Ericka Li

Scalero

English 9 SM

22 December 2015

Mockingjay Movie Review

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II, directed by Francis Lawrence, follows

Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, as she continues to fight for independence

and the downfall of President Snow and the Capitol. Mockingjay Part II is the fourth and

final film in The Hunger Games series, based off of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne

Collins. Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, has been brought to District 13. Though Katniss

was the one who originally wanted to save him, she begins to lose faith in him after he

attacks her. Katniss hopes to kill President Snow (Donald Sutherland), but President Coin

(Julianne Moore) refuses to allow her to fight. Katniss hides in a hovercraft headed towards

the Capitol. Coin recognizes she would not be able to bring Katniss back, so she instead

assigns her to the Star Squad, a squadron of elite soldiers which is meant to shoot

propaganda videos. The squadron also includes Finnick (Samuel Claflin), Gale (Liam

Hemsworth), and Peeta. The film tracks the progress the squadron makes and the

relationships between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale.

The atmosphere of the film is dark and gloomy. During Finnick and Annies wedding,

bright colors are used to show the contrast between the joyous occasion and the other dark

scenes. However, in the rest of the film, there is an absence of bright color. The majority of

the characters clothes are shades of grey and black. Even Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks),
known for her brightly colored outrageous outfits, wears more muted colors. The settings

also consist of light, muted blues and greys or dark colors.

During many scenes, the camera angle is manipulated to make the film more

immersive. Instead of being filmed from the angle of an outsider, these scenes are shot from

an angle which makes it feel as though the viewer is a part of the scene, experiencing it along

with the characters. The camera sometimes shakes, making it feel even more like the viewer

is a part of the scene. There were also many close ups, forcing the viewer to focus on a

character. Combined with dramatic silences, these close ups emphasized the mainly negative

feelings of the characters throughout the film. The quick cuts from scene to scene made the

movie feel fast paced, even though some scenes were very slow. There were also many quick

transitions from slow scenes where the characters would be quietly waiting for something to

happen to fast action packed scenes. This buildup of suspense kept the viewer on edge

throughout the whole film.

In the beginning of the film, Katniss travels to District 2 to try to win over Capitol

loyolists. After bombing the Districts mines, the rebels wait near the exit and film a

propaganda video where Katniss addresses the citizens of Panem but are interrupted when a

train pulls up with survivors from the explosions. The rebels treat the survivors cruelly. The

survivors are kicked and forced down to the ground. At Katnisss cry for mercy, weapons are

dropped and nothing is stopping the survivors from attacking anyone. In this moment of

vulnerability, a survivor attempts to kill Katniss. When told to give him a reason not to kill

her, she responds that she cannot. This scene is significant because it shows another view of

the Mockingjay. Katniss is glorified by the rebels, but hated by the loyalists. She also

understands that the bloody, violent rebellion is a consequence of her actions. When she and
Peeta refused to kill each other during the 74th Hunger Games, they ignited the spark which

led to mass destruction and bloodshed. This scene destroys the idea that Katniss is cold and

selfish, as she feels guilty because of her actions.

The Star Squads first night with Peeta was a very important scene. It explores the

new relationship between Katniss and Peeta after his rescue from the Capitol. Though

Katniss was the one who forced Coin to rescue Peeta, she loses her trust in him after he

attacks her. This night is the first time Peeta and Katniss talk with Peeta out of restraints after

he was rescued from the Capitol. The conversation is tense, as though Katniss is afraid Peeta

may attack her again. She is hesitant and harsh. However, she begins to soften when Peeta

states how he struggles to differentiate between his real memories and the fake memories the

Capitol planted in his head. She willingly tells him whether the memories he speaks of are

real or not real. This game is repeated multiple times throughout the film, eventually used

to confirm the feelings between the two characters. Though at the beginning of this scene,

Katniss and Peeta were wary of each other, by the end they were beginning to repair their

relationship.

I enjoyed this film. It was fast paced and full of suspense. I was engrossed throughout

the whole film and did not want it to end. Many characters from the first three films returned

in Mockingjay Part II and I enjoyed observing how they and their relationships with other

characters changed from their series debut. There were many plot twists which would have

been much more shocking, had I not already read the book. However, I was still extremely

excited to see those moments on screen and they did not disappoint. I felt much more

empathetic towards the character when watching the movie than reading the book because

the actors were able to fully embody their characters. I laughed with the characters, cried
with the characters, and felt my heart break whenever something horrible happened to them.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II is fast paced, suspenseful, and dark, a film

exceeding the expectations of fans of both the book and film series.