Gamer and The Hunger Games

Gamer and The Hunger Games Gamer and The Hunger Games share the same theme of the manipulative powers of media and technology in our society. Both films deal with a global audience that enjoy watching carnage being viewed on television or where ever they can watch it. Also both films deal with the control of others. Gamer is about, a program allowing individuals to control real life people because they are a part of a realistic video game. The video game uses convicts and prisoners. There is another real video game that uses real people called Society which was the first of this series. The Hunger Games deals with the control of these children via technology and media. Both films have that manipulative aspect that is clearly present in both films. The cinematography of both films are similar in the use of hand held shots and close ups. It gives both films a sense of authenticity and realism that it is almost a documentary. It heightens the tension and the drama that is being depicted on film. I realized that the color of the films were different. Gamer is highly saturated (I’m not sure if that is the right word) but it was overtly vibrant and harsh while compare to The Hunger Games, the upper class are harsh while the lower class is more natural. For example, in Gamer, when you are following Gerard Butler through each level or when you are entering the virtual world of Society, just the look is completely overt. Compare to The Hunger Games, the lower class has a natural look while the upper class is overtly saturated and over the top. The Hunger Games and Gamer both share the same theme of the manipulative powers of the media and technology. In Gamer, a person is able to control an actual human being to kill others because it is all one big powerful video game. All over the world are addicted to watching this carnage on screen. The world people watch and it doesn’t bother them that they are watching real people being controlled like robots to kill in order to win. The Hunger Games uses the media and technology to manipulate the population’s view to gravitate towards a favorite. The actual Hunger Games is set in a very complex computer programmed stadium that with a touch of a button a location can change, night can change to day in minutes. The Talk show is another great example how the media is used in manipulative forces. These individuals are put out in front and they have to charm the population to vote for them in a way.

JOHN CARTER

John Carter stars Taylor Kitsch as John Carter, Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris. The film is directed by Andrew Stanton. John Carter is the story of John Carter, a former Civil War cavalry captain, who is now a prospector searching for gold in the midst of the gold rush. While attempting to be lured back to the military, he runs to a cave with a creature. The creature is holding a transporting medallion that sends him to Mars (aka Basoom) where there are aliens, “red people”, and the Helium people. The Theme of the film is a lone man with nothing searching for a purpose in life.

The costumes, although this is the future, are based more on ancient Rome, but everybody has a distinctive look. The people of Helium (the blue people) have Henna body and facial tattoos. They wear blue mini booty shorts (even the men), with blue armor and cape. The red people are similar but instead of blue it’s red. Although the clothes are tailored for ancient Roman times, they mainly appeared as former Las Vegas showgirls hand-me-down skimpy costumes. The bald aliens wear this heavy thick puffy metallic gown of some kind and are bald and pale. These aliens are invisible and can only be seen if the Chosen person has this vine-like arm glove/medallion thing. John Carter, throughout the movie, basically wears a kilt or a long loin cloth.

The production design is incredible from the sets to the design of the ships. Each production have their own distinct look. The ships are a mix of Serenity, but with an almost insect design. The scene when Dejah is in her room about to get married, her room has high ceilings, pillars. There is the heavy Roman-influenced architecture. There are a lot of marble and granite structures as well.

The theme of John Carter is the lone man with nothing searching for a purpose in life. How the film explores it, is very sloppy. There are so many issues with the film, from the confusing plot which left a lot still unexplained (did they ever explain the ninth ray thing? Helium? Who are the red people? Why Mars? Why is there a heavy Roman/Greek/mythology influence in the future? Isn’t that regressing rather progressing?....etc) The effects were overdone and there were so many scenes taken from Star Wars and Star Trek to Gladiator and (may be it was just me) but I also saw a little of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. I did like the movie because of its cheese factor and it didn’t take itself seriously. It’s good cheesy entertaining movie.