Movie Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

Dark and haunting, this first-part adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ last book in the beloved trilogy is a satisfying prelude that will keep you hungry for the final instalment.

By Paige Lim

PHOTO: Lionsgate

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay —— Part 1

Action, Science Fiction [PG13]
Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
123 min

With the brutal Games no longer featured in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1, the film naturally does not compel the same grisly audience fixation that comes with watching tributes clamouring to kill each other with their bare hands, or overcoming deadly obstacles like blood rain and venomous wasps. Despite this, the film still offers enough tension and expectation to reel you in for the final instalment next year.

Mockingjay shows, unflinchingly, the personal and wide-ranging brutal consequences of war. It does not shy away from occasional, more realistic violence — rebels are shot indiscriminately by Peacekeepers, explosive bombs kill innocents, a desolate District 12 is strewn with skeletons, and survivors are trapped in an oppressed environment.

The film picks up from its predecessor, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) waking up to find herself in the secret underground bunker of District 13, after being rescued from the destroyed arena in the Quarter Quell.

Unfortunately, her possible love interest, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), has been captured by the Capitol and is being used as a weapon by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) against her.

Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore), who rules over District 13, Katniss reluctantly agrees to become the symbol of a mass rebellion — the Mockingjay — to fight against the Capitol and rescue Peeta.

Considerably darker and more serious than the other films, the action in Mockingjay is now mostly consigned to the regimented new homes of District 13 and some shots above ground. Scenes of District 13 inhabitants clad in drab uniforms among the nondescript facilities are powerfully intercut with ongoing acts of defiance by rebels in other districts.

Anchored by harrowing folk song The Hanging Tree, sung by Jennifer Lawrence at one point in the film, director Francis Lawrence effectively sets up a subtly haunting bleakness that underscores an imminent urgency for the dystopian world of Panem: things cannot go on like this any longer.

As usual, Hollywood’s golden girl Lawrence compels as the fiery heroine. The Academy Award Best Actress winner (Silver Linings Playbook) yet again delivers a stirring performance of a girl forced by circumstance to shoulder more than she can handle.

She provides most of the emotional investment of the film, and one cannot help but be drawn into her all-consuming visceral anguish and guilt at having left Peeta behind in the hands of the cruel Capitol. The film also reminds viewers of her raw humanity with moving moments between her and her beloved sister Prim (Willow Shields), such as when she dashes out of a safe zone to find Prim when District 13 is attacked.

Credit also goes to Moore, who is an interesting addition to the cast as President Coin. With her dictatorial leadership, she exuberates a commanding, albeit disconcerting presence, which makes one wonder if there is more to her than meets the eye.

Another worthy mention is the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, whose Plutarch Heavensbee adds much needed colour into this grim instalment. His light-hearted wit is refreshing in the otherwise sombre mood that pervades the film.

New supporting actors Natalie Dormer and Mahershala Ali, who play fellow rebels Cressida and Boggs respectively, do well given their limited screen time. Their characters, however, could do with more development, rather than being relegated to mere props whose sole purpose is to aid Katniss in her quest.

While Mockingjay is shorter compared to its previous instalment Catching Fire, it still takes a while to get to the meat of the story. Hampered by a slow start, too much time at the beginning is spent on a broken Katniss moping in her stupor. The film only picks up after the first 30 minutes, when she devotes herself to leading the rebellion.

The plot does get progressively gripping, and there are several brilliantly executed scenes that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats. A particular scene, where the good guys stormed a Capitol building to rescue Peeta and his friends, is nerve-wracking suspense at its best.

Mockingjay is perhaps the most toned-down entry in the film franchise so far. It may not match up to the positive explosiveness of the previous two instalments, but it employs its action scenes effectively without overplaying them.

By focusing on the greater establishment of goals, motives and the underlying relationships between characters, the film does enough to fill you up before pushing out a memorable finale.