Hunger Games Codes And Conventions
As a result of acquiring a vast amount of knowledge regarding the world of film this semester, it is now possible to classify films into genres and sub-genres. In general, a genre refers to a collection of films that share a set of narrative, stylistic, and thematic characteristics or conventions (Pramaggiore & Wallis 382). Gary Ross’s film, The Hunger Games, fits into the genre of science fiction as well as the subgenres of dystopia and contemporary romance; however, the main protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, does not fit the stereotypical character type of these genres. Without a doubt, this film exhibits characteristics of science fiction, dystopia, and romance, yet Ross attributes Katniss with atypical character traits for these three genres.
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In this film, the most prevalent genre characteristics demonstrated are those of science fiction. The setting of this film takes place in the future and displays a technological society, as do most science fiction films. Also, there’s a central mission (in this case, a mission for survival) and there are many unrealistic qualities in this film, such as mutations, holograms, and a competition known as the Hunger Games which forces twelve young tributes to fight to death until one remains. Though this movie fits the stereotypical classification of the science fiction genre, Katniss Everdeen does not fit the common character type of this genre. For starters, the majority of science fiction films contain a dominant male protagonist since typically, science fiction films attract predominantly male audiences. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is a female protagonist, yet she contains the strength and dominance of the typical male lead. This film uses an element of mise-en-scene, wardrobe, to enhance a particular character type. For example, Katniss is dressed in dark, baggy clothing that lacks any trace of femininity, helping to blend Katniss’s atypical gender with the masculinity associated with science fiction. Rather than relying on sex appeal to attract male audiences, this film intertwines sex appeal with complexity in order to portray Katniss as a brave, intelligent, and strong female lead. In most science fiction films, female characters are mere sex objects; however, this film creates an iconic protagonist that both male and female audiences look up to.
Another common characteristic seen in the genre of science fiction is a relationship between humanity and technology ((Pramaggiore & Wallis 397). The typical protagonists of science fiction films often get consumed with technology, leaving him or her numb and emotionless. In The Hunger Games, Katniss is surrounded by force fields, holograms, mutations, and other advanced, futuristic technology; however, she remains in touch with nature and exhibits kindness and compassion throughout the entire film. In one scene, Katniss casts sorrow upon the audience when she lays to rest one of her competitors, Rue, and spreads flowers around the young girl’s body as a tribute to her life. Despite being in the control of the totalitarian Capital and all of its technology, Katniss exemplifies an atypical character type by maintaining deep and personal relationships with her competitors in the competition known as the annual Hunger Games.
Finally, a common characteristic of the science fiction character type is a protagonist who is doubtful or arrogant (Pramaggiore & Wallis 396). In the genre of science fiction, the narrative consists of a protagonist who is on a mission to complete a goal. Along the way, the protagonist is filled with doubt and ponders his or her purpose in completing the mission, or the protagonist will boast with hubris and arrogance regarding his or her purpose in the mission, often leading to conflict. In this film, Katniss never truly exhibits an ounce of doubt or arrogance, but instead, she demonstrates acceptance of her fate. Katniss is an unusual character in this science fiction film since her fate is ultimately decided when she willingly sacrifices herself and takes her little sister’s spot in the 64th Hunger Games. Throughout her quest for survival, Katniss relies on her inner strength and survival skills to complete her goal of survival. Though she faces moments of failure and triumph, Katniss remains modest, a personality trait which is uncommon in science fiction films.
As we have learned in class, a film can be classified into multiple genres since they commonly overlap.
