The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games (2012), directed by Francis Lawrence, fit the general formula for a dystopian society.  In an action packed saga the audience is taken through a world that is clearly not in touch with reality.  Immediately the class segregation is understood and the story as to how the districts became separated is revealed at the very start of the film.  The Mocking Jay pin is immediately seen as a symbol that will carry meaning of courage and hope through the entire series.  Even as Katniss looks down at the dress she must wear to the reaping you can read the dread that appears across her face.  This dress holds meaning in that it is to be worn to one of the worst days of her life.  As the movie progresses it still sticks to the formula of a dystopian society and the film is simply a visual entryway to the storyline instead of the book that came before it.

After viewing this film through a critical eye in comparison to other films it can be said that there was a clear barrier between the audience and the action on the screen.  The inserted silence here and there too extend the tension and the constant use of close ups made the film feel forced.  When Prim Rose was chosen originally as the female tribute of District 12 it was hard to respond emotionally.  The film quickly became more of entertainment than an emotional experience because there was no investment in the experience of the audience.  Meaning, this dystopian society is a dystopian society because that was the only idea in mind.  That was the purpose of the book and so that was all that went into the movie; it remained strictly formulated. 

Watching 1984 during the interrogation scene at the end, with the rats in the cage, became horrifying and repulsive to think about.  This is because the story unfolded itself and became a journey for the audience to be a part of.  This film was based upon truth and emotional tension which happened to result in a dystopian plot.  It was made with multiple complex layers in mind and each layer held a different version of complexity making it authentic and hard to reproduce.  Yes, The Hunger Games, along with other movies, recreated the general theme of dystopia but because that was their only goal that is where the film starts and ends.  With character development and presenting a society more as a mystery, the audience can make their own opinions and attach themselves to the film in a variety of ways.  There is room for growth and personal exploration throughout the entire film. 

Katniss was thrown into a horrible tragedy in and of itself and had to find courage to survive.  It would have been interesting to get to know her more and have the chance to really understand her world instead of being told from the start she lives in chaos and injustice.   Unfortunately, the film was lacking originality due to the fact that it did not expand past what would be expected of a typical film of this genre.  Perhaps individual events were unique but the story overall was impersonal and cliche.

I find that films in this millennium focus so much on instant gratification and pure entertainment that they are lacking the richness, truth, emotion and authenticity within the plot itself.  Is cinema becoming film for the sake of film?

V for Vendetta

The world James Mctiegue created within the film V for Vendetta (2006), following the graphic novel by David Lloyd, is not one many would associate with a dystopia.  Set in London it appears to still be the same.  There is no war or destroyed buildings.  But this is all because the dystopian degredation is beneath the surface evolving gradually.  V sees this, has enough and decides a revolution is in order.  Though he sets events in motion, in order for his plan to be seen through it has to come from the people.

V is a terrifically imaginative, educated, intelligent, passionate man who looks to history for the answers.

Like any good artist V is inspired by the things that benefited culture in past years.  Stepping into his home, Evey finds herself amidst lost treasures.  By understanding the past, the future can unfold before your eyes.  The film does a wonderful job of capturing the importance of this because it mimics this belief in a similar manor.  This work of art draws from various stories and sews them together to create a masterpiece.  The relationship between Evey and V at first and remind one of The Beauty and the Beast but with a twist.  V's swift moving sword fights and black cloak can resemble that of Zorro.  It can also be said that the High Chancellor is simply a modern day Big Brother watching your every move.

Even the actually techniques of filming are greatly influenced by chinese cinema of the late 70's.  The swift fast actions for the dramatic fights are all choreographed with influences from Kung Fu filled with high emotions and hyper realism.  The last sword fight is the most dramatic of them all and so V's sword has special effects added to the aftermath.  The gliding lights that follow every movement emphasis this glorified, choreographed dance.  Everything about this movie is a wonderful compilation of symbolic meaning, traditions and influences of great art and literature that came before it.  By sticking to the integrity and meaning of the story the film was able to capture it's importance all the more better.

This movie is special because it brought to light the very thing that allows a government to have total control.  1984, Children of Men, and THX 1138, amongst many more, all touch on the idea that language is the driving force behind control.  But, V for Vendetta makes language the ultimate underlying reason for corruption.  Language, as we know, is man made and so it can be a means of creation or destruction.  This becomes extremely apparent through Valerie's story from when V was imprisoned.  She talks about how words like "different" became dangerous.  Again, the film further emphasizes the use of the letter V through Valerie's name as well.  The birth of "V" itself was through a compilation of events.  V's prision cell was roman numeral V, or 5, and so on NoVemver 5th (The only month with V in it), V regained his freedom during a fire. Years later on the same date, he inspires a revolution for the people to gain their freedom as well. 

