Official Synopsis: DIVERGENT
DIVERGENT is a action-adventure film set in a world where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy by a faction leader (Kate Winslet)to destroy all Divergents, Tris must learn to trust in the mysterious Four (Theo James) and together they must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it’s too late. Based on the best-selling book series by Veronica Roth.
I approached this screening with trepidation. Riding the coat-tails of the incredibly successful Hunger Games saga, Divergent is another adaptation of a young adult novel set in a dystopian future society. The trailers were uninspiring as were the promotional materials (utilizing the ‘ass, head turn’ combo pose), so I was wary of what I was about to see.
Set in the future after some unexplained apocalyptic event, mankind has rebuilt a society in the ruins of old Chicago. People are split into into five factions: Abnegation, selfless people who run the government; Amity, pacifists and farmers; Dauntless, fearless types who act as police/soldiers (also have a major thing for parkour); Erudite, the scientists/academics; and Candour, brutally honest people. I believe they primarily work in the fashion and reality TV industry for their entertainment value. At 16 each citizen’s aptitude is tested to place them into the most suitable faction, although they can choose freely where they go. The risk in going against the test results is being booted out leaving you Factionless. Imagine the supporting cast from Oliver Twist just standing around on street corners looking confused. Our protagonist Beatrice (AKA Tris) undergoes testing and is found to be a Divergent — a rare anomaly that does not fit into any one Faction. Knowing the Erudite are hunting and eliminating her kind, Tris chooses Dauntless as her fate and must undergo their ruthless training program while trying to hide the truth about herself. During this time she becomes increasingly aware of the witchhunt underway by Erudite as well as their intentions to overthrow Abnegation as the leaders of the society.
Divergent is competently made, has a intriguing world and the cast were surprisingly good; however, overall I was left with a feeling of apathy. It is a somewhat silly setup that requires you to really suspend your belief. That society would implement such a structure to begin with is unfathomable but also that the people would immerse themselves in such a singular way of life even more so. All the Factions are pretty soulless compared to the bawdy Dauntless, but it is hard to figure how any society could trust these freerunning loons with their security. It is an interesting premise, that society decides what you are to prevent discord and ensure harmony, but the execution is uninspired. In a way the film reflects the culture we are introduced to, the people conform and this passiveness in a way permeates the film and leaves it wanting. It is hard to engage with such weak willed people and that apathy permeates the rest of the film. Things seem categorized so strictly for most of the film, Candour or Erudite, Warrior or Servant, the film is about black or white and we all know the grey is far more interesting.
It is hard not to compare Divergent to the Hunger Games series. Divergent is more akin to the first Hunger Games film, a plodding affair with it’s sequel Catching Fire (which I reviewed here) being a great improvement largely due to its expansion on the social and political situation of it’s world. Catching Fire really stepped up its game showing the wider world and the effects their protagonists had upon it. Divergent does not get that balance right and spends too much time with Tris on her personal journey. It also takes a lot of time to establish the rules of this society to not explore it, leaving it a little dry. Some life is injected into proceedings at times, a zip line sequence being a standout, but efforts to engage the audience and add emotional heft are usually attempted with some rushed and clunky editing. A line in the movie, “They built fences for a reason” regarding a MASSIVE perimeter security fence around the city speaks to a larger story, one that quite frankly is probably more interesting than the inner turmoil of one young girl but no more is said. It is symptomatic of the film’s issues — the larger picture is ignored. We essentially get two hours of training and a romantic arc before an actual plot kicks into gear, which is then crammed into the final 20 minutes. Not every movie needs to be over two hours long, there were times that Divergent simply longed for an 80s-esque montage to compress 15 minutes of training and emotional upheaval into a 45 second burst to get on with proceedings. Hopefully the following Divergent movies can do something similar to Catching Fire in regards to the step-up in quality and build on the perfunctory framework crafted here.
Young adult fiction usually explores themes of being different, not understanding your place in life, and other subjects that directly resonate with its target audience. I’m sure Divergent will do the same — following the personal journey Tris undertakes is handled well even if it is at the expense of the larger world being built. Personally, if you want to see a decent entertaining film about a young woman finding herself and struggling to get through military training, I would suggest you watch Private Benjamin. For the fans, I’m sure it will please many. For those unfamiliar, a competent yet forgettable viewing experience awaits.