This film is also classified as a dystopian film, which is a subgenre in film. A sub-genre is a group of films within a particular genre that share their own specific set of conventions that differentiate them from other films in the given genre (Pramaggiore & Wallis 457). From the very start of the film, it is clear that Katniss lives in a dystopian setting due to the corruption that entraps her and her family. Her freedom is limited and she must illegally cross boundaries to go hunting, just to feed her impoverished family. This is an example of how Katniss chooses to defy the government and its rules to break free from the world she lives in, unlike the common character associated with dystopian films. In dystopian films, the character type is known to acknowledge and accept the dystopia society that he or she lives in, along with the boundaries imposed upon him or her (ReadWriteThink). This character type often fears the outside world and any interaction with it. Katniss digresses from this character type since she lives in the dystopian society known as Panem and frequently escapes to the outside world to find peace and comfort. Instead of remaining trapped, she defies the Capital and lives for herself. Another character type seen in dystopian films is one who is dehumanized as a result of corruption (ReadWriteThink). In this film, Katniss sometimes exhibits lapses of numbness; however, she always overcomes these moments with her burning determination and hope. One common motif in this film is fire. Katniss earns the nickname “The Girl on Fire’ due to the eternal flame inside her that yearns for justice in Panem. In this film, fire is used to symbolize the theme of hope, which is unconventional in a typical dystopian film. Katniss refuses to let dystopia consume her or take away her humanity; instead, she fights against it, making it a central conflict. She
rebels against the government when she and the antagonist of the film. Peeta, rig the Hunger Games and are both victorious. She is continuously knocked down and comes face-to-face with near-death experiences throughout the competition, yet she never stops fighting for her survival. This film, therefore, can be seen as a dystopian film with an abnormal character type since Katniss refuses to let dystopia consume or change her. Another subgenre that this film fits into is contemporary romance, which originates from the genre of romance, however, it focuses particularly on romance in the modern society (ReadWriteThink). This film can be seen as a contemporary romance (although it is set in the future) since modern audiences can relate to the romance shared between Peeta and Katniss. The two characters share a unique bond together that strengthens during the Hunger Games and serves as support systems for each other. Though the relationship is originally forced, Peeta and Katniss find themselves in situations where they depend on each other for inner strength and survival. The blossoming relationship embodies that of other contemporary romance films since ultimately, the two both choose love over survival by refusing to kill one another. Rather than leading to a happy ending as suggested by the genre of contemporary romance films, the film ends in conflict since Peeta and Katniss have both sparked a revolt that the Capital must now diminish. In particular, Katniss does not embody the stereotypical character type of contemporary romance films since she is incredibly independent and initially rejects having a romance with Peeta. Most female characters in contemporary romance films lack backbones and often depend upon a male figure for guidance and strength. Katniss embodies qualities of modern feminism and proves to audience members that women can be strong without the presence of a male figure. When Katniss and Peeta start to fall in love, a reversal of gender roles is prevalent, thus straying away from the classic character types of contemporary romance films. For example, Peeta injures himself towards the end of the film and relies on Katniss to nurse him back to health and scavenge for food. While Peeta becomes rather emotional and dependent upon Katniss for hope, Katniss remains determined and strong, as would the stereotypical male figure. This reversal of gender roles is easy to spot, allowing audience members to take away an important message- it is possible to break society’s stereotypical gender standards in film as well as in reality. In this case, both Katniss and Peeta contain character types that are seen as unconventional in the subgenre of contemporary romance. In The Hunger Games, there is a consistent deviation of character type that allows viewers to observe the genre of science fiction and the subgenres of dystopia and contemporary romance in a new light. By having a noticeable diversion in character types, outdated ideals can be replaced by new and innovative standards that bend to fit society and its modern perceptions. For example, Katniss Everdeen’s internal flame has spread to audiences across the world, allowing women, in particular, to see themselves as independent and strong. The elements of genres and subgenres ultimately have the ability to shape the world of film and the expectations of viewers.
In this film, the most prevalent genre characteristics demonstrated are those of science fiction. The setting of this film takes place in the future and displays a technological society, as do most science fiction films. Also, there’s a central mission (in this case, a mission for survival) and there are many unrealistic qualities in this film, such as mutations, holograms, and a competition known as the Hunger Games which forces twelve young tributes to fight to death until one remains. Though this movie fits the stereotypical classification of the science fiction genre, Katniss Everdeen does not fit the common character type of this genre. For starters, the majority of science fiction films contain a dominant male protagonist since typically, science fiction films attract predominantly male audiences. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is a female protagonist, yet she contains the strength and dominance of the typical male lead. This film uses an element of mise-en-scene, wardrobe, to enhance a particular character type. For example, Katniss is dressed in dark, baggy clothing that lacks any trace of femininity, helping to blend Katniss’s atypical gender with the masculinity associated with science fiction. Rather than relying on sex appeal to attract male audiences, this film intertwines sex appeal with complexity in order to portray Katniss as a brave, intelligent, and strong female lead. In most science fiction films, female characters are mere sex objects; however, this film creates an iconic protagonist that both male and female audiences look up to.
Another common characteristic seen in the genre of science fiction is a relationship between humanity and technology ((Pramaggiore & Wallis 397). The typical protagonists of science fiction films often get consumed with technology, leaving him or her numb and emotionless. In The Hunger Games, Katniss is surrounded by force fields, holograms, mutations, and other advanced, futuristic technology; however, she remains in touch with nature and exhibits kindness and compassion throughout the entire film. In one scene, Katniss casts sorrow upon the audience when she lays to rest one of her competitors, Rue, and spreads flowers around the young girl’s body as a tribute to her life. Despite being in the control of the totalitarian Capital and all of its technology, Katniss exemplifies an atypical character type by maintaining deep and personal relationships with her competitors in the competition known as the annual Hunger Games.
