1. THE HUNGER GAMES
and Postmodernism…
Kaya Sumbland

2. WHAT IS IT?
 Film based on science fiction novel by American
writer Suzanne Collins
 Set in the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem,
where the countries of North America once
existed
 The Hunger Games are an annual event in which
one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of
the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are
selected by lottery to compete in a televised
battle to the death
 The novel tackles issues like severe poverty,
starvation, oppression

3. INTERESTING FACTS!
 The name of the fictional nation, Panem, is
derived from “Panem et Circenses,” from
the Roman Empire when the government
kept the people satisfied by providing
violent entertainment
 Katniss, the name of the book’s heroine,
comes from the name of an edible plant
species, genus “Sagittaria,” commonly
known as “arrowhead.” This is a reference
to her archery skills
 Suzanne Collins's was heavily influenced by
the Greek myth of Theseus and the
Minotaur

4. How Is It
Postmodern?

5. • DYSTOPIAN NARRATIVE
• HYPER REALITY
• FLATTENING OF EFFECT
• HYBRIDISATION
• INTERTEXUALITY
• PANOPTICAL
• HYPERDERMIC NEEDLE THEORY
How it is postmodern

6. DYSTOPIAN NARRATIVE
The film incorporates many dystopian themes such as
DEFINITION!!!
The values and practises of society have changed
way beyond ours, it's a very futuristic theme
- A general lack of hope in the future.

7. DYSTOPIAN NARRATIVE
The film incorporates many dystopian themes such as…
- Post apocalyptic setting
Post-apocalyptic setting is a world or
civilization after a disaster.
The Hunger Games is a result of that
disaster and this the districts have great
lack of hope in the future because of this.
Civilisation has been forgotten from before
as they all kill each other violently for
survival.
• Firstly - Before the Capitol started the
Hunger Games, Panem was a peaceful
country.
• Then some of the districts started to rebel.
• The Capitol "fought" back and destroyed
District 13.
• The Capitol started the Hunger Games to
remind the citizens of Panem that they have
more power over them and to remember
what they did to District 13.

8. DYSTOPIAN NARRATIVE
The film incorporates many dystopian themes such as
- Cruel government
The government that
controls all districts are
cruel following the
disaster
• Due to this they punish all
districts
• They make then suffer with
deprivation of food

9. DYSTOPIAN NARRATIVE
The film incorporates many dystopian themes such as
- Restrictive world After the disaster, Panem
became a district rather
than a country.
• So the Capitol restricted all
the people from food etc.
• They have no power at all.
• What ever the are told to
do and what to do they
have to do it.

10. Flattening of Affect
Due to ‘The Hunger Games’ (a media sensation) those who watch it have
become emotionless to the plight of the individuals in the games.
This then detached those in the city from those in the districts being the
victims of technology, violence and drugs – while those in the city are the
consumers of it

11. Hybridisation
THE HUNGER GAMES … CONVENTION FROM GENRE
FUTURE
DYSTOPIAN
HIGH TECH MACHINERY
SCI-FI
HERO
ADVENTURE/ACTION
HANDHELD CAMERA
MOVEMENT
ACTION/ADVENTURE
It’s a – DYSTOPIAN SCI-FI ACTION ADVENTURE film
Mixes all theses genres to create a new kind of film – mixing the conventions of these
genres to make an epic thrilling film.
Such as…
Handmaids
Tale
iRobot
Taken
Challenged
convention

12. Intertextuality
Reality TV – Big Brother
HOW …
THE HUNGER GAMES VS BIG BROTHER
Before they go into the hunger games they are
interviewed much big brother to show off their
personality and create a first impression on
the audience – they will be judged a lot on this
Interviews
Editing the events is very prominent in big
brother. Just like the hunger games the
producer/game makers alters surroundings,
event and such so that what they want to
happen, does.
Puppeteers
They are watched 24/7 thus the idea of
panopticanisation is interlinked. The
individuals in the game are aware of this and
act up for the audiences
Being
watched
In big brother a relative or friend comes on to
persuade audiences to keep them in – helping
their survival
Being
Sponsored
When their family call
in or come to eviction
night to ask audience
to save them

13. Panoptical
‘The Hunger Games’ is so intensified throughout the film because of the city individuals
that watch it. They are obsessed with these games because the media has so powerfully
amplified it that it becomes more interesting than their own reality.
Also the individuals in the districts are dependant on those watching so that they can
be sponsored – thus the idea of changing yourself with the knowledge that someone is
watching is seen. (MARLON FOUCAULT) The characters alter their personalities
to be liked so heighten the change of survival.
E.G pretend romance

