Mockingjay Part 1&2

 

Mockingjay parts 1 & 2 follow the storyline after the Hunger Games have been dismantled and Katniss is rescued from the arena. She finds out Peeta and the other victors were taken by the capitol to punish her. Throughout the movie, we see President Snow become the enemy and Katniss and her allies try to start a rebellion to take down the capital. However, the leader of this rebellion doesn't seem too different in tactics from President Snow and the audience begins to question who we can trust.

    The storytelling is done really well in these movies and I feel like there are so many small intricate details that I didn't necessarily understand the first couple times I watched it. I really like the emphasis on political unrest and trying to overthrow the current government that continues to oppress the poor and encourage killing innocent civilians. The rebellion is really powerful because while it is imperative, it needs happen the right way in order for history not to repeat itself. Some of the most powerful moments in the movie are when Katniss visits the districts and everyone either sees her as their savior or their enemy. The camera and the music are very still in these scenes allowing the audience to capture the full power of these moments.

    The cinematography in these movies specifically is what drew me to connect it to the storyline so heavily. One moment that stood out to me is the scene where President Snow is talking to Katniss and almost taunting her. I thought the slow moving shots of the camera and the dull setting with all the white accents helped the blood to stand out and make it evident that the war is going to come to an end one way or another. I just thought all the dull lighting really reflected the emotions and the lack of hope for the future. There were many action packed scenes in these movies where the camera was moving abruptly but overall I felt the camera did an excellent job portraying the emotions of each character and I really commend it for that.

    These movies have become some of my favorite for cintematography and cultural relevance and I feel like if it weren't for this class, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate these characteristics.