Mockingjay, Part 1
I’m such a cynic when it comes to movies. I never believe that certain things are done in the name of artistic integrity. I’m quicker to believe that some Hollywood mogul made X or Y decision for money, rather than for art. So when it was announced that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay would be released in two parts, I assumed the decision was financial, instead of artistic. After all, a 90 minute movie can show in a theater twice as many times as a 3-hour movie. It’s a no-brainer that two Mockingjay movies would make more money than one long film.
Was it necessary to break the final book of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy into two movies? This question is one moviegoers have had to ask themselves more often since 2010, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows began the modern practice of splitting a book into multiple movies. Since 2010 we’ve asked the question for Deathly Hallows (yes), Breaking Dawn (no), The Hobbit (should’ve stayed at 2) and Atlas Shrugged (just make a goddamned miniseries). The trend shows no sign of stopping either, with the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War being split in two. For better or for worse, Mockingjay, Part 1 is being judged not solely on its own merits, but against all these other serial-style films.
I am not one to shy away from a lengthy movie, as long as it doesn’t drag, and this was the most pleasant part of Mockingjay, Part 1. The decision to split the final book into two movies works in Mockingjay’s favor, as the characters have a chance to breathe, new characters get their time in the spotlight and the whole movie settles into a comfortable pace that doesn’t feel too rushed. If Mockingjay had been released as a single 3-hour film there’s the chance audiences wouldn’t connect with the characters as much, or care about any of the newcomers. The biggest winners in the split decision are Julianne More and Natalie Dormer. As President Coin and Cressida, Moore and Dormer get enough time to be properly introduced to the audience, giving their scenes a weight that wouldn’t be felt in a single film.
Really the only thing I didn’t like about Mockingjay, Part 1 was the ending, which I’ll get over in November, when the second film is released and I can watch the two movies back-to-back. It’s funny how audiences accept cliffhangers and abrupt endings in our television series without question, yet we criticize the same technique in movies. Is it that we have to wait longer to see Katniss Everdeen finally confront President Snow? While I was disappointed that Jennifer Lawrence and Donald Sutherland didn’t get as much screen time together in this movie as previous, they have an intense confrontation in their single shared scene.
When I took a screenwriting class back in grad school, our professor drilled into us the goal of the 90 page screenplay. 90 pages=90 minutes, which should be the length of a movie. No more, no less. I’d like to think audiences are smarter and can follow a movie for longer, if the story is compelling and the characters are interesting. Mockingjay, Part 1 is not something to show someone who hasn’t seen the first two Hunger Games movies, but for those of us who have followed Katniss Everdeen in her journey, Mockingjay, Part 1 is a welcome addition to the franchise. Jennifer Lawrence nails it as a young woman willingly used as a propaganda pawn for the rebellion. The movie I was most reminded of while watching Mockingjay, Part 1 was Starship Troopers. The propaganda pieces in that movie are used with great satirical effect, while the propaganda in Mockingjay, Part 1 is more subtle and serious. Katniss is being used, but since she’s ostensibly being used by the good guys, does that mean her actions are noble? We usually think of propaganda as a tool of evil, so to accept her actions without question is a nice touch. Subversion and deep discussions about how to win a war aren’t something I’d expect from a movie franchise based on a YA trilogy. All credit to Collins, who like J.K. Rowling before her, raises the stakes with each subsequent book, as her audience grows and is ready for something darker. If Mockingjay, Part 1 isn’t as dark as it gets, I’m all eager for Part 2.
tl;drs
Blank is a blanker version of blank: Mockingjay, Part 1 is a better retelling of the propaganda bits of Starship Troopers.
Screen credits over/under: The writer’s section of IMDB gets a little crowded, with newcomers Peter Craig and Danny Strong adapting Suzanne Collins’ novel. Thankfully, Craig and Strong turn in a smart script that doesn’t stray from the tone of the first two films.
Recommended if you like: Character development without much of a payoff.
Better than I expected: Natalie Dormer and Julianne Moore are solid additions to the cast.
Worse than I hoped: That ending. Splitting the final book into two movies means this movie ends with a bit of a whimper.
Mockingjay, Part 1 would work better as a(n): Would it work better as a single 4-hour movie? Could my butt sit in a movie theater for that long? Maybe; we’ll never know.
Verdict: If you have the will power to wait till November, watch Mockingjay, Part 1 then, when you can see the rest of the movie immediately afterward.