14. CONTEXT
• This film was released in 2012
• It was made because the book was a best seller across the country
• It was a massive box-office success by making $607mil profit– I
think its down to the popular mix of genres and the new craze of
reading books and then watching the film

15. HOW WAS IT MADE
• Where they had filmed in real settings
many different scenes were filmed at
locations with more futuristic-looking
buildings
• Most of the film is shot in real settings
– there is only very minimal green
screen used
E.G the fire was real

16. COMPARISONS – Films in Genre
Harry Potter – Order of the Phoenix
The Hunger Games
The Host
Harry Potter was of course a thrilling film being hybridised with many genres such
as; sci-fi, romance, action, adventure, mystery. These types of films were not so
mainstream before – but was brought to pop culture amongst the masses.
I think ‘The Hunger Games’ was very much influenced from this genre film – with the many
similarities between them: games, union, survival, different schools coming together
Developed I think from ‘Harry Potter’ the hunger games used the conventions to
follow this new pop culture amongst youth
However, the protagonist of Harry Potter is a male which is the norm of a action adventure
hero film –
However Collins creates a modern day heroine in Katness – even further she eliminates the
genre of romance presenting this heroine not taken back by the conventions of love, but can
survive alone. So to the audience she is favoured by both genres solemnly on her courage and
strength, rather than sex appeal.
Thus in future many films have begun to come out with this type of dystopian narrative
including a female heroine because of films such as the hunger games

17. Baudrillard Ideas
SIMULACRA: These amplified images become so
sensuous that in a way that they are more interesting
than reality and thus become more real as we spend
more time associating with these images.
Jean Baudrillard
- which is presented by putting tributes in the
fake setting of the hunger games which is
completely man made and controlled man –
Which is just like the Hunger Games because
the Capitol are fixated with this simulation on
reality
then becoming more real the viewers they
sponsor and send help to those in the game –
but not in the real setting such as Panem

18. HYPER REALITY
3 Stages of reality - Jean Baudrillard
1st
Nature –
Katniss hunting a deer. She’s very at home.
Represents the pre-modern way of life
Relation to truth reality and nature.

19. HYPER REALITY
3 Stages of reality - Jean Baudrillard
2nd
Productive materialist reality –
coal mining, industrial
production, factories. Like a stage above the pure nature
before. Upgrading.

20. HYPER REALITY
3 Stages of reality - Jean Baudrillard
3rd
• The people in the capital have no connection to
the districts
Simulation –
• There only connection to nature is a simulation of nature, which they get in the hunger games.
• All occurrences e.g. the dog hunt happen by men who are the game makers. They are genetic engineered
animals (more human than human).
• None of this is nature in pre-modern sense, Its an amplified hunt from what we see in the beginning to
such a level its inescapable to those who watch it as a specticle

21. Audience – (In the film)
Hypodermic needle model –
‘The Hunger Games’ demonstrates the effect of the mass media on their audiences. This
model owes much to the supposed power of the mass media – in particular to inject the
passive audiences with ideologies.
E.G – In the film…
The repressive government believe that strict regulation on the districts being in the media
for the hunger games will help to control the individuals in them.
Then the audience of the hunger games (from the city) are a passive mass who will
immediately accept whatever version of events is given by the media – and the consume it
and become simulated by it.
(Links to flattening of effect and Baudrillard)

22. For and Against
FOR AGAINST
The violence create the passion,
the plight and taking violence out,
takes the heart of it out
Too violent for kids to be watching
such a movie, presenting a corrupt
government- children get the
wrong idea
Scenes are important tools that
propel thematic question about
identity, sacrifice, survival
Too much for a young audience to
comprehend such themes
Katniss is a new modern day
heroine for young girls- presented
as smart, tough and
compassionate- which has been
lacking in pop culture for very long
(break a cinematic glass ceiling)
The film rejects the sex symbol
and being romantically involved to
be liked by mass public
She still became a sex symbol and
desirable by the public – but for all
the right reasons – but still takes
away from the excitement of an
unconventional heroine – film
thus always makes the male gaze
idea

23. Future
Well, in the future the next novel trilogy will come out to film. This will probably
even more hyped than the first one because of increased popularity with film goers
than readers – Then Hollywood will probably make films just like it because of its
success (just like what happened to Twilight)