4. We Finally Get To See The Broader Reality Of Panem In All Of Its Horror And Glory
Let's give Gary Ross some credit from the outset. It isn't easy trying to build a fantasy world while also remaining faithful to a myriad of characters, concepts and icons that fans are hungrily looking for. He paved the way beautifully, and his overcast, gritty take on the Districts as collapsed industrial cities or mining townsthink Detroit or Appalachia-- grounded the movie in a realistic pall of despair. Likewise, the Capitol of Panem sufficiently resembled its round-about namesake, the Roman Empire. What was missing was the nooks and crannies of a plausible, lived-in universe. Like that ominous train shooting along the tracks, the plot itself hardly slowed long enough for us to see much of the world outside of District 12 or the arena where the first Hunger Games was held. In Collins novel we more directly registered the iron grip of the Capitol and its barbarism. There were a few minor, undefined shots of riots in some of the other Districts but the focus was lacking. In Catching Fire, it's not just that we are treated to more of Panem in general---the Victory tour ensures we see exactly what's going on in some of the other Districtswe are invited to share in what life is like for these people, down to the littlest details regarding how the power crunch trickles down and impacts their lives. The Capitol too, is more pronounced in its debauchery. Why does any of this matter so much? The narrative gist of Catching Fire isn't about surviving the Hunger Games, but about the realities of revolution and dissonance. The Gestapo tactics of Snow's military force are necessary in etching the stakes, but just as valuable is the more relatable and timely depiction of a media-saturated social opiate that feeds citizens processed, tranquilizing entertainment so they might remain oppressed and impoverished. Everything regarding the newfound celebrity that Katniss finds herself thrust into rings with nuggets of pointed truth. We believe this world more deeply than before, and as such, we can sympathize more with our protagonist's desire to escape it.