The Hunger Games is a fictional movie produced in the year 2012. The movie’s plot is based on a novel written by Suzanne Collins in the year 2008. The movie features Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne (The Hunger Games). The story occurs in a post-apocalyptic age in the country named Panem. In the country, children between the ages of twelve and eighteen years are required to participate in The Hunger Games.
The games are carried out yearly and are televised (The Hunger Games). The events require the contestants to wrestle to the death until one competitor becomes a winner. The remaining contestant is then celebrated in a large ceremony. In the movie, Katniss agrees to take her sister’s positions in the events. Together with her friend Peeta, Katniss takes a trip to the city to prepare for the coming events under the supervision of past winner Haymitch (The Hunger Games). In the article, the above movie is reviewed through the lens of conflict analysis and resolution.
Based on the movie, Panem is led by an affluent Capitol (The Hunger Games). The Capitol oversees 12 shoddier districts. For the last few years, conflicts have been witnessed between the Capitol and the smaller districts. The conflicts have led to successive rebellions. Owing to the increase in rebellions and social unrests, the president requires each district to offer two teenagers to participate in the annual Hunger Games. The teenagers must be a boy and a girl aged between twelve and eighteen years. The two teenagers are selected through a lottery. The winner of the events is rewarded with a distinction and riches.
In one of the districts, Katniss’ sister is chosen to represent the region in the annual events (The Hunger Games). In a bid to save her younger sibling, Katniss volunteers to take her position in the games. Thereafter, Katniss together with her friends leaves the rural community and sets off for the city to prepare for the fight. Those who accompany her are Peeta and Haymitch. Peeta is Katniss’ age mate and comes from the same neighborhood.
On the other hand, Haymitch is a past champion of the event who currently suffers from severe alcoholisms. On their way, Haymitch informs them about the significance of having promoters. Haymitch believes that promoters have the ability to offer gifts and necessities required during the games. The above illustrations portray the conflict of men verses the society (Chigas 27). The society expects the contestants to participate and win in the games. In this respect, Peeta and Katniss are expected to uphold the dignity of their district by winning the games (The Hunger Games).
When the three teenagers arrive in the city, they have a number of interviews with the media personnel (The Hunger Games). During some of the interviews, Peeta claims that he is in love with Katniss. Katniss confirms the claims with the aim of attracting sponsors’ favor. In this episode, Katniss and Peeta have to tackle with the conflict in romance (Gwartney, Lynne, & Gayle 54).
For instance, Katniss has to select between Peeta and Gale. The situation forces her to acknowledge that Peeta and Gale are her best friends. Nevertheless, she has to decide whom she actually loves. By confirming that the two are in love, the contestants depict the theme of resolution. With regard to the game’s rules, the two contestants are required to fight one another to death until one contestant is left.
However, Katniss and Peeta resolve to work together with the aim of attracting more promoters. Later, during one of their training sessions Katniss learns about Marvel, Glimmer, Cato, and Clove. The four individuals are representatives of District 1 and District 2. Katniss notes that the four individuals have been unlawfully working out in the training arena from their younger ages.
Another conflict depicted the film occurs between Katniss and other contestants (Gwartney, Lynne, & Gayle 54). Before the start of the games, Haymitch advises Katniss about the rules of the game. During the advising session, Haymitch informs her that she should not try to acquire materials from the centre of the arena. When the games start, Katniss does not obey the rule. As a result, she is nearly killed. Notably, more than a half of the contestants are killed for ignoring the rule.
Thereafter, she tries to stay away from the centre of the arena as far as possible where most of the contestants are situated. In a bid to keep away from the other contestants, the event director uses other contestants to trigger events that force her to be exposed to other participants. Owing to this, Katniss runs into other contestants who are siding with her friend Peeta. In the crowd, she is forced to run up a tree. On the top of the tree, she meets another contestant from District 11 who is trying to hide from other contestants.
Later, the two work together in fighting against other contestants. With their courage, they kill a number of contestants and force others to flee. District 11’s contestant aids Katniss in treating her wounds. Because of this, they develop a mutual friendship. They later come up with a plan to secretly demolish a store of supplies relied on by their competitors.
