I still remember reading Mockingjay for the first time. Before the movies, before most people
rocked the side braid and the mockingjay pin for fun (yeah, I still do that sometimes), there was just me, this book, and a day filled with tears and anxiety as I said goodbye to some of my favorite YA characters. I remember thinking then that what Collins had created was scary and stark and oh so good.
Now, after seeing part one of Mockingjay (twice), I have those same kind of feelings. The movie just felt so immense in my head and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. As I write this, I'm listening to The Hanging Tree on repeat. In the theater, I couldn't wait to hear this song. I'd been waiting four years to actually hear it and it didn't disappoint. I still have chills thinking about the scene from the movie because it was that good! The lyrics are haunting and beautiful and the music mesmerized me. Starting acapella with just Katniss and building into this crescendo that electrifies the scene in a brilliant way, this song certainly took its place as my favorite part of the movie.
I'm not even sure if it's just the brilliance of this song, or rather, the way it works to bring together so many variables such as lyric and music and song as well as bringing Panem closer to its revolution that has me so captivated. This world seen through three books and now three movies is sparking even more and it's true when Katniss says "if we burn, you burn with us."
The moments that really struck a chord with me in the book seemed engulfed in flames, fueling the power of this film. One specifically is the quote pictured at the top from the book, used word for word in the movie. I think it says a lot about people in general, but also quite a bit about these characters. This movie is all about Katniss and Finnick and the victims of the Games trying to put themselves back together amidst the building of a war. They're not perfect and they're not whole. Yet, it is the pieces of the characters that help to spread fire to the rest of the nation.
It is the way the characters have changed through both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire and now in this that is the truest testament to life. It's this kind of character arc seen in any good story that readers often take for granted, that writers obsess over, and that makes any story realistic. Because people change. And in this movie the biggest catalyst for change is war. That's what I kept thinking through the entire movie. Though Katniss is still trying to protect the people she loves, her anger and hatred of the Capitol fuels her every action. She's no longer the girl who volunteered for her sister, but that doesn't make her bad. It just makes her different.
What I absolutely love about all three movies is how this medium has taken what it can from the book and elevated it. Because in the book, the reader is limited to just Katniss's point of view. But in the movies, we get pieces of the Capitol and the districts. And that's what I adored in this movie. Seeing the tension build for Katniss and how her efforts affected the rest of Panem just really brought this story even further to life. At some points it was difficult to watch and I felt uncomfortable. In this discomfort, however, all I could think was this is great! The book made me feel something and the movie made me feel even more. And I'm still attached to these characters even after all this time. To quote both this series and Harry Potter, "always."
While some people might be fooled into thinking this is just another "simple" young-adult book, I think they're probably foolish to believe such things. First, no book is ever really simple, and second, this is so much more than just another youth-fueled phenomenon. This book shows the reality of war and violence and social media, power, and control. This is what our world could become. Scary, right? I could't get that thought out of my head watching what was happening in Ferguson. No matter your view or opinion, the way social media and TV seemed to fuel that fire is crazy and somewhat disturbing. That is what Suzanne Collins is addressing in her book. It's terrifying to think of what our world is coming to. But I think the great thing about dystopian literature and just books in general is the way they alllow you to see things you might not even know exist. They highlight real issues and often do it under the guise of fiction or fantasy. And while this story is about a world crumbling under the weight of oppression, it's also about love and sacrifice and the courage to stand up for what you believe. Whether you're a young adult or all grown up, these are so important to remember! If you haven't seen this yet, what are you waiting for? And if you haven't read the books yet, I repeat, what are you waiting for? Suzanne Collins brought new life (and popularity) to dystopian literature and since then the world has seen some other really great books! So to that, I give a three finger salute. Long Live the Mockingjay!
xoxo
K.K.