Understanding Katniss in the book is the key to portraying Katniss in the movie
During the 2013 Comic Con convention, the stars and director of Hunger Games: Catching Fire held a panel to discuss their upcoming movie. There were some interesting answers to some of the questions asked, but a few responses gave me a good feeling about how I can expect Jennifer Lawrence to portray Katniss Everdeen in this installment of the Hunger Games trilogy.
Here is Lawrence's response to her view of Katniss in this movie.
"She's struggling with post-traumatic stress from the Games," Lawrence said, "and she has this new life now where she never has to worry about food. She's living in the Victors Village, and that kind of leaves her feeling useless."
Absolutely!
In the first third of the book, Katniss is trying to find her place in District 12. She's different, everything is different. While she desperately trys to live her past life hunting the woods with Gale. She knows deep down that everything is different. Gale is now in the mines. Peeta hasn't spoken to her in six months. Now that she is a Victor, Katniss will never have to worry about food and now lives in the Victor's Village.
As for the post-traumatic stress, we can see this too. Katniss can't sleep. Her only joy in winning the Hunger Games is the once a month shipment of food for the rest of District 12. Who can blame her. This hits upon one of the main overall themes of the entire trilogy and that is the concept that war changes people. Often times on the most basic, emotional, and psychological level. The book is more graphic and bloody than the stylized vision of past director Gary Ross.
Discussing Katniss's love triangle with Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth), she continued: "She has to adapt to this new life. She's now experienced something with Peeta that only the two of them can understand.
"So with Gale, who she's known most of her life and who she always felt understood certain parts of her, now really Peeta understands a part of her that Gale never will."
Discussing Katniss's love triangle with Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth), she continued: "She has to adapt to this new life. She's now experienced something with Peeta that only the two of them can understand.
"So with Gale, who she's known most of her life and who she always felt understood certain parts of her, now really Peeta understands a part of her that Gale never will."
Exactly!
While I scoff at the notion that this love triangle storyline is just a Twilight knockoff, the relationship Katniss has with Gale and Peeta becomes clearer in that there is a better focus at juxtaposing their relationships. Since Peeta is also a Victor, he is the only person who understands Katniss' emotions and experiences. For anyone who has read the book, the only time Katniss can ever get a good night sleep is in the arms of Peeta. On the Victory Tour, Katniss and Peeta sleep together a lot. No, literally sleep together a lot. Both finding comfort in each other.
I'll be curious to see if the movie will address this facet. Only because it succinctly portrays Katniss' post-tramatic stress and her very rational response to want to be close to Peeta because only he knows what she went through. As for Peeta, well, he's always been in love with Katniss, their relationship grows deeper throughout the entire book.
What I find interesting is seeing the difference in the relationship between Katniss and Peeta as it relates to the Hunger Games. Outside the Hunger Games and Capitol, Peeta and Katniss are distant. They didn't talk during the six months after the Hunger Games. It's weird, but on purpose. I can't think everything is wonderful and perfect after going through the trauma of the Hunger Games. At their core, both Katniss and Peeta are different people. He has blond hair and blue eyes, she has olive skin and gray eyes. He is part of the better off merchant class of District 12, she is a part of the working class, poor Seam. She is an outdoor hunter, he is NOT and outdoorsy type of guy. However, in the context of the Hunger Games and Capitol, both Katniss and Peeta grow closer. I look forward to seeing how this relates and is portrayed in the movie.
As for Gale, he is now 18 and working in the mines. Their only interactions is on Sunday when they both go into the woods to hunt. It is clear that Gale is also in love with Katniss. (Remember at the beginning of the Hunger Games, when Gale asks Katniss to just run away with him) Game even sneaks in a kiss one day while he and Katniss were done with hunting. Katniss spends some time trying to internalize the kiss. It's meaning. Her reactions. This relationship comes to a head when Katniss attempts to ask Gale to run away with her. Her reactions, when Gale tells her he loves her, is not what Gale expected.
As a fan, its good to know that the main actor, Jennifer Lawrence, understands her character. It shows that she respects the book and story. Having won an Oscar, I have no doubt Ms. Lawrence will be able to handle the emotional heavy lifting the role of Katniss Everdeen comes with.
And thats not even addressing the craziness of Mockingjay...
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be released on November 21 in the UK, and November 22 in the US.
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