The initiative forces their competitors to doubt each other. A contestant named Marvel later identifies their plan. The friendship between Katniss and her friend depicts the theme of resolution. Although they are rivals, the situation forces them to resolve their differences and work together to outdo their competitors. By doing so, the two managed to achieve a lot of success that they could not achieve without their union.
Later, Marvel murders Katniss’ friend (The Hunger Games).In revenge, Katniss murders Marvel using an arrow. Katniss spends several days mourning for the loss of her friend. Her moments of sorrow are captured by the media personnel and broadcast them to the public. On receiving the information about how dangerous the game was, the members of the public engage in riots in a bid to force the government to end the games.
The public initiative to condemn the games is a sign of resolution. The media show them the harmful effects of the game. In return, the public wants the government to move with haste and end the events. To control the conflicts, the president summons the games’ coordinator and tells him that the turn of proceedings does not augur well for the games.
After the games’ coordinator returns from the summons, Haymitch convinces him to alter the rules of the game so that two survivors would be left as the winners. The sports coordinator agrees to the suggestion. When the changes are made public, Katniss seeks out for Peeta. She finds Peeta injured after fleeing from the other contestants. She moves him to a safer place and goes to get medication from the centre of the arena where Clove tries to kill her. She escapes from being killed after District 11’s contestant kills her enemy.
She returns and gives Peeta the medicine. Thereafter, the two prepare for the final session of the game. As the two are training, the games coordinator sends out wild animals that kill District 11’s contestant. Owing to this, Cato, Katniss, and Peeta are left as the only contestants. Later, Katniss and Peeta move to the centre of the arena where Cato is positioned. Cato tries to kill them before the wild animals arrive at the arena. Cato’s plans are thwarted by the arrival of the wild animals that eat him up.
After Cato’s demise, Katniss and Peeta wait to be announced as the winners of the competition the following day (The Hunger Games). As the two await for their distinction, the game’s coordinator attempts to invalidate the new rule in order to recognize one winner only. When Katniss and Peeta learn about the plan, they threaten to ingest some lethal fruits forcing the coordinator to uphold the new rule.
The following morning, the two champions are crowned victors. With their victory, resolution occurs because the two contestants have outsmarted the game. Thereafter, they return to their homeland. On their way, Haymitch informs Katniss that she has attracted a number of rivals ever since she joined the game. Finally, the president kills the games’ coordinator for failing to advance the games.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the chief conflict affecting the characters in the above film is the conflict between men and the society. The society expects the contestants to participate and win in the games. In this respect, people from the district where Peeta and Katniss come from expect them to win the games not to disgrace their home place.
Another conflict in the film is the conflict between men and feelings. For instance, Katniss has to select between Peeta and Gale. The situation forces her to acknowledge that Peeta and Gale are her best friends. Nevertheless, she is obliged to choose that person she is really in love with. Another conflict in the film occurs between Katniss and other contestants. When the game starts, Katniss does not want to follow the rules set. As a result, she is nearly killed. Notably, more than a half of the contestants are killed for ignoring the rule.
Resolutions are depicted when Katniss and her friends come up with drastic measures that allow them to proceed with the game. For instance, Peeta and Katniss inform the media that they are in love to win sponsors. Equally, the friendship between Katniss and some of her friend depicts the theme of resolution. Although they are rivals, the situation forces them to resolve their differences and work together to outdo their competitors. Eventually, their victory symbolizes resolution because with the help of it the two contestants outsmarted the game.
Works Cited
Chigas, Diana. “24 common sources of community conflict.” Communities Journal 128.1 (2005): 25-35. Print.
Gwartney, Patricia, Lynne Fessenden, and Gayle Landt. “Measuring the Long-Term Impact of a Community Conflict Resolution Process: A Case Study Using Content Analysis of Public Documents.” Negotiation Journal 18.1 (2002): 51-74. Print.
The Hunger Games. Dir. Gary Ross. Perf. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. Lions Gate Home Entertainment, 2012. HD-DVD.