Finally, a common characteristic of the science fiction character type is a protagonist who is doubtful or arrogant (Pramaggiore & Wallis 396). In the genre of science fiction, the narrative consists of a protagonist who is on a mission to complete a goal. Along the way, the protagonist is filled with doubt and ponders his or her purpose in completing the mission, or the protagonist will boast with hubris and arrogance regarding his or her purpose in the mission, often leading to conflict. In this film, Katniss never truly exhibits an ounce of doubt or arrogance, but instead, she demonstrates acceptance of her fate. Katniss is an unusual character in this science fiction film since her fate is ultimately decided when she willingly sacrifices herself and takes her little sister’s spot in the 64th Hunger Games. Throughout her quest for survival, Katniss relies on her inner strength and survival skills to complete her goal of survival. Though she faces moments of failure and triumph, Katniss remains modest, a personality trait which is uncommon in science fiction films.
As we have learned in class, a film can be classified into multiple genres since they commonly overlap.
This film is also classified as a dystopian film, which is a subgenre in film. A sub-genre is a group of films within a particular genre that share their own specific set of conventions that differentiate them from other films in the given genre (Pramaggiore & Wallis 457). From the very start of the film, it is clear that Katniss lives in a dystopian setting due to the corruption that entraps her and her family. Her freedom is limited and she must illegally cross boundaries to go hunting, just to feed her impoverished family. This is an example of how Katniss chooses to defy the government and its rules to break free from the world she lives in, unlike the common character associated with dystopian films. In dystopian films, the character type is known to acknowledge and accept the dystopia society that he or she lives in, along with the boundaries imposed upon him or her (ReadWriteThink). This character type often fears the outside world and any interaction with it. Katniss digresses from this character type since she lives in the dystopian society known as Panem and frequently escapes to the outside world to find peace and comfort. Instead of remaining trapped, she defies the Capital and lives for herself. Another character type seen in dystopian films is one who is dehumanized as a result of corruption (ReadWriteThink). In this film, Katniss sometimes exhibits lapses of numbness; however, she always overcomes these moments with her burning determination and hope. One common motif in this film is fire. Katniss earns the nickname “The Girl on Fire’ due to the eternal flame inside her that yearns for justice in Panem. In this film, fire is used to symbolize the theme of hope, which is unconventional in a typical dystopian film. Katniss refuses to let dystopia consume her or take away her humanity; instead, she fights against it, making it a central conflict. She
rebels against the government when she and the antagonist of the film. Peeta, rig the Hunger Games and are both victorious. She is continuously knocked down and comes face-to-face with near-death experiences throughout the competition, yet she never stops fighting for her survival. This film, therefore, can be seen as a dystopian film with an abnormal character type since Katniss refuses to let dystopia consume or change her. Another subgenre that this film fits into is contemporary romance, which originates from the genre of romance, however, it focuses particularly on romance in the modern society (ReadWriteThink). This film can be seen as a contemporary romance (although it is set in the future) since modern audiences can relate to the romance shared between Peeta and Katniss. The two characters share a unique bond together that strengthens during the Hunger Games and serves as support systems for each other. Though the relationship is originally forced, Peeta and Katniss find themselves in situations where they depend on each other for inner strength and survival. The blossoming relationship embodies that of other contemporary romance films since ultimately, the two both choose love over survival by refusing to kill one another. Rather than leading to a happy ending as suggested by the genre of contemporary romance films, the film ends in conflict since Peeta and Katniss have both sparked a revolt that the Capital must now diminish. In particular, Katniss does not embody the stereotypical character type of contemporary romance films since she is incredibly independent and initially rejects having a romance with Peeta. Most female characters in contemporary romance films lack backbones and often depend upon a male figure for guidance and strength. Katniss embodies qualities of modern feminism and proves to audience members that women can be strong without the presence of a male figure. When Katniss and Peeta start to fall in love, a reversal of gender roles is prevalent, thus straying away from the classic character types of contemporary romance films. For example, Peeta injures himself towards the end of the film and relies on Katniss to nurse him back to health and scavenge for food. While Peeta becomes rather emotional and dependent upon Katniss for hope, Katniss remains determined and strong, as would the stereotypical male figure. This reversal of gender roles is easy to spot, allowing audience members to take away an important message- it is possible to break society’s stereotypical gender standards in film as well as in reality. In this case, both Katniss and Peeta contain character types that are seen as unconventional in the subgenre of contemporary romance. In The Hunger Games, there is a consistent deviation of character type that allows viewers to observe the genre of science fiction and the subgenres of dystopia and contemporary romance in a new light. By having a noticeable diversion in character types, outdated ideals can be replaced by new and innovative standards that bend to fit society and its modern perceptions. For example, Katniss Everdeen’s internal flame has spread to audiences across the world, allowing women, in particular, to see themselves as independent and strong. The elements of genres and subgenres ultimately have the ability to shape the world of film and the expectations of viewers.