To
what extent does 'The Hunger Games' trilogy subvert traditional gender
representations?
‘The Hunger
Games’ opened up many opportunities for “a host of girl power films”[2]
as in its opening weekend it was the “third best in the box office history”[3]. The film explores how different characters develop and their role in
the film through their behaviour, thoughts and emotions. By using Straussian
“binary opposition”[4] - good
versus evil - as a narrative base whilst adding a unique touch it draws in the
audience. Judith Butler
has established herself as the voice of “third wave feminism”[5]
for the nearly thirty years, challenging conventional ideas of gender which can
be similarly seen within the film. There have been
several ways in which women have fought to be seen and represented as
equals. One way in that which this has been done is through
film. Women in film are often represented as sex objects and there for the
pleasure of men, which is argued by Mulvey in regard to the ‘male gaze’[6].
This is evident in films like ‘Tomb Raider’ (2001), where despite the main
protagonist being a strong female character, it reinforces the zeitgeist of
that time and traditional stereotypes that reinforce the idea that women are meant
to be looked at. Over recent years these representations have been
subverted and women are now beginning to make a whole new image for themselves,
with films such as ‘Divergent’ that were released after the first ‘Hunger Games’
film, showing similar characteristics in terms of the female lead character:
Katniss being a “Proppian”[7]
hero that drives the narrative forward and enabling the audience to identify
with her, whilst “empowering us to be the agents of change”.[8]
Lionsgate, the production company, are not known
necessarily to stick to the norms when it comes to film and therefore this
could have contributed to the success of the film as "young
adults want different kinds of stories just like adults do."[9] This
is what the institution is offering by representing this strong female
character to their audience. Their highest grossing films are ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy, doing very
well economically, which is why it is understandable as to why they want to
continue with these films and have “trouble letting go.”[10] The success of the film is
recognised globally. This is further emphasised by the fact that it has managed
to pose a “threat to Thai government”[11]
where
pro-democracy protestors have even used the movie’s three-fingered symbol
of resistance in their own struggles against a repressive regime. Globalisation has allowed
audience to become less “passive”[12]
when receiving information and this has positively impacted ‘The Hunger Games’
in the sense that it has inspired the audience to take action. We also see that there has been a massive development in not only how
women are represented in films but also men. Men are becoming more in tune with
their emotional side in film and it is not just about their masculinity and
strength anymore. Gender representations in ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy have
brought light to the different ways in which gender is stereotyped and how this
has exceeded those in the past.
In a
dystopian world where the twelve districts are being controlled by the Capitol
and the children are set off to fight for their life. Katniss Everdeen, the
protagonist, volunteers as tribute to save her sister from this fate. This is
the first sign that we as an audience receive that shows that Katniss is
subverting gender stereotypes with “heroism, a stereotypically masculine
quality”.[13]
It is this simple action that intrigues us as it is not often we see a young
female character taking the lead role and not being portrayed as a damsel in
distress compared to men who “are active, forwarding the story”[14].
Katniss Everdeen is a complicated character -“She is strong but soft”[15]
- and maybe that is why audiences of both genders are drawn to her. She is able
to show complex binary oppositions within herself by portraying a vulnerable
and real side that allows the audience to connect and identify, whilst also
being presented as strong and courageous: She is a “21st century
heroine”[16].
In the film she portrays a dominant character that
is smart and a symbol of a revolution that is not passive compared to
Bella Swan in ‘Twilight’, the other key teen franchise of the last decade,
where the narrative is driven by her romantic feelings for the Edward. This is
something that may interest young females even more because it is not something
that is often seen in films, “a strong stereotypically masculine and atypically
gender defined hero”[17] and has changed the way
women are represented in modern films. However, it would be wrong to say that
the film is completely immune from the “male gaze”[18]. This is specifically
evident when Katniss is being introduced as the ‘Girl on fire’. There is a
close up when she comes on stage wearing a figure-hugging vibrant red dress.
This emphasises the fact that she is there to impress, to look good and show
off her female figure for the audience within the film and the audience
watching the film.
