‘Catching Fire’ can be Better Than ‘The Hunger Games’ with Francis Lawrence
There have been mixed feelings about the state of ‘Catching Fire‘. Some people aren’t too excited about Francis Lawrence being Lionsgate’s pick, many people are upset about how quickly Lionsgate is pushing ‘Catching Fire‘ to be produced. However, EW is going to remain optimistic, and we like their style!
They’ve published an article analyzing Francis Lawrence as a director, and listing four ways ‘Catching Fire‘ can top its predecesor, ‘The Hunger Games‘.
1. No More Shaky-Cam.
This summer will mark ten years since the one-two punch of The Bourne Identity and 24 instigated the shaky-camera revolution in modern action movie. All the familiar elements of this style were present in The Hunger Games: Needlessly awkward chin close-ups; quick cuts of people running; a complete butchering of the 180 degree rule. As my colleague Adam B. Vary pointed out, Catching Fire is a larger and more exotic story than its predecessor, with intriguing peeks at the other Districts and an Arena which is decidedly more fantastical than the forest in Hunger Games. I think this plays to Lawrence’s strengths — remember the vivid post-apocalyptic Manhattan of I Am Legend?
2. Don’t feel try to fit in everything.
The first movie managed to make some smart plot and character trims, but the whole thing still felt quite a bit rushed, with some scenes playing out as little more than supporting-character role calls. (That’s particularly true in regards to the Careers, who were barely a presence except for their occasional background snarls. People, they were supposed to be antagonists.) That problem could only be exacerbated in Catching Fire, which introduces a host of new characters. Even moreso than Hunger Games, the second movie is going to require some serious editing and refocusing. Which is why I’d recommend…
3. Chop down the Victory Tour.
Catching Fire begins (Spoiler for you non-readers, although come on, reading is good for you) with a lengthy trip around the various Districts of Panem, and although it’s interesting from a world-building perspective, it’s mostly tension-free. The first Hunger Games movie spent a lot of time on the lead-up to the games, but as much as I love Stanley Tucci, Catching Fire could benefit from getting to the action faster. My pitch: Make the Victory Tour a montage, and get to the Quarter Quell. That also means more time to spend with Finnick and Johanna, two intriguing new characters who don’t even appear until halfway through the book.
4. Let Katniss narrate, already!
There are people who say that adding narration to movies is fundamentally bad. Here is my response to those people: Sunset Boulevard, Adaptation, Fight Club, Goodfellas, The Royal Tenenbaums, Apocalypse Now, A Clockwork Orange, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and Terrence Motherf—ing Malick. The books are narrated from Katniss’ perspective, and her narration doesn’t just serve a functional plot purpose: It lets us see how other characters’ perception of her often differs dramatically from her perception of herself. That aspect of the book — the difference between Katniss-as-a-media-image and Katniss-as-a-human-being — is hugely important, and was almost completely left out of the first movie. Taking away Katniss’ interior monologue has the effect of transforming her from a fascinatingly flawed three-dimensional character into a two-dimensional superhero. Let the girl on fire speak for herself!
Read the rest of the article here!
Will these help ‘Catching Fire’ top ‘The Hunger Games’? What ideas do you have on how they can improve upon ‘The Hunger Games’?
Thanks to our reader Tania for the tip!
source: EW
Related posts:
- OFFICIAL: Francis Lawrence Selected to Direct ‘Catching Fire’
- CONFIRMED: Francis Lawrence will be Directing ‘Catching Fire’
- Why Francis Lawrence is a Great Choice to Direct ‘Catching Fire’
- What Might Francis Lawrence Change in Catching Fire?
- ‘Catching Fire’ Director Breakdown: Francis Lawrence and Bennett Miller
Category: Catching Fire, Movie, News
Let Katniss definately narrate the last paragraph of Mockingjay when it comes to filming ! The bit with the ” That’s when I make a list in my head of all the good things …. there are much wprse games to play.” Then end with a still shot of Katniss and Peeta and the Mockingjay whistle. I’ve already planned out the ending of Mockingjay!!!!!
Oh my gosh yes! I think I would break down in tears if they did that. I am already getting emotional just picturing it!
I love that part so muchh!♥♥♥♥
Just hire me to direct the movie !!!!!!!!!!! ha ha !!!!!
* UPDATE *
Ok, Katniss and Peeta are sat in the meadow with their kids running around near them.Then while Katniss reads the epilouge she has memories of her life. Like pictures of the reaping, finnick, gale, prim. And there are floaty voices in the back ground like Clove shouting ” First Rue now you.” and Katniss and Rue laughing. Prim screaming for Katniss and other memories.Then as Katniss finishes the epilouge the still shot of Katniss and Peeta fades and then , the Mockingjay whistle……..
