Mockingjay Part 1, emphasis on the Part 1, is good, but it’s hard to be sure of how good due to how incomplete it feels. It falls into the current Hollywood trend of splitting the final chapter of a story (see Harry Potter and Twilight) into two and while doing so allows for breathing room to tell the story, such an approach is not without its drawbacks.
The film picks up right after Catching Fire, its excellent predecessor (see my review here) left off. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) awakens in the military surroundings of District 13, the remnants of which are housed in bunkers deep underground and away from the Capitol’s gaze. Led by President Coin (Julianne Moore), these people have no luxuries. Routine and training are the order of the day as they prepare for the time they will go to war against President Snow’s (Donald Sutherland) regime. Plutarch Heavensbee’s (Philip Seymour Hoffman) ultimate plan is to use Katniss as the face of the resistance, a propaganda tool to ignite rebellion in each of the districts against the Capitol. This is mirrored by President Snow using the captured Peeta to quell the fighting with his own series of videos. While Katniss’s first concerns are for Peeta, Gale, and her family, she comes to realize that the personal game developing between her and President Snow has placed her at the middle of something far greater than her own life.
Mockingjay Part 1 is primarily concerned with introducing Katniss to the realization that more is at stake than her family… and their damn cat. This is about the personal freedoms of every person in Panem, this future dystopic society born of of the ashes of human conflict. The world building and politics, one of the highlights of Catching Fire continues here. The spark of rebellion has been lit and each District, with its own contribution to Panem society, hits back in whatever way it can. Think the people of a District supplying hydropower bombing a damn, one of the more powerful sequences of the film.
Overall we have a more somber, gritty affair, the brutal reality of totalitarian life under the Capitol is brought crashing home to Katniss and others. Each act of defiance met with a brutal response from the Capitol. A propoganda war is essential to rally the districts rather than an all out assault which would lead to utter devastation on both sides. They don’t paint this as good vs evil, District 13 is painted in shades of grey, literally. Personal freedoms are sacrificed; people are used all in the name of the endgame. Clearly the capital is bad, but in war not everything is clear cut. It’s impressive they delve into so much ambiguity.
While exploring these aspects of the society and framing the rebellion in the correct context is interesting, it does give the film a more brooding feel. The thrills of previous chapters is missing, replaced by contemplation and loss. The story itself feels somewhat stretched out, again clearly the result of splitting the final book in two. The Games in the previous films lent to a structure that is somewhat absent here, it feels aimlessly melancholic in parts. While the rest of Panem is very well realized, it is such a shame the film spends most of its time in the drudgery of District 13. Overall the film is well paced but aside from a few scattered action sequences and special effects it does little to get the heart racing. Additionally we rarely glimpse our protagonists in these action situations, another thing that perhaps could have been tweaked int he adaptation to inject some pace. “Fire is Catching” goes the rebellion slogan, it should have been fanned a little more quickly perhaps.
Where Mockingjay does impress is in the small touches and world building especially wrapping this society around the idea of Katniss and the Mockingjay, her celebrity permeating all levels of society. This ranges from misjudged initial efforts at a propaganda video with Katniss that reeks of Starship Troopers to the simple act of President Snow’s granddaughter undoing her Katniss-inspired braid upon his announcement all those wearing Mockingjay symbols will be put to death. One of the most surprising moments stems from a song crafted for her, The Hanging Tree. Sung during one of her excursions, it catches on amongst the Districts citizens and is sung as they march against the peacekeepers. It sounds cliched but is actually executed with a surprising amount of heft and emotion. These and other sequences add some genuinely stirring moments as the downtrodden seek a better life.
With so much time spent in contemplation and conversation rather than action, the film relies on the performance of its sprawling cast to pull it off and largely they succeed. The grittier fare serves Jennifer Lawrence well, she delivers probably her best work in the entire series. The writing shows a move away from the stylised and scripted character Katniss adopts for the games and brings out more of her honest side, the blunt edge and passion, well regarded traits of Lawrence herself, come across well. Liam Hemsworth’s Gale finally gets more time to shine in the absence of Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta. His scenes with Katniss come across as very genuine and thankfully he shows signs of forging his own path, leaning towards military action and duty rather than fawning over the girl. In all, a refreshing take on a love triangle compared to some other film series.
Applause must be granted to Donald Sutherland, relishing his role as the villainous President Snow. A bad guy so smooth he not just bombs his enemies but drops a payload of his signature white roses over the scorched remains to make it clear he was responsible. Baller. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch Heavensbee) gives a rather reserved performance but one that imbues the film with a dose of gravitas, as does the work of Julianne Moore as President Coin. She’s severe, authoritative and cold, but shows some moments of warmth in scenes with Katniss. What is really interesting is her relationship with Heavensbee who seems to be moulding her as much as he is Katniss. This dynamic will be something to watch in the next installment. One delightful aspect of the adaptation is the continuation of Elizabeth Banks’ excellent portrayal of Effie Trinkett. In the books she is largely absent during this time but here she is folded very nicely into the development of Katniss and the Mockingjay. Juggling so many characters does leave a few with little to do, Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch being one and Natalie Dormer’s Cressida and her camera crew another. Likely to come more to the fore in Part 2.
I have heard mention of this being the Empire Strikes Back of the series, it feels sacrilege to say but there are some parallels. It is dark, there is loss and the “heroes” are beaten down, by battles, emotions, losses and truths. The film seems to relish breaking things up as much as it does building towards the final chapter. There is a lot here to appreciate even if it is not enjoyable per se. But the final payoff could be great. What perhaps was a money grab could end up being a ballsy artistic move to pitch a decent ball with Part 2 giving us a home run. As it stands, Part 1 left me a little frustrated and ready to sit for another 3 hours and see the story wrapped up there and then. That in itself is a positive reflection of the film.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 like the previous films, explores some pretty audacious themes for a young adult novel adaptation. It doesn’t just move through the motions, this film offers time to explore decisions, actions and consequences. The biggest criticism is how the film is structured, it doesn’t feel complete, as if they are merely placing the chess pieces on the board, Part 2 is when the actual game will play out. Despite this, the film showcases some superb performances and while lacking the thrills of the earlier entries, adds depth to the series, grounding it in a harsher reality. Hopefully Part 2 succeeds in wrapping up what is developing into not just an applaudable adaptation but a fine film series in its own right.