Everything within this movie is symbolic, deliberate and interconnected.  V himself was an artist and the revolution is simply and extension of his work.  Therefore, by understanding this, Mctiegue was able to keep the integrity of the film and turn it into a work of art as well.

Children Of Men

At the start of this film, it was unclear as to how this specific plot fit into a dystopian themed movie.  Yes, it is set in the future, the world has become chaotic and out of control and the main character seems to have no purpose in life.  But these are all staples for a dystopian film.  What I was interested in is how would this film be different from the rest?  Now that I have discovered the formula for a dystopian film would I become bored and would the film become predictable?

These are questions I asked myself during the opening scene as the camera glides over the bombings of London and flashes news reports of the chaos happening around the globe.  But then I realized something.  This film is just as over the formula as I am but still interested in it's main themes.  Right away the dystopian world is presented and the audience is able to move on from that fact immediately.  The camera purposefully films the city from afar using long lenses making the physical distance mimic the mental disinterest of the typical dystopian scene.  For example, when Theo awakes in his bedroom the set shows a large window looking over the city below.  However, Theo is not standing at the window saddened over the city but rather has other things on his mind. Underlying issues of the society to be revealed, explored,but most of all, understood and appreciated for all that they are worth. The end of society as we know it is just the beginning of the story the film is about to unfold.

In order to understand this film in its entirety I found myself asking more questions.  With the other films we had to review for this class I simply analyzed the details to make sense to why the world presented was dytopian.  For example, in The Handmaid's Tale, I saw that specific colored uniforms represents the class segregation. Fight club plays with the idea of perception by creating two characters that are actually one.  1984 explores how offsetting the balance of society can destroy humanity.  All these prior films use the details to ultimately say "This world is dystopian."  But the final message in Children of Men is not that the world the characters are a part of is a dystopia, but rather it takes all that makes up a dystopian society, and moves past it to a deeper meaning; a deeper purpose.  After this realization, I had to use what I know about dystopian society in order to uncover and appreciate the deeper purpose; in this case saving the miracle baby amidst an infertile world.

Dystopia's pride themselves to be about the battle of man amidst unbalance and thus men find themselves within an inhumane world.  Children of Men does the opposite.  They explore humanity, seeing it as the balance while the rest is a journey between chance and faith.  Chance meaning life and faith meaning purpose.  Once people loose purpose (faith) in life (chance) they spiral down an inhumane pathway leading to destruction and chaos; something that Jasper touches on briefly.

But, what if someone does have a purpose.  And what happens when a person with none meets that person.  In this case, Theo, wondering aimlessly though dystopia meets Kee, the only pregnant woman in the world.  Thus, the journey begins to protect Kee and bring her and her baby to freedom despite the dystopian society around them.

Along the way, Kee and Theo meet many interesting characters that help them protect Kee.  Jasper is one of these characters who died protecting Kee's purpose.  However, their is one specific scene that very subtly foreshadows the fact that Theo is not actually the main character but rather just another protector along Kee's journey.  When Theo takes Mariam, another one of Kee's protectors, and Kee herself to the school to meet the Syd, the police man who will help them "break into" the refugee camp, Theo is seen leaving a beam of light.  A simple, yet powerful, beam of light is what foreshadows his death.  Theo is shot in close-up within the car almost washed out by how much light there is flooding the scene.  This might be the point in the film where Theo realizes his own purpose is to protect Kee.  He steps out with the light still coming up over the roof of the school but as he walks into the man made building the light instantly disappears.  Once his purpose is fulfilled he is fulfilled and therefore, his journey will end.  This fact is presented sooner using Mariam as the first example.  On the bus into the refugee camp an officer tries to take Kee.  But Mariam stands up against the officer, in between the two praying over the Kee.  A beam of light flashes down on her as well.  She is then removed from the bus.  It is unclear what happens to her but all that really matters is that she left the journey protecting Kee; very honorable indeed.  Marichka is another example of Kee's protectors.  When she refused to get on the boat that would ultimately take Kee to her freedom it showed that she realized her place within this journey and it was not about her.  Just as it is not about Theo either.

