The Hunger Games: A One-View Wonder?
So the Hunger Games exploded at the box office this weekend as fans took the theaters by storm.
My question is, how popular will this movie be in the long run?
I mean, I liked the film, but it’s PTSD in a can. There’s no escapism in this, the way there is in Twilight – Katniss is being destroyed psychologically scene-by-scene, constantly in danger of dying, all in nervous-quiver shakycam. I might take a friend to talk it over with them after the film, but I can’t possibly imagine going back to watch it repeatedly for any kind of comfort. It’s like being kicked in the balls in high precision.
So I mean, it’s a well-done movie. But will people want to go back? Will they want this threatening thing sitting on their DVD shelf, just waiting to relive trauma all over again? Or is there some unknown comfort/pleasure to be had from this movie where teens will relive it over and over?
I mean, scorn Twilight as much as you want, but at its core it’s a dreamy romance. Hunger Games is straight-up horror – not action film, fucking horror. So how many times do we want to see it?
I didn’t find it quite so traumatic. Sure, I cried about four times, but I’m not exactly a hard sell when it comes to tears. And yeah, seeing even jerky, blurred footage of one teenager bashing another teenager’s head in with a brick is pretty intense. But there was also some real beauty in it, I thought, and even some moments of black humor, that might be worth seeing again sometime.
Mostly, though, I think seeing it even once is going to be far more helpful to the development of teenagers’ social conscience and perspective (and helping turn them into responsible adults) than watching Twilight 10,000 times.