I agree with everything you said. <3
I actually have this idea of Katniss and Peeta out in the meadow with their kids running around and Katniss sitting on the ground in her hunting clothes, writing the final bit of Mockingjay (after all the books are written in the first person). She writes the final sentence, puts down the journal, Peeta takes her by the hand to help her up and they go off into the meadow to play with their children.
Generally I’m not a fan of voice overs, I feel like they detract from the movie. Pulling you out of the moment, an actor should be able to convay any emotions that the audience needs to know. The only flaw I see is with those last few lines in Mockingjay otherwise I say forget voice overs.
The problem is, is that it never says anything about Katniss writing the books just that they are from her perspective. Maybe they could show Katniss and Peeta completing the book where they put all the info on people that have died like Rue and Prim and Finnick but otherwise I think your idea is really cool and I think (not trying to make any comparisons, so Twilight haters don’t get mad at me for mentioning it) if they just had a qoute from the book at the beginning and then one from the end like in most of the Twilight movies that would be good and then it wouldn’t be Katniss just suddenly talking in the middle of the movie.
Not a fan of shaky-cam. If movies were gonna be narrated, should’ve started that straight from 1. Instead, the story and dialogue need to convey her thoughts. The victory tour need only convey the important points (eg district 11 violence, touch on district 8 uprising, show Katniss and Peeta re-connecting, and finishing with Snow). Much like any novel being made into a movie, the important points & characters really need to be addressed and given more screentime. I do however hope they play-up Peeta and Katniss re-connecting during training at the Capitol. I personally think Suzanne Collins missed this perfect opportunity in the book where the night before the quell when lying together in bed, Katniss says “do we sleep”. HELLO – You have two 17 year olds who have been sharing the same bed. Both are resolved that they are about to die to save the other. He is irrecovably in love with her. She has said goodbye to who she thought she had chosen (Gale), but she clearly has very strong feelings for the boy she is lying beside. The least they could do is make-out. Let’s face it, the barbaric story behind these books is not directed at the young teens but moreso the older ones. Just putting it out there
Im not sure how id feel if she voiced over the whole movie it would explain things a bit better for people who haven’t read the books (they should have read them before they saw the movie!) but it also may detach from the whole movie except for the last lines of mockingjay id be ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY fine with that xD
hi
I think Katniss doesn’t need to Narrate-Jennifer Lawrence has such amazing expressions that her emotion and thoughts are shown by her and i think her telling us will make the movie way less mature and would not work as the first one wasn’t narrated. Unless it is done really well then i think it would be lame.
I agree with most of these except for the voice over only because it wasn’t done for the first one. More than anything I want to see better character/relationship building between K&P, clear explanation of the uprising otherwise the next two movies won’t feel right, and get to the arena because the characters and imagery there will be amazing.
Can’t wait for 11/2013! I think this director will do a fine job, after all it’s an amazing book, just don’t add.
I love the no shaky cam. Maybe the voice overs will work, but right now, Im not a fan of it…
Fast forwarding the tour will be good since we don’t want people to walk out of the movie if it doesn’t have any action…. Just make sure you don’t change it to much… I love it so much… :’)
1. realistically 2 17 year olds on their way to slaughter (again), bot willing to die for the other have to at least do some extreme cuddling.
2. In Catching fire and early chapters of mockingjay I found Katniss weak needy and indecisive( I hated her). However it was good for the story Im curious how this will play on screen
3. I cant wait to see johanna mason lose the tree costume. I pictured blake lively.
4. Make tear in district 11.
and light narration would be good.
Personally I thought The Hunger Games (Movie) was incredibly amazing and there is much that you could do to make it better. I did have high hopes in Gary Ross directing Catching Fire but I guess we have to work with what we have. I can’t say I understand why so many people are disappointed with the camera work because in my opinion it made it feel like we were running through the woods with Katniss, the shaky camera kind of describes how panicked Katniss actually felt inside while maintaining the calm and cool exterior, she didn’t have time to register everything that was happening and it was going by so fast because she didn’t have time for mourning or self-pity, she came to try to win for Prim. The acting was phenomenal and the filming was an excellent addition to demonstrating what was going on inside the character’s heads.
“3. Chop down the Victory Tour.” It was already cut to just D11 and D2 in the book. Some very important things happen when in D11 that need to be included to show the depth of the oppression by the Capitol. A ‘montage’ for the rest would be fine and where a little narration could work.
“4. Let Katniss narrate, already!” not so much, but maybe a little. there are a couple of memories that Katniss has in the start of it that become important later on. these could be done as ‘flashbacks’ w/out narration. “the difference between Katniss-as-a-media-image and as-a-human-being” IS important, but a few lines of her talking would fix this.
“1. No More Shaky-Cam.” absolutely agree! don’t need it don’t like it!
it was used mostly to avoid showing the bloody violence in the Games on teenagers. now that the new Games tributes are mostly older than teens, will they be able to show more of it?