My Thoughts On The Hungers Games Movie Franchise

001

Sparkles, lip gloss, and everything sweet. Welcome back to Anatomy of an Angel! Turn off your iPod nano and light a vanilla candle, because your favorite internet BFF is hosting a movie marathon. Today, we are cozy-ing up to talk about a totally iconic movie franchise that is guaranteed to cure your boredom!

The movie franchise I will be speaking about today is... The Hunger Games!

The Hunger Games is originally a book made by Suzanne Collins in 2009 (the year I was born :D). Before going further, I would like to clarify that I haven't read the books and have only seen the movies and TikTok comments T-T. This post will contain spoilers so if you don't want to read any because it's on your watchlist, don't read this post until after you watch it and here's a list of things you need before and during your watch party:

• A plush, pink velvet blanket
• A massive bowl of buttery popcorn mixed with M&Ms
• Yummy Pizza!
• A strawberry dragon fruit lemonade refresher (from Dunkin)
• Lots of tissues (it's an amazing movie)

Let's begin! Katniss Everdeen, a symbol of change and hope.

While she is a teenage girl, she changed the perspectives of many who were in the same place. It's refreshing to see a female lead instead of being a female side character or love interest. It really shapes the minds of girls all around the world. When Katniss volunteered for her sister, Prim, she only wanted the games to stop for her sister, she didn't think she'd be the face of a revolution. Katniss was only 17 when her whole world changed and it's very unfortunate because so many people depended on her and looked up at her but she felt helpless herself. Especially in the third movie when Peeta was taken by the Capitol. This leads to her "older sister" mindset. In the first movie, Katniss has hallucinations when she is stung by trackerjackers and we see her begging her mom to say something. Earlier, Katniss tells her mom not to "tune out" just like when she lost her dad. Once her mom tuned out, it is implied Katniss had to take care of her mother, Prim, and herself which made her grow up quicker than other kids may have. I'm not sure how old Katniss was when her father died but she must've been young. Another thing about Katniss, she is unapologetically angry. Katniss is raw and flawed which is why many can relate to her so much because she isn't a perfect girl who tries to look for the good in everybody (not that it's a bad thing, I believe it's a bit unrealistic), instead she angry and uses her anger for the good of the people so others shouldn't suffer. I love her character and how she's written, if you haven't seen it you definitely need to. 

Now we absolutely have to talk about the romance, the "Star-Crossed Lovers". Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. I would first like to say that Katniss confused me with who she actually loves. I would like to restate that I have only seen the movies and have not read the books. I'm aware that at first Katniss and Peeta's relationship was only for PR (T-T) but whenever she kissed Gale I thought it was only because she felt bad for Gale since he has made it obvious that he is attracted to her and believes Katniss is attracted to Peeta. I have seen a TikTok comment saying that Gale wasn't that much older than Katniss but was a bit manipulative in the novels. I'm not sure if manipulative is the right word because I saw the comment a while back and I don't have a great memory :(. I didn't like Gale that much to begin with because he was just a side character that wasn't really in the movies much until the third. Speaking of the third movie, it made me dislike Gale more because he was the reason that Prim died which hurt Katniss deeply and he didn't see him after he talked to Katniss about that. Gale got in the way of her and Peeta. With that, there is a quote by Haymitch, "You could live a thousand lifetimes and never deserve that boy". This backs up my opinion, Katniss doesn't deserve Peeta. I believe in a different universe they could've been an amazing couple but Katniss has gone through too much and has so much to unpack that it makes it hard for her to love. She is a naturally fierce character with flaws and that's why I'm saying this. I believe the movies did a bad job at representing her love for Peeta because she'd get angry with him and insult him but maybe that was her trying to suppress her feelings for him. I am actually very bad at reading between the lines so I'm not sure if this is the case or not. Peeta is the sweetest boy and I'm so glad that Katniss is able to have someone who loves her gently. Well, now I'm going against everything I was saying before LOL T-T. Peeta and Katniss are amazing together so scratch everything I said beforehand.

Now we HAVE to talk about Coin and President Snow. When I was watching the third movie of the trilogy, The Hunger Games: The Mockingjay, I believed that Coin was what the people needed. Throughout the whole movie that's what I believed, even when she proposed a Hunger Games for the children of the Capitol officials. It was until after when I realized that Coin's proposal was foreshadowing what kind of leader she'd be if Katniss hadn't shot her. At first I agreed with Coin because I understand that they must be feeling angry and they should be but the whole point was to stop the Hunger Games for all. Coin would only continue that cycle and that's why Katniss saw her as unfit to be the future president. If this was easy for you guys to see, I'm sorry for being late to the train T-T, I'm a very blunt and direct person and sometimes deeper meanings fly over my head.

Now speaking of Snow, I like his name! I thought all the characters names were unique and I just love how much thought was put into these series. Anyways, Snow was very ambitious growing up and didn't want to be like his father but no matter what, it seemed like that was his only destiny. In the future, he isn't as emotional as he was during his youth. Snow learned to be composed, polite, and some may say charming. Quite ironic, I must say, because he is cruel. In the first Hunger Games movie, President Snow is speaking to the game maker at the time. It was not Heavensbee but the one before him. Snow said that the fear alone couldn't control the people, they needed hope too. His strategy was to make the people believe they have hope when they don't and false hope is one of the cruelest ways to manipulate and control people- I mean he shouldn't have done it in the first place.

Some say that Katniss (because she defies his power and shows she can't be controlled) reminds them of Sejanus, others say she reminds him of Lucy Gray. I think she reminds him of Lucy Gray, especially because of what she said in TBOSAS when she said she calls the plant katniss. It's so insane that he still allowed the games to happen because of what she did. It still confuses me sometimes T-T.

I think I spoke A LOT so this is the end of my thought process. Thanks for reading and I hope all your wishes come true.

Kisses from,

Mariana