The Hunger Games: Katniss and Peeta reaping scene analysis
The Hunger Games is a science fiction adventure. The scene that I will be analysing takes place in one of the early scenes in the film. When Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take the place of her younger sister’s (Primrose) place in the games.
At the start of the scene, the whole of district 12 gathered to see who would be chosen for The Hunger Games. The outside greyish location made the audience know that this place had no life in it. So it was clear that this was a poor village with a miserable grey sky that connotes sadness and emptiness. At the start of this scene the camera has a close up low angle of a lady (Effie Trinket) on stage. The director used a low angle to show that she has an upper hand in comparison to the rest of the people. The close up is used to make the audience focus on the make-up on her face by wearing pale makeup, this connotes to her being lifeless and cold. It also sends a message that she’s painted to be like that. However if you look at her eyes you can see it’s blue and it symbolises the only real/natural feature left of her. On the other hand, the flood of people represents the complete opposite of everything about her because she shows power and they show weakness. As the camera pans to the people of district 12 you can tell that they send across a message to the audience of purity because the majority is wearing the colour white which symbolises purity and innocence. However the crowds costume/clothing could show that the girls are costumed in dresses so this could represent that they’re dolls and are being picked up to be used like dolls. Their pale skin colour could say that they look sickly and ill otherwise it could mean that they are ghosts and invisible to the richer people.
Effie then walks across to a gigantic glass bowl full of names. As she slowly lowers her hand the camera follows it, the hand is the main focus of the camera making it the audience’s main focus too, while she is picking the name. This may be a connotation/symbolisation that any ones life in the crowds’ future is in her hands – making her very powerful in this scene. After the name is chosen from the glass bowl an extreme long shot is used to show where the chosen person is soon going to be on stage. The extreme long shot could also be used to emphasise of Effie in the centre/middle this may mean that she likes to be the centre of attention. After Effie says “Primrose Everdeen” you see the girls around Primrose turn to look at her. This could show that the other girls are relieved though their performance. Then you see Primrose’s elder sister (Katniss) look as if she lost Prim before she went because her mouth was open and her eyes were ready to let the tears come out.
The camera uses a tracking shot while Primrose was slowly walking towards the stage. By using a tracking shot it changes the atmosphere for the audience because it makes them feel like they are walking on stage with her/they would feel more apart of the scene because they would feel sympathetic for her. After the tracking shot the camera immediately changes to an extreme long shot on Effie’s shoulder when Katniss screams/yells “Prim, Prim, I volunteer to be tribute.” By Katniss saying “Prim, Prim” it shows that she is a special character and it makes the audience feel more attached to the character and makes the audience understand why Katniss does what she does. Katniss’s body language is shoulders apart, back straight and chin up this symbolises fierceness and strength. In this scene Katniss also breaks the stereotypes by sacrificing herself for her sister. It breaks the conventions of women in actions films because women are look at as weak, the damsel in distress however Katniss is shown as brave and fearless from her performance. Yet her sister fits the stereotypes of woman because she is hopeless and weak so someone has to help her, the hero being Katniss.
The men that were in charge of leading Katniss to the stage were wearing all white but with all black gloves and shoes this may mean that the black is a stain and the purity is gone from them. It could also mean whatever they do with their hands it always to do with bad and evil. A high angle was used when Katniss was at the bottom of the stage and a low angle was used when Effie was calling her up from the stage. This may highlight the difference between the two characters because one has a higher status than the other. Once Katniss finishes saying her name in the microphone everyone put three fingers together in the air representing thanks, admiration, and goodbye this may also be a connotation of respect. As she exits the stage the camera shows a mid-shot of Katniss looking up at the sky or maybe looking up at god but the Capitol's flag is in the background symbolising that she’s trapped now with them ruling her.
The Hunger Games is a science fiction adventure. The scene that I will be analysing takes place in one of the early scenes in the film. When Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take the place of her younger sister’s (Primrose) place in the games.
At the start of the scene, the whole of district 12 gathered to see who would be chosen for The Hunger Games. The outside greyish location made the audience know that this place had no life in it. So it was clear that this was a poor village with a miserable grey sky that connotes sadness and emptiness. At the start of this scene the camera has a close up low angle of a lady (Effie Trinket) on stage. The director used a low angle to show that she has an upper hand in comparison to the rest of the people. The close up is used to make the audience focus on the make-up on her face by wearing pale makeup, this connotes to her being lifeless and cold. It also sends a message that she’s painted to be like that. However if you look at her eyes you can see it’s blue and it symbolises the only real/natural feature left of her. On the other hand, the flood of people represents the complete opposite of everything about her because she shows power and they show weakness. As the camera pans to the people of district 12 you can tell that they send across a message to the audience of purity because the majority is wearing the colour white which symbolises purity and innocence. However the crowds costume/clothing could show that the girls are costumed in dresses so this could represent that they’re dolls and are being picked up to be used like dolls. Their pale skin colour could say that they look sickly and ill otherwise it could mean that they are ghosts and invisible to the richer people.
Effie then walks across to a gigantic glass bowl full of names. As she slowly lowers her hand the camera follows it, the hand is the main focus of the camera making it the audience’s main focus too, while she is picking the name. This may be a connotation/symbolisation that any ones life in the crowds’ future is in her hands – making her very powerful in this scene. After the name is chosen from the glass bowl an extreme long shot is used to show where the chosen person is soon going to be on stage. The extreme long shot could also be used to emphasise of Effie in the centre/middle this may mean that she likes to be the centre of attention. After Effie says “Primrose Everdeen” you see the girls around Primrose turn to look at her. This could show that the other girls are relieved though their performance. Then you see Primrose’s elder sister (Katniss) look as if she lost Prim before she went because her mouth was open and her eyes were ready to let the tears come out.
The camera uses a tracking shot while Primrose was slowly walking towards the stage. By using a tracking shot it changes the atmosphere for the audience because it makes them feel like they are walking on stage with her/they would feel more apart of the scene because they would feel sympathetic for her. After the tracking shot the camera immediately changes to an extreme long shot on Effie’s shoulder when Katniss screams/yells “Prim, Prim, I volunteer to be tribute.” By Katniss saying “Prim, Prim” it shows that she is a special character and it makes the audience feel more attached to the character and makes the audience understand why Katniss does what she does. Katniss’s body language is shoulders apart, back straight and chin up this symbolises fierceness and strength. In this scene Katniss also breaks the stereotypes by sacrificing herself for her sister. It breaks the conventions of women in actions films because women are look at as weak, the damsel in distress however Katniss is shown as brave and fearless from her performance. Yet her sister fits the stereotypes of woman because she is hopeless and weak so someone has to help her, the hero being Katniss.
The men that were in charge of leading Katniss to the stage were wearing all white but with all black gloves and shoes this may mean that the black is a stain and the purity is gone from them. It could also mean whatever they do with their hands it always to do with bad and evil. A high angle was used when Katniss was at the bottom of the stage and a low angle was used when Effie was calling her up from the stage. This may highlight the difference between the two characters because one has a higher status than the other. Once Katniss finishes saying her name in the microphone everyone put three fingers together in the air representing thanks, admiration, and goodbye this may also be a connotation of respect. As she exits the stage the camera shows a mid-shot of Katniss looking up at the sky or maybe looking up at god but the Capitol's flag is in the background symbolising that she’s trapped now with them ruling her.