Hunger Games 2 - Essay Example

The ‘hunger games’ is a serial production of the movies with the first release dating March 2012 while the second release most resent in November 2013 and is entitled ‘catching fire’.

The movie is a continuation of the previous episode, which is captured through the 2012 release of the hunger games (1). Power dynamics, dependence, interdependence as well as survival within the ‘hunger games’ series are seen through the eyes of two young people engaged in the games which are conducted annually with the motive of selecting the district to which food aid would be advanced. The plotting of the previous release covers the disparity in power between formerly thirteen districts but currently twelve and the capitol, which ideally represents power (Collins, 3-18). The capitol district capital represents the source of power or influence and which is depicted to rule over the rest of the districts. Poverty, hunger, and general misery are shown to dominate the twelve districts while great wealth and technological advancement are what characterize the capitol district. As a way of executing the power, the capitol district invents a mechanism through which food and other humanitarian aid would be advanced to the rest of the districts through the ‘hunger games’, which are conducted annually. Every district, therefore, selects young representatives who would participate in fighting contests and the winner defines the district, which will receive the food aid over the year. The capitol district is therefore shown to have the capacity and power to advance food aid to the rest of the districts at will though this is not the case. The program to involve the districts in the hunger games is shown through the literature to be informed by the selfish ambitions of the power district to rule through oppression.

In the movie (catching the fire), Peeta, as well as Katniss, comes back home after they are crowned victors in the hunger games for the year. However, winning the 74th games meant that the duo would leave family as well as friends as they embarked on a countrywide tour, which is called the ‘victors tour’ and involves visiting all the districts in the country. On the day that the journey was to commence, president ‘Snow’ visits the 12th district unexpectedly and had to express his disappointment with Katniss for having broken the game rules within the previous annual games in which the two won. Snow’s anger was triggered by the defiance of Katniss’s rebellion, which he blamed to have triggered rebellion among natives in the country (Panem). Nevertheless, the tour commences, and the two starts at district 11 where after addressing and congratulating the citizens for their participation in the previous games, horror strikes when one of three men is executed after one whistled a familiar tune to many. Among other motives in their travel, the tour around the districts was to curtail rebellion and make peace between president snow and Katniss, which never materializes. After winding up the tour and returning home, two district 8 runways reveal to Katniss that unlike what was said of district 13, the inhabitants had not been wholly wiped off but that they rather adopted underground shelters where they lived. This leads to the announcement of the 75th annual games, which was to involve the victors of the previous 24 matches. The common name for such games was ‘Quarter Quell’ and the two victors (Peeta and Katniss) individually commit to protecting each other within the games. The movie unfolds and the fight happens within the jungle despite many deaths, which claim the life of Peeta, Katniss succeeds to direct lightning towards the ‘force field’ having the arena and wholly destroys it. However, she is equally harmed by the force and she paralyzes temporarily only to wake in district 13. It is also revealed to her that district 12 had been destroyed by bombing but the reporting friend safely rescued her family.

The main thematic expressions of the movie are survival, interdependence as well as dependence as depicted through the eyes of Katniss and Peeta (Harddy, para 1-5). The survival of the two main characters wholly depends on interdependence where each deliberately commits to saving the life of the other and this would be shown to increase each one’s chances of death. Moreover, government control and power struggle is an evident themes in the movie just as is depicted by the other pieces of the trilogy.  Totalitarian governance in the country is the main thematic depiction of the movie, which shows how the capitol adopts the games in order to punish the twelve districts because of rebellion in the past, which lead to the supposed destruction of district 13. Besides, the fights, which are televised, serve as entertainment to the capitol while at the same time conveying the message of the capitol’s power as well as lack of remorse towards the twelve districts. In fact, this is therefore a clear depiction of power influence and the theme of wrong choices as contrasted with good choices.