And so, on the boat we watch the hazy midst and muted tones of the surroundings overcome Theo as he passes away.  I liked how the film ended because though we can assume Kee safely boards the boat it is unclear.  But another realization sets in.  The main purpose for this journey is to protect the child.  Before, the child and Kee acted as one.  But now Kee is the only one left to protect the baby.  Theo begs Kee before dying to never let go of that child and so the film ends when a new journey is meant to begin.  If there was a second movie I could see it being about the child's journey throughout life and perhaps at some point, because all movies thirst for drama, Kee could potentially be killed off as well.

As I questioned before, the film was a bit predictable about Theo specifically but I enjoyed the angle it took when exploring a dystopian society.  It shined light back into humanity and presented some hope; just as the child of Kee provided hope and purpose for them. 

The filming techniques of this movie kept each and every scene grounded to reality.  There was no dramatic music but instead silence where there would actually be silence.  With ears that are used to hearing music to heighten the intensity of a scene, not hearing music provided even deeper intensity.  For example, when Theo, Mariam and Kee are escaping the FISHES headquarters and the car won't start that whole scene feels long and drawn out but is actually filmed in real time.  No music made me unsure as to what might happen next and question if they would even get away.  I feel like this movie did a wonderful job of following this journey realistically and even if at times felt predictable. 

There is so much more to talk about due to the fact that this movie was filled with much symbolism but perhaps that is what set it apart from the other dystopian films.

The Handmaiden's Tale

The protagonist, first Kate then later dubbed Offred, of The Handmaid’s Tale (199), directed by Volker Schlöndorff, stands as a symbol for humanity in the times when inner struggles are brought on by external struggles.  Multiple times the camera uses close-ups as a way to portray this intimate battle but also emphasis Kate’s entrapment within a world that regards her as no better than an object, complete with a bar code.

Though she is not alone she seems to be particularly different from the other handmaidens who have been utterly brainwashed, except for her friend Moria.  Together, the two women are the connection between this dystopian and totalitarian society and the world we, as viewers, relate to today.  Though the world they may live in seems incomprehensible to our world today, the fact that Kate and Moria struggle to adjust makes the film more believable and realistic.  However, the two are separated most of the film but that does not seem to make their bond any less strong.  During the bathroom scene when the women are talking through the stall this becomes blatantly obvious.  Even with the physical separation of the stall walls the women are still completely connected.  When Moria’s faceless hand appears over the top of the stall to hold Kate’s hand this invisible, and in this case faceless, bond is stronger than ever. 

This portrayal of physical separation occurs multiple times throughout the film continuing to act as a metaphor about the separation between humanity and this new inhumane idealistic world.  When Kate first meets Serena Joy, her house master, the camera creates a feeling of physical separation by rarely filming them together in the same frame.  Serena stands tall in her blue outfit with the camera pointing up at her causing feelings of superiority.  In the background idealistic old world paintings similar to those during the Renaissance age hang.  This hints at the values of this society; order, idealism, community, class system, exploitation of God, ect.  On the opposite side of the room, Kate sits in her red outfit on the couch physically representing her status below Serena Joy.  Behind her are windows separate her and the outside world all the while highlighting her entrapment within a world she does not belong to.  Later, when Nick is driving Kate the two make eye contact through the rear view mirror.  After Kate smiles, Nick puts his sunglasses on further emphasizing isolation and in this case, separation of gender.  Nick spots Kate again at night when she stands before her bedroom window.  She has just been raped by the Commander and is very distraught.  She is able to open the top of the window to allow only her head out to get air all the while completely naked.  This time the separation becomes personal.  Her vulnerable naked body no longer belongs to her but instead society; particularly men.   Again, the window symbolizes her entrapment yet separation, all the while exposing her.  Last, the camera films Kate, through a rounded mirror framing her as she walks down the curving white stairs in her white nightgown, against the white walls.  It is as if the audience is looking into her life through a crystal ball showing only perfection.   But as the film foreshadowed before when the camera filmed the cookie-cutter, white home of the Commander and Serena Joy, from afar, it came to question what actually went on inside the home.  Everything appears to be perfect on the outside but within it is quickly realized corruption and mistreatment lie.  

