I say that seeing the film will not truly satisfy your hunger for “The Hunger Games.”
