The hunger games

The opening

Exposition:

Inner title cards explain the background behind the main plot subject of the film ‘The Hunger Games’- this connects both the original fanbase and the new viewers which may not be familiar with the events/backstory of the film

District 12, grey desaturated colours, in her element/her best self hunting and fighting in the forest and hunger games colours are extremely vibrant

Sound:

Sound bridge into screaming child,

singing in background as Katniss runs through forest landscape, paints her is a positive light alignment, as well foreshadows Rue’s death where she sings, full circle moment

sumptuous saturated colours ‘what defines your style’  abject poverty binary opposition

Preferred reading- alignment with Katniss, shallow depth of field, ‘on her shoulder’, close ups tracking the deer- guides

Editing:

Fast paced editing montage showing poverty in district 12, and how this is the antithesis the eccentric nature of the capitol

jump cuts to showcase the poverty District 12 endures, includes woman carrying two buckets and barely clothes children playing with mud in river, act of exposition

Match on action Katniss running, establishes her agency and to not dwell on her background, fast paced editing to characterise and foreshadow future battle as she is running to the district boundary

Switch between low angle shot and close up as Katniss spots the deer, shows her experience with hunting

Close up of Katniss scrunching up leaves as they blow in wind direction, again shows her hunter/gatherer mentality

Mise en scene:

Katniss’ hair braided- in many cultures, braided hair is seen as a symbol of strength, courage, and victory, warrior symbolism such as Viking culture and Native American

Cinematography:

Handhold camera technique- doesn’t linger on violence, cutaways

shaky cam, realism and gravitas, as Katniss holds Prim

Wide shot, deep depth of field of boundary between districts, shows the harsh and maintained environment

Sound: non-diegetic folk music, insight into Katniss’ mind, nature is her habitat and where she finds strength, she is attuned

Reaping

Performance: close proxemics

Mocingjay-macguffin for liberation symbol/revolution

overhead shot of groups of children walking, gravitas to the scale of event, the Hunger Games themselves can be seen as a metaphor for the oppression and control exerted by the Capitol over the districts, echoing the totalitarian regimes of the past, including Nazi Germany, plain outfits- style like the 40s, low angle and high angle shots of outfits

Close up of Effie and microphone, to emphasise grandois outfits of Capital

eyeline match to show binary opposition in power, Effie is symbolism of Capitol’s control over the districts in this scene

Exposition, video from capital, binary opposition of children’s facial expression and Effie’s

Panning shot of children in crowd to show scale of event

mid shot close up of the sisters holding hands

hyperbollic- Prim’s fast paced breathing

survelliance- moniters,(jumpcut)

man with gun on look out (eyelinematch)

kulashov: Katniss’ fears over outcome Kulashov effect with eyeline match of surveillance around

Hyperbollic syren, isolated sound in the house before Katniss and Prim go the Reaping,

Capitol conditioning in Effie, her mouthig the last words of Snow’s speech

hyperbollic scream prims scream

The Death of Rue

Hyperbolic sound “Katniss help”,

variety of shot sizes, faced paced editing for drama

Hight angle shot of Rue, emotional, Katniss POV

POV shot of trees above, in and out of focus to represent falling in and out of consciousness

slow emotive music, strings

close up shots of Katniss bloody hands, shows intensity of battle

zoom out to Katniss on screen rebellion/alliance symbol from district 11 screen, shows her as a warrior, figurehead against the capitol,

Arrival at Capitol

Cinema spectacle wide shot of capitol citizens, eyeline match with Peeta

Poverty and appeasing the bourgeoise, commentary of power of the rich over the poor

Countdown

Close up of cinna putting mockingjay pin on katniss- macguffin, catalyst

Tracker jackers

eyeline match- between tracker jacker nest, rue and Katniss, sets of allegiance with Rue, a double of Primrose to Katniss