"I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever,” whispered Peeta Mellark, love-interest of protagonist Katniss Everdeen. I raised my left arm, held three fingers up and whispered back, “Me too, Peeta. Me too.”
After I watched the third movie of the Hunger Games series, “Mockingjay Part 1,” released on Nov. 21, I was so stunned at its brilliance that my parents had to drag me out of AMC 14 before I snuck into another theater for a second round.
With the added pressure of living up to Suzanne Collins's award-winning series, the movie did extremely well in terms of matching the book’s story line. All the important scenes were included, which satisfies the die-hard fans of the book series, and made for a very wholesome plotline for those who haven’t read the book. On top of that, the creators scenes, avoiding the dangerous abyss of confusion and plot destruction that is often found in movies based on books.
What left me in awe every time I replayed the trailer is the acting skill of the cast. Every scene exuded so much power and emotion that I was transported immediately into their chaotic, dystopian universe.
Though I don’t cry much, I found myself sobbing over multiple scenes like when Katniss, the main character, returned to District 12 or when Gale, her friend, described the events that occurred while Katniss was in the games.
Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Julianne Moore played their roles with conviction and intuition. Throughout the movie, the audience could be heard gasping and cheering during moments because the acting made them feel like they were in Panem.
We all know that Lawrence’s acting and personality have made her a favorite, but her singing talent is much less known. The song “The Hanging Tree” is sung in such a way that it brings a rustic, alternative feel to the tuneless text that appeared in the novel. The most amazing part of the song is that Lawrence was acting and showing an incredible amount of emotion while she was singing, which is very difficult to do.
Although many do not like the abrupt ending of the movie, I thought that it added to the suspense and effectively made the audience wish for more. The dramatic music in the background and fear shown on Katniss’s face as she reached out for Peeta made me hope there was going to be more. Not only was this an intense moment, but it was a smart move on the director’s part since it ensures viewer’s return for the last movie.
Overall, I urge all the Hunger Games readers to see “Mockingjay Part 1” immediately. Even though it was a fantastic movie, the plot might be too intricate for those who have not read the series. For example, my aunt, who has never touched the books or watched the other movies, asked me many times during the course of the movie, “Who is Katniss Everdeen?”
Next November, when “Mockingjay Part 2” debuts, you will find me decked out in Hunger Games apparel, pushing and shoving people aside in line while yelling, “Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!”