Jennifer
Lawrence almost seems like the perfect fit for this character. She portrays
herself as outspoken and self-confident through her “strength of personality”[19]
in the film industry. Other film actresses tend to portray the ‘ideal’ body
image, whereas Jennifer Lawrence allows herself to make sure that her “body is
healthy-looking”[20]
representing herself as an “opinion leader”[21],
influencing the way people react to media. The main star of the film Jennifer
Lawrence is very strongly associated with the science fiction genre. She
played the role of Mystique in the well-known film series ‘X-men’. In both ‘Hunger
Games’ and ‘X-men’ she plays a role that indicates that she is a strong female
character that usually does not need the assistance of other people. This
emphasises how Lawrence has become a role model for young teen females. This is
evident in the way that she advocates wanting to be physically healthy which
subverts the stereotype of females in the film industry are conventionally
thin. This can be used as a way to please men “in a world ordered by sexual
imbalance”[22]
as they would find this ‘ideal’ body shape visually pleasing. In recent events,
there has been a change in women’s confidence within Hollywood. In light of the
allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, women, even men, are
tweeting their stories with the hashtag #MeToo, which became a “cry against
sexual assault and harassment”[23],
thus highlighting the increase of empowerment women have gained.
There is
power in femininity. In the first film we see Katniss meet Rue in the arena.
Rue helps make sure Katniss stays alive whilst she is unconscious. In return Katniss
offers her company and protection. This subverts stereotypes of women as it
shows that they are not dependent on a man to save them. They are dependent on
each other if not themselves. Rue becomes a “feminist archetype”[24]
when she befriends Katniss. They build their strength based on their sisterhood
relationship and mutual support for each other. It is when women embrace their
femininity and nurturing nature that has shown to benefit them in their
survival and that fighting against this strengthening bond will get them killed
just like it did with Clove. This is because “Sisterhood is powerful.”[25]
This is a continuous motif throughout the film especially since it is what
motivates Katniss to volunteer as tribute. Her duty towards her sister sparks
the courage within her to volunteer despite knowing the possible outcomes. The audience are sutured within the film using close ups of the
characters Katniss and Primrose to show their affection for each other and
their closeness which is used as a technique to emphasise the role of
sisterhood and the protection that Katniss offers. This promotes femininity and
alternative representation of how it would have been described in the past
where it would be considered as a weakness. There
is strength within females and not just when trying to be equal to men. This
highlights that females do not have to adopt an aggressive form in order to
show that they can be strong. In fact, being in touch with their feminine and
caring side and showing that they can band together in order to be powerful.
Katniss is a role model for young girls. She sees emotion as a weakness and
does not want to be “associated with its connotations”[26] but
then later on in the film she realises that empathy/love does not have to mean
weakness but can also bring strength, “Katniss is what Jacobson calls “feminine
ferocity””[27]. This opens up the
opportunity for Katniss to be portrayed as a “psychologically rounded”[28] woman. When it comes to
saving Peeta she is required to remember what her mother would do. She learns
to accept the value of “feminine strengths”[29] which in turn helps
her win her first Hunger Game. She is the symbol of rebellion for the
districts and she inspires a revolution during a time where the people are
suffering. She is a strong female lead/heroine and every aspect of her has an
opportunity for the audience to identify with her and also have a personal
relationship with them. Katniss Everdeen is shown to be a lot more
subversive as she also takes up a masculine role in the film in the sense that
she is the one that takes care of the family in a very protective
manner which she is inclined to as her father is no longer present.
“Katniss is a hunter”[30] which
helps her look for food in order to serve as the role of the breadwinner. She
can be seen as “tough and hostile”[31]
because all she wants to do is survive. Her concerns, at first, is not with how
nice people are and especially in the first film she does not allow herself to
be clouded by love, the fact that her relationship with Peeta was a front for
the audiences and to gain sponsors highlight that relationships are not her
priority. It is clear that this is not the average young adult movie where the
narrative and dominant ideology is usually based around love and relationships.