Loss of individuality and personal experience is also a major theme of this film that is pertinent to this particular society.  Because collectivism and community is so important in order to maintain control nothing can be personal and everyone has their assigned role to benefit the growth of society.  Birth and death are controlled by the community alike.  When a handmaiden goes into labor a birthing party is thrown.  The upper-class women in blue enjoy drinks and celebrate while the handmaidens form a sea of red as the watch the birth.  Before the birth mom even knows the gender, the baby is swept away to be raised in the upper-class society.  The baby is as much an object of society as each person within it.  Public execution is also used as a way to remind people of their places within society.  The handmaidens’ together pull on the rope to hang those convicted; bearing them with both the responsibility of life and death with no credit for either.  This is similar to the way men are accepted as being more powerful than women and yet they do not bear any responsibility for their own actions.  This is made known when Kate is unable to get pregnant even when it is the Commander’s fault.  Unfortunately, Kate would still be the one blamed.

 However, because this film is really about inner struggle that are dealt with because of external problems, the most powerful scene is when Kate slices the commander’s neck.  The blood seeps out onto Kate’s red veil.  The veil separated her from what she truly believed but now as the red blood soaks the red veil it is as if Kate is finally acting out against the external world that has repressed her.  In the end, though Kate escapes, a lot is still left unanswered.  She has not found her daughter and we do not know if she and Nick will ever be together.  Instead, she is only beginning her journey to freedom but also, her future.  But, similar to the future, much is left unclear.

As additional commentary, I would like to connect this film in relevance to the beloved Hunger Games (2012), directed by Gary Ross.  I found similarities between Kate and Katniss who are both women thrown into a world they did not ask to be in all the while carrying great responsibility for a society they do not believe in.  One scene in particular from the Hunger Games when Katniss, wearing an elegant red dress, is presented to the upper class of society.  You can read the disheartening expression of her face as she pastes on a smile all the while struggling with inner turmoil.  I would say the Hunger Games is the present day Handmaid's Tale in multiple aspects.

Fight Club

Fight Club (1999), directed by David Fincher, plays with the idea of personal perception versus societal expectations.  It is a story, narrated by a nameless character, played by Edward Norton, who battles with the idea of life versus living a life.  This timeless inner struggle that most people deal with everyday acts as the foundation and uprising of Norton's character but also the degradation of his character.  As many people discover through growth and acceptance of  life's battles, individual doubt and insecurity can be the greatest downfall to human kind.  Meanwhile, confidence and acceptance is where human kind can be at their strongest. This film brilliantly explores both ends of the spectrum through the journey two men take together leading them to both success and failure.  By the end we discover these two men are actually one and only he has the power to choose what life he wants to lead.  Using multiple examples of inner struggles and constant testing, the film delicately takes the audience on a journey to discover a balance between the two and what happens when either extreme becomes to much.  The dystopian theme of this story is actually an inner perception Norton's character and Tyler Durden have of the world.

A strong hint to Norton's character's split personality disorder is when he attends the group meetings in which time he meditates.  Within this meditation, or daydream, he walks through an icy cave of his subconscious.  The woman's voice who is leading the meeting floats within this daydream as a distant echo.  Norton's character appears out of place within the cold, isolated cave and thus out of place within his own mind. 

It becomes clear that Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt, acts as the narrators conscious at times leading him to success but also going too far.   However, one's consciousness can be tamed by knowing right from wrong.  However, clues to an unstructured abusive past leads the narrator questioning his every decision and thus paving a path of destruction. Within Durden, Norton's character finds strength and confidence but when he refuses to take responsibility for decisions and conscious due to insecurities and doubt, Durden runs wild leading to detrimental consequences.

Marla, though appearing to be strong and confident at first, is realized to act as a direct correlation between the narator's reality versus his perception of reality.  Her character does not evolve much beyond constant confusion between the narrators irrational thinking.  As he looses his mind, unable to comprehend larger decisions she too falls prey and remains weak, unable to pull her own life together.  The final scene shows the narator and Marla standing before windows overlooking watching as the surround skyscrapers crash to the ground.  This creepily foreshadows what could happen, and did happen in 2001, when people do not have a strong foundation as individuals and are incapable of making smart choices.  Furthermore, the film does an excellent job of showing that the power of choice ultimately comes from within and the way one sees the world is entirely up to his own perception of it and reality.

Minority Report

Minority Report (2002), directed by Stephen Spielberg, stars Tom Cruise, as John, amidst a futuristic society that looses sight of choice and instead relies only on factual and logical predictions in order to prevent future crimes.  When a detective comes in to question the legitimacy and accuracy of the system, John throws a ball at him.  When the detective catches it he makes the point that just because the ball didn't fall doesn't mean it wouldn't.  The Precrime Unit of the Police force acts as the person catching the ball; preventing the inevitable.

