the whole dealio about the hunger games...is it okay?

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     For the longest time, I refused to read the HG series, despite the fact that it was "catching fire". I had read a Christian review by an author that I normally agree with on these kinds of things, and was persuaded out of it.

      But then, as you could probably guess, things changed.

      No, I did not read them just because they were popular. No, I did not read them because I decided to rebel against this author for some strange reason. Actually, I read them because I read a different review, a review which caught my eye and mind compared to a lot of other flimsy reviews.

      And that review is what this post is about.

      Since then, I've read other reviews that struck me as well. But I have neither the time nor the energy to post them all :)

      So I'll just show you this one *grin*

     

Dear Christian Media.

First of all, a disclaimer-- the movie/books are disturbing, and never pretend to be otherwise. They are not feel-good, happy movies in a Disney sense. What they do portray is a gritty, life-like battle between good and evil, between freedom and oppression. I left with a heavy feeling in my heart, like many of you, not because the movie/books glorified evil, but because it simultaneously showed it so plainly and yet so subtly for what it was. The violence was not gratuitous or gory-- they sought to show the horror of the Games without turning us into those voyeurs called Capitol citizens. The action is not fun or entertaining but sickening (and still without being over-the-top) and the violence is very tastefully handled.

The best way to get a feel for the redemptive values of the story and appreciate it for the phenomenon that it is is to read the books-- but I understand if you choose not too. I, too, put off reading them for some time after hearing them described as "the next Twilight" and very dark. But they are absolutely amazing for many reasons, mainly the impacting and haunting stories and messages that they carry.

They are a story of a girl who is motivated by love for her family and not lust for a boy to step into her sister's place and thus enter a gruesome parade that can end only in death. But she plays the game by her own rules, trying to save the life of a girl who reminds her of the sister she volunteered for and also the life of a boy who gave her bread and hope so long ago...

It's this boy, Peeta Mellark, who also seeks to play by his own rules, challenging the sick adherence to the Capitol's mindset and desiring to "still be me" even in death. To show them that he's more than just "a piece in their games." Not only that-- he has a deep, abiding, selfless love for Katniss and the moment his name is reaped, he chooses to save her life at the cost of his own, teaming up with the Careers to lead them away, fighting others so she can escape, and ready to give his life so that she can go home. 

Both admirable main characters comprehend and appreciate life's value, a thing which has been forgotten in Panem. And they both repeatedly put their own lives on the line to save others. Consider the contrast between the "Career pack" and Katniss and Peeta-- the Careers whooped and hollered as they found yet another tribute to slaughter and laughed at their distress. But when Katniss ran into Foxface in the woods, both run away rather than kill each other-- not from cowardice, but from humanity. Peeta would rather die than have any harm come to Katniss, and takes a serious wound to the leg to prevent her death.

What makes these books, even more than the movies, sheer genius, is that no one is perfect. Right and wrong are not clear-cut and black and white and utterly unambiguous, and the Capitol has to muddied purity that it is a constant struggle for Katniss to know what she should do.  Catching Fire is Katniss's search for peace and rest where there is none, and Mockingjay contains more grey areas than any book I have ever read.

The characters make frequent mistakes, but their intentions are consistently honorable and their greatest virtue is their courage. Courage to stand up to this government when no one else would. It takes a brave, strong, and intelligent young girl and an equally brave and intelligent boy with a tender heart to challenge President Snow and say, "I will not adhere to your rules, and I will not play this Game. I will not betray morality."

This is a story of hope and humanity that survives in a voyeuristic, all-too-familiar world. Even in this corrupt world that is completely controlled by an even more corrupt government, the characters, after grappling with the very meanings of good and evil and truth and error, make upright, noble decisions. 

And this is a story that is incredibly relevant in a world where reality TV and increasingly violent movies are called "entertainment" and more and more people gravitate to video games featuring torture and bloody killings. Didn't the Gamemakers-- those guys in white suits controlling the virtual panels that controlled the Games-- look like teens playing video games? The Hunger Games carries a subtle yet poignant and decidedly un-'preachy message that is direly necessary.  I agree that to bring children and undiscerning teens to this movie would be unwise, but isn't that true for every movie? This is a message that has long been necessary and has been previously pushed to the shadows by stories about wizards and vampires. But now Collins' powerful writing and compelling story have thrust them into the limelight, and we must take notice. Haven't we already seen a civilization flocking to worship their heroes and then throw them into a arena to fight to the death?

 History repeats itself. 

{from Because He Loves Me by AnnaKate}

So what do YOU think about the Hunger Games?