This challenges traditional stereotypes where women are automatically
associated with being the love interest in a film. But instead ideologies that the text
includes are that women can be independent and successful.
Not only have there been improvements in the representation of females,
there have been some changes in the way men are represented too. In The film we
see that Peeta plays the very important secondary role to Katniss. Peeta’s
affectionate nature is first seen when we see flashback of him giving Katniss a
loaf of bread. Typical masculine traits are said to be considered a “provider,
capable of love but not made vulnerable because of it”[32] compared to now where
masculinity includes being able to show sensitivity, vulnerability and fear. Peeta
encourages Katniss to be more open. They can be considered binary oppositions,
since she is more restrictive compared to him who is more open. He can be seen
as “Katniss’ perfect ‘movie girlfriend’”[33]. This shows gender
subversion through Propp’s “character roles”[34] where in the past it was
mainly male lead roles, that were very masculine and strong, whereas now
“masculinity is something more fluid.”[35] ‘The
Hunger Games’ is challenging stereotypes by “empowering boys”.[36] This
is a film that is female-dominated and therefore appeals to girls than boys.
However, the fact boys are also reading the book shows that they are being
empowered to read things that are typically more ‘girly’ since girls are not
judged for doing things that boys do but boys are. This encourages them to
step out of this stereotype since “gender policing is much stricter with boys
than girls”[37]. This
film has made it easier for “boys to embrace a female perspective”[38]. Peeta
sets the example for this as his skill is that physically he is strong but then,
on the other hand, he tells Katniss that “he’d rather stay true to himself”[39]. This
emphasises the change in how men are represented since the 1970s. He has a
“sense of self-preservation”[40] which
is evident towards the end of the first film where he is injured but instead of
being hyper masculine and trying to attempt any “feats of bravery”[41], he
chooses to hide. This goes against the conventional stereotypes of men and is
quite interesting to see how the female lead and the secondary characters are
binary oppositions that complement each other when brought together in a scene.
When looking at the change in gender representations over the
years, you can see that there have been some major changes in dominant
ideologies especially since the release of ‘The Hunger Games’. ‘Tomb Raider’’s
(2001) Lara Croft is seen to be very over-sexualised despite being portrayed as
a strong character. She wears tight, figure-hugging clothes that are revealing
which emphasises her body shape. She is highly objectified especially in the
shower scene despite being the lead role which highlights the zeitgeist and
importance of being “looked at”[42]
in the film industry during those times. Despite the fact that she is a ground-breaking
female action hero, her sexual objectification in order to appeal to the male
audience seems to be a part of the film that is heavily focused on. This shows
how women being seen as an object and placing primary importance on their
appearance were ideologies that were focused on in the past. However, in ‘The
Hunger Games’, this is not the main focus, in fact, it could be argued that
Katniss Everdeen is not sexualised in this film, Although in the poster it does
show her to have a curvy figure and skin tight clothing that shows of the
figure which would suggest an argument that that could be a form of
sexualisation of the character. However, during her fighting scenes it can be
seen that she is a strong female character and that she can take care of
herself. This can be used to highlight the dominant ideologies then where
females in Hollywood adopt a sexualised front in films for the film to bring
some form of success. However now, they are moving away from that notion and
beginning to create their own image. Another example is Princess Leia in ‘Star Wars’ (1977) she is speaking directly to
the antagonist, Dark Vader, which highlights a sense of bravery and confidence.
This emphasises the impact of second
wave feminism in which we begin to see a change in the way women were portrayed
in film. Women were becoming less of a “passive”[43]
character within films although they have not yet secured lead roles and are
“given less screen time”[44].
Now, there is a change in cinema from films always focusing on “male heroes”[45]
compared to now where in films females have “become tougher”[46].
These two examples show how the films reflect the zeitgeist as it shows the
different values of society at the time, the fact that different things were
considered important.
