THE HUNGER GAMES OPENING ANALYSIS 9 FRAME ANALYSIS

At the very start of The Hunger Games, text is shown to inform the audience about what the hunger games are. It tells the audience that there are more than one district with people living in, making this population seem big. It tells us that a male and female aged will be chosen to fight to the death until one is left remaining. This makes the audience seem upset as kids are suppose to be at school learning, not letting them do violent acts against each other, making them think that kids under 18 are not classed as very important. Kids are also seen as rebellious which could be why they are the ones chosen to fight as they don’t have a full understanding of the value of life. People who haven’t read the book will wonder what a “Reaping” is, and would make them want to watch more to find out.

This scene shows two men talking about the games in front of a live audience making it seem that the games are for the adults enjoyment. This makes the audience feel pity for kids as they have no choice but to take part, just so the adults can watch them kill each other. Having two men and no woman could show the inferiority men have over woman. One man has blue hair which could mean that he has it for his personal image, meaning that he could be a celebrity. Having blue hair, he could also be seen as gay, showing that sexuality makes no difference. Both men are dressed in smart suits making them both seem like they are important.

As soon as District 12 is shown, you can hear a child scream which makes the audience believe that the people who live here are in much worse states than the two men just shown. It looks poor compared to where the two men were as they had big screens, smart clothes, etc. where as in this district it is shown to have wooden houses and carts as transport. It makes the audience believe that the people living here are lower class and it makes the audience feel sorry for them as they must have a hard time living compared to other districts. This frame also tells us that there are 12 or more districts meaning that 24 kids would be fighting till the death.

This part shows an older girl comforting a younger girl who was screaming from a dream she had. This tells the audience that these two girls are living together as the older one is there to comfort the younger one. The older girl comes across as having a mother role as she is looking after her. This also makes the audience think where their parents are as they aren’t there to help her. The clothes that they wear make them seem poor as compared to the two men, as its very grey and old looking.

This part shows the older girl singing a lullaby to the younger girl to comfort her, which then she also joins in, which shows that it’s a song they both know showing that they came from the same place. The older girl is also playing with the younger girls hair which is how most people expect young girls to do, singing is also something girls are thought to do. It also shows their relationship is close as the older girl is taking care of the younger girl which could show that they are sisters.

The older girls is shown as more masculine as the younger girl as she is wearing a t shirt and the younger girl is wearing a dress. When the older girl has to leave, she never tells the younger girl why which leads the audience to think that she is hiding a secret. It also could hint at there being danger as the older girl is going alone leaving the younger girl in bed, which the younger girl doesn’t want her to go.

As the older girl is about to leave the house, a scruffy looking cat, which assumingly is theirs, hisses at her. This could show that the cat is dangerous or in a bad mood due to being hungry, which shows that they are poor, or because it is uncomfortable being around her for an unknown reason. This also makes the audience feel like they go by the rule of one for themselves as the cat and the older girl seem quite independent.

The older girl says ‘I’ll still cook you’ to the cat as she leaves which makes the audience believe that she doesn’t have much food, linking to district 12 being a poor area. It also makes her seem unfeeling towards the cat showing that she couldn’t care about it. This also shows that she is struggling to survive, and also makes the audience wonder if its because there isn’t a male to help hunt in the family.

After the girl leaves the house, she starts to run, making it seem like she has to be somewhere important. This makes the audience believe that she is quite independent as she had to put the younger girl back to bed herself and has to go somewhere on her own. Having her hair up could show her masculinity as females are usually shown to have long hair. A tracking shot is used for when the girl runs to make it seem like she has a long was to run, showing that have to get around places without cars.