By Harlan Rose
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The final book in The Hunger Games franchise, Mockingjay, is considered by many to be the weakest installment in the series. While the attack on the Capitol in the second half of the book is thoroughly gripping, the first half is a complete bore to read and the ultimate conclusion has left readers disappointed and dissatisfied. As such, when Lionsgate announced their intentions in 2012 to adapt Mockingjay into two full-length feature films, many were instantly skeptical, as it was believed there simply wasn’t enough content in Mockingjay to produce two satisfactory films. However, such is the skill of director Francis Lawrence that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 proves to be an emotionally gratifying penultimate chapter, albeit still held back by some limitations.
Part 1 picks up directly where Catching Fire left off, with Katniss Everdeen in the secret military compound of District 13, trying to process everything that has happened. Her arrow that took out the force field during the Quarter Quell has sparked a nationwide revolution against the Capitol, Peeta has been taken hostage by President Snow, her home of District 12 has been burned to the ground and Thirteen’s president, Alma Coin, wants her to assume the role as the face of the revolution against the Capitol, otherwise known as the Mockingjay. Katniss spends much of the movie filming a propaganda campaign, all while fearing for the health of Peeta.
In terms of the adaptation, Part 1 follows the source material surprisingly well, despite taking more liberties with the plot than the previous two installments did. Even though there was a lack of action in the first half of the book, there were still several critical scenes that needed to be portrayed, and Part 1 featured them in spectacular fashion. The additional scenes – primarily ones featuring President Snow and the various uprisings in the districts – all felt like they belonged in the original plot. However, due to that lack of action in the book, Part 1 does suffer from several instances of unavoidable slowness. This is blatantly obvious in the first 45 minutes of the film, as nothing overly noteworthy happens until Katniss travels to a hospital in District 8 to film a propaganda clip. These complaints aside, Part 1 continues the franchise’s standard of producing strong adaptations of the books.
The plot for Part 1 demands great emotional development for the main three characters, Katniss, Peeta and Gale, and actors Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth pull off that growth fantastically. It was easy to feel the pain each character felt and it was easy to sympathize with the characters, which made the film seem more realistic overall. Jennifer Lawrence ultimately steals the show, as her performance was nothing short of extraordinary; she portrayed Katniss’ emotional conflicts beautifully, right from the opening scene to the credits. Of course, the supporting cast was just as strong. Katniss’ relationships with the other characters also developed emotionally, as she relied on them for support and comfort. The Hunger Games franchise has a wonderful cast and is perhaps one of the strongest assets the series presents.
As the series has progressed, there has been a significant increase in production value, and that is certainly still the case with Part 1. The sets are truly epic in both scale and grandeur, and the beautiful cinematography is just the icing on the cake. The special effects have seen a big improvement as well, yet there were several instances where they weren’t quite convincing enough, a problem which has occasionally plagued the series. The increased production value also reflects itself in James Newton Howard’s score for the film. Howard’s scores for the first two installments were slightly disappointing, as they only relayed ambient background music. But with Part 1, Howard has created a score that features more sweeping, orchestral arrangements to complement the emotional development seen throughout the film.
In the end, the ultimate question still remains: Was a two-part film adaptation for Mockingjay truly necessary? Unfortunately, Part 1 doesn’t fully answer that question – while it is a fantastically made film, there really is no denying that the content can easily be condensed to 45 or 60 minutes. Yet Francis Lawrence has done such a fantastic job at setting up next year’s finale that it makes one more inclined to believe that a two-part adaptation was a smart move – only time will tell.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 has been described by Francis Lawrence as a “propaganda film,” and this is true in two senses: First, the plot and second, Part 1 really is nothing but build-up for next year’s Part 2. There is no real conclusion and while the split was wonderfully executed, the ending is abrupt and makes it easy for one to say, “That’s it?” This is perhaps the biggest problem that plagues this film – it is very much a “part one.” Yet that shouldn’t detract from the experience. Part 1 was beautifully made and is an emotionally satisfying penultimate chapter. Anyone who is a fan of the franchise should find this film an enjoyable experience.