Similarly, we are seeing more dominant female political
leaders in the current political situation. For example Hilary Clinton was
running for American President or Teresa May who is the current UK Prime
Minister which highlights the fact that females are stepping up for the more
dominant jobs and not settling for being subordinate. This indicates the change
in society which is also evident throughout ‘The Hunger Games’ film series and
how the leader of the rebellion is female. Audiences find pleasure through
“repetition and difference”[47].
‘The Hunger Games’ allows the audience experience “diversion”[48] through
difference as it was common to associate sci-fi movies with male protagonists
but the emergence of a dominant female protagonist allows the audience to
explore this change. The fact that this change has fared well for the film
shows that audiences are now encouraging future films to do the same. An example
of this is the recent Marvel ‘Black Panther’. Despite the main character is a
male character, the majority of his supporting roles are women. These women are
portrayed in a strong and independent manner, especially in one scene where you
see a female character choose her passion to protect people over romantic
heterosexual love.
It was not
long after the release of the first ‘Hunger Games’ when the “gender pay gap”[49]
was recognised publicly using the hashtag #AskHerMore. This shows how women are
standing up for the injustice that they are facing during this “fourth wave
feminism”[50].
With this help from social media platforms it is now being spread more easily
and quickly. It suggests that ‘The Hunger Games’ has sparked a new way of
thinking whether it is subtly or directly. As explained, we are seeing more dominant female political leaders in recent years. This
demonstrates towards the change in society which is also evident throughout ‘The
Hunger Games’ film series. Despite that Katniss rejects having “the power”[51];
she is still seen as someone with a lot of influence which is evident in the
last scene in ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy where she is to kill President Snow
and you can see that the districts have gathered behind her.
In
conclusion, the way gender is subverted in ‘The Hunger Games’ can be considered
a refreshing and “lovely reversal”[52]
of roles, especially between Katniss and Peeta. This
representation of women and men shows the different attributes within a gender
and that there is no one specific and conventional way of portraying gender.
Throughout the film Katniss “rejects dated ideas regarding gender roles”[53].
Over time traditional views of gender have been developed and changed to fit
the gradually changing society and its ideologies. Yes, traditional
stereotypes, such as the “traditional exhibitionist role”[54]
of women, are still present in this film; however those stereotypes are almost
overshadowed by the subversion of those stereotypes and ideologies. Where the
audiences are introduced to a hyper masculine character, the film also
introduces a more sensitive male character to create more of a balance within
the film. It can be
argued that ‘The Hunger Games’ has made a significant contribution to the
“fourth wave”[55]
feminism, revolutionising the way gender is represented in the mainstream media.
Bibliography
Works cited
Books
·
Balkind,
N. (2014). The hunger games. Bristol, UK: Intellect Books.
·
Gauntlett,
D. (2002). Media, gender, and identity:
An introduction. London: Routledge
·
Hall, S., Evans, J., & Nixon,
S. (2013). Representation. London:
SAGE.
·
Hooks, B. (2015). Feminism is for everybody: passionate
politics. New York, NY: Routledge.
·
Katz,
E., &Blumler, J. G. (1974). The uses of mass communications:
current perspectives on gratifications research. Beverley Hills: Sage.
·
Lévi-Strauss, C. (1996). The raw and the cooked. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.
·
Mulvey,
L. (1975). Visual and other pleasures.
Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
·
Neale,
S. (2000). Genre and Hollywood. London: Routledge.
·
Propp, V. (1968). Morphology of
the folktale. Austin :University of Texas Press,
·
Wood, J. T. (1994). Gendered lives: Communication, gender, and
culture. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub.