Before a turn of events that imply doubt to the system, John along with those who run the system, believe entirely in the Precogs; the humans that are linked to machinery which projects their thought and future murders on the screen.  The Precogs are viewed as certain kind of gods and those controlling them view their work as sacred and perfect.  John and his teammates are often shot from low angles to imply superiority and confidence.  During the viewing of future murders, John stands confidently before the screens, efficiently putting the pieces together in order to go out and prevent murders.  The juxtaposition of the classical music playing and the swift, fluent camera movements represents the calm confidence in the system as well as emphasizing the efficiency and accuracy of the system itself; or so society believes. 

As the film progresses doubt begins to overshadow the system and as predicted, nothing but human flaw causes a system, built by humanity itself, to fail.  This time around when the Precogs predict a murder that none other than John himself is supposed to commit, John panics dropping the accusing ball.  The ball as seen before is a symbol of the contradiction between perfection and human nature and how the two can never actually meet but only mirror each other.  John realizes along his journey that a ball can indeed fall due to gravity.  But other forces can change the direction of the fall.  This being said, human nature allows choice to factor in.  Nothing is set in stone which is why the future itself will always remain unpredictable and ever changing. 

Last, the lighting remains extremely back lit which floods the background silhouetting the subjects upfront.  Sometimes characters, such as John or the Precogs themselves appear to have halos around them emphasizing the divinity related to the system.  The darkness of many scenes mirror the dark waters this prediction based system treads in. 

Unfortunately, though the overall idea of the film was interesting, I found it to be unnecessarily drawn out and not cohesively edited between action scenes and dialogs.

1984 Analysis

A common theme that seems to continue to reappear within dystopian societies is the manipulation of opposites.  By offsetting the balance between opposites, chaos is set in motion, power is seized, and a false reality is created.  The film 1984, directed by Micheal Radford in the same year as the title, not only addresses this this ideal the way other films do, such as Soylent Green and THX1138, but goes to the extend of making it part of the script; at one point stating "War is peace, Ignorance is strength and freedom is slavery."  By changing the language and manipulating words to represent one thing but mean another altogether, the Big Brother party is able to maintain absolute power and control.

INGSOC, the society within this film, believes, whether the citizens are conscious of it or not, a totalitarian state controlled under the dictatorship, Big Brother, is the right way to lead their lives.  This state calls for humans to abandon their individuality for the goodness of collectivism and alter what they know to be true as a way of saving themselves from the eventual fall of humanity.  But contrary to what they may believe, by giving way to such ideals they are the very reason for the fall of humanity and what this party is pursuing is inhumane and extremely corrupt.

While Soylent Green and THX 1138 mention opposites such as dark vs light, lies vs truth and rules vs freedom, 1984 takes these contradictions and understands them.  By being aware of the black and white nature of truth, truth which holds two sides to the story, Big Brother is then able to manipulate it; and so lies become the new truth.  Power becomes about brainwashing and reordering a society so that they will bow at a dictators feet.  Understanding is key in this case.  Big Brother understands this fact and withholds reason from the citizens.  The citizens should simply trust Big Brother and not need to know why.  But, by human nature, curiosity and the need to understand is what keeps humanity justified and continuous.  The main character's constant search for reason and truth is humane but does not keep pace with the purpose of the society he lives within.

This is interesting because for a society to work flourish, power comes from the individual and together the masses.  But dictatorships resent this sort of power.  Therefore, greedy leaders seek to crush individualism and alter history in order to continue their manipulation and repress their citizen all in the name of total control.  By keeping citizens uninformed it is easier to change their way of thinking, force them to second guess themselves and therefore, rely on Big Brother, for the answers, the "truth" and a new reality.  Children are especially important for this sort of government to work for they are easily influenced, know no different lifestyle and are the future.  Perhaps this is why in the film younger generations are more enthusiastic and eager when praising Big Brother and the older generation appears reluctant and skeptical.  Again, opposites come into play between old and young, wise and naive. What is confusing is why these sorts of societies are sought after by leaders?  They are leading unintelligent, dependent, inhumane people and the only success that can come from a society such as this is only as far as the leader can see.

So while opposites can cause confusion by their contradictory nature they are absolutely necessary in order to maintain balance.  Balance is the key to truth but also humanity; without it, the human race would become inhumane.