Websites
·
Bell,
L. M. (2015, January 20). How 'The Hunger
Games' Is Challenging Gender Stereotypes - by Empowering Boys. Retrieved
from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/laura-m-bell/hunger-games-gender-stereotypes_b_6185320.html
·
Driscoll,
M. (2015, November 18). 'The Hunger
Games': How the dystopian film series changed the film industry. Retrieved
from https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Movies/2015/1118/The-Hunger-Games-How-the-dystopian-film-series-changed-the-film-industry
·
Ellis,
S. (2014, August 12). Why The Hunger
Games' killer Katniss is a great female role model. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/aug/12/why-hunger-games-killer-katniss-is-a-great-female-role-model
·
Harrison,
R. (2018, February 14). Third Hunger
Games film poses biggest protest threat yet to Thai government. Retrieved
from https://theconversation.com/third-hunger-games-film-poses-biggest-protest-threat-yet-to-thai-government-34501
·
Khomami,
N. (2017, October 20). #MeToo: how a
hashtag became a rallying cry against sexual harassment. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/20/women-worldwide-use-hashtag-metoo-against-sexual-harassment
·
Loughrey,
C. (2017, August 09). Lionsgate wants to
make more Hunger Games and Twilight movies. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/lionsgate-hunger-games-twilight-sequels-prequels-jennifer-lawrence-a7883991.html
·
Moore,
S. (2013, November 27). Why The Hunger
Games' KatnissEverdeen is a role model for our times | Suzanne Moore.
Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/27/why-hunger-games-katniss-everdeen-role-model-jennifer-lawrence
·
Rankin,
S. (2017, April 19). How The Hunger Games
Revolutionized Female-Led Blockbusters. Retrieved from http://www.eonline.com/news/837977/how-the-hunger-games-revolutionized-female-led-blockbusters
·
Schwarzbaum,
L. (2013, November 26). Culture - The
Hunger Games: Action-film feminism is catching fire. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20131126-a-movie-heroine-revolution
·
Seltzer,
S. (2013, December 12). The Hunger Games'
Gender Role Revolution. Retrieved from https://rewire.news/article/2013/12/12/the-hunger-games-gender-role-revolution/
·
Stark,
R. (2015, March 25). Why Katniss is a
Feminist Character (And It’s Not Because She Wields a Bow and Beats Boys Up).
Retrieved from https://www.tor.com/2012/03/21/why-katniss-is-a-feminist-character-and-its-not-because-she-wields-a-bow-and-beats-boys-up/
Magazines
·
Dixon, T. (2011, April). Marty, Bob and Leo: the Changing
Nature of Masculinity. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0i5diL3vrEiSGxRNHIyZmM4Ums
·
Gray, C. (2016, February). The Fourth Wave? Feminism in
the Digital Age. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0i5diL3vrEiSGxRNHIyZmM4Ums
·
Stringfellow, S.
(2013, April) The Gender Politics in The Walking Dead and The Hunger Games.Retrieved fromhttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0i5diL3vrEiSGxRNHIyZmM4Ums
Moving image texts
·
Burger,
N. (Director). (2014, April 4.) Divergent.
Red Wagon Entertainment.
·
Coogler,
R. (Director). (2018, February 12). Black
Panther. Marvel Studios.
·
Hardwicke,
C. Weitz, C. (Directors). (2008, December 3). Twilight. Summit Entertainment.
·
Lucas,
G. (Director). (1977, December 27). Star
Wars. Lucasfilm Ltd.
·
Ross,
G. (Director). (2012, March 23). The
Hunger Games. Lionsgate
·
West,
S. (Director). (2001, June 11). Tomb
Raider. Mutual Film Company
Works Consulted
Books
·
Greer,
G. (1971). The Female Eunuch. London:
HarperCollins.
Websites
·
A.
(2013, November 22). The Hunger Games by Suzanne
Collins – review. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/22/review-the-hunger-games-suzanne-collins
·
Bloom,
P. (2018, January 09). Why the message of
the Hunger Games films is dangerous. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/why-the-message-of-the-hunger-games-films-is-dangerous-35231
·
Challies,
T. (2016, November 04). What Makes The
Hunger Games So Popular? Retrieved from https://www.challies.com/articles/what-makes-the-hunger-games-so-popular/
·
Ford,
R. (2012, March 22). Why ‘Hunger Games’
Is Not the New ‘Twilight’. Retrieved from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/hunger-games-twilight-jennifer-lawrence-lionsgate-summit-303338
·
Lincoln,
K. (2013, December 04). How 'The Hunger
Games' Got Cool. Retrieved from https://psmag.com/social-justice/how-the-hunger-games-got-cool-jennifer-lawrence-70877
·
Orange,
R. (2018, January 06). Hard-hitting film
takes aim at Ingmar Bergman’s flawed way with women. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jan/06/ingmar-bergman-beauty-beast-flawed-way-with-women-great-art
·
Stanley,
T. (2015, November 18). Why Left and
Right both love The Hunger Games. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2/politics-protests-katniss-suzanne-collins/
·
Suderman,
P. (2015, November 23). The Hunger Games
movies succeeded because they were perfect for millennials. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/2015/11/23/9785962/hunger-games-millennials
·
Thomson,
D. (2012, March 27). David Thomson on
Films: Why I Hate ‘The Hunger Games’. Retrieved from https://newrepublic.com/article/102038/the-hunger-games-collins-lawrence-ross-terrible-un-american
Magazines
·
Lacey, N. (2010, Deember). Engendering Change: What’s happened to
Representations of Women? Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0i5diL3vrEiSGxRNHIyZmM4Ums
·
Lacey, N. (2016,
April). Furiosa and the ‘Male Gaze’. Retrieved fromhttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0i5diL3vrEiSGxRNHIyZmM4Ums
Moving image texts
·
Besson,
L. (Director). (2014, July 25). Lucy.
EuropaCorp.
·
Feig,
P. (Director). (2016, July 9). Ghostbusters.
Columbia Pictures.
·
Gavron,
S. (Director). (2015, October 12) Suffragette.
Film4.
·
Leitch,
D. (Director). (2017, July 28). Atomic Blonde. Denver and Delilah Productions.
[1]
Ross, G. (2012) The Hunger Games.
[2]
Rankin, S. (2017).
[3]ibid.
[4]Levi-Strauss,
C. (1996)
[5]Gray,
C, (2016) Media Magazine p. 64.
[6]Mulvey,
L. (1975).
[7]Propp,
V. (1968).
[9]Driscoll,
M. (2015).
[10]Loughrey,
C. (2017).
[11]
Harrison, R. (2014).
[12]The
Hypodermic Needle (1920).
[13]Stringfellow,
S. (2013) Media Magazine p. 62.
[14]Lacey,
N. (2016) Media Magazine p. 16.
[15]Schwarzbaum,
L. (2013).
[16]ibid.
[17]Balkind,
N. (2014).
[18]Mulvey,
L. (1975).
[19]Schwarzbaum,
L. (2013).
[20]
Moore, S. (2013).
[21]
Two-step flow model (1940).
[22]Mulvey,
L . (1975).
[23]Khomami,
N (2017).
[24]
Stark, R. (2012).
[25]Hooks,
B (2015).
[26]Gauntlett,
D. (2002).
[27]Schwarzbaum,
L. (2013).
[29]
Stark, R. (2012).
[30]Seltzer,
S. (2013).
[31]
Ellis, S (2014).
[32] Dixon, Tina. (2011) Media Magazine p. 53.
[33]Seltzer,
S. (2013).
[35]
Dixon, Tina. (2011) Media Magazine p. 55.
[36]
Bell, L. (2015).
[37]
Bell, L. (2015).
[38]Ibid.
[39]
Ellis, S. (2014).
[40]Stringfellow,
S (2013) Media Magazine p. 63.
[41]Ibid.
[42]Mulvey,
L. (1975).
[43]The
Hypodermic Needle. (1920).
[44]Gauntlett,
D (2002) p. 52.
[45]ibid. P. 50.
[46]ibid. P. 75.
[47]Neale,
S. (1988).
[48]Katz,
E., S BLumler, J. G. (1974)
[49]
Rankin, S. (2017).
[50]Gray,
C, (2016) Media Magazine p. 64.
[51] Ellis, S. (2014).
[52]Ellis, S. (2014).
[53]Gauntlett, D. (2002).
[55]Gray,
C, (2016) Media Magazine p. 64.
No comments:
Post a Comment