The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

mockingjay

Basic Film Information

    • Release date: November 20, 2015
    • Director: Francis Lawrence
    • Writers: Peter Craig (screenplay), Danny Strong (screenplay), Suzanne Collins (novel and adaptation)
    • Actors: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

Synopsis

As the war of Panem escalates to the destruction of other districts, Katniss Everdeen, the reluctant leader of the rebellion, must bring together an army against President Snow, while all she holds dear hangs in the balance.

Contemporary Reviews

    • Rotten Tomatoes Consensus- With the unflinchingly grim Mockingjay Part 2, The Hunger Games comes to an exciting, poignant, and overall satisfying conclusion.
    • In a New York Times article, Manohla Dargis praises Mockingjay Part 2 and the progression of Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games to Mockingjay Part 2 and comments on how Katniss is more than just a revolutionary figure within the story, but also within the Hollywood film industry

Background and Interesting Facts

    • The Hunger Games’ iconic three-fingered salute was adopted as a form of resistance by protesters in Thailand, later banned by the military.

    • To bring The Capitol to life, the director and production designer Philip Messina looked beyond Atlanta, where much of the movie’s shot, to film on location in France and Germany.

 

Analysis

A dramatic conclusion to the beloved Hunger Games series, Mockingjay Part 2 takes us through the end of Katniss Everdeen’s journey toward justice for Panem and an end to the tyranny of the Capitol under the leadership of the dictatorial President Coriolanus Snow. While Katniss is the Mockingjay, the face of the rebellion, District 13’s president, Alma Coin is the leader of the rebellion. Throughout Mockingjay Part 2, Katniss must fight to combat not only the tyranny of President Snow and the Capitol, but President Coin’s hunger for power and her need to control Katniss’ every move.

Throughout The Hunger Games series, Katniss has proven to be the most defiant character. She is especially defiant toward President Coin in Mockingjay Part 2 as she butts heads with her on how to go about ending the war against the Capitol. After she is injured during a propo, Katniss is told by Coin that she has done her part and it is time for Katniss to let Coin lead the way. However, Katniss sneaks out of District 13 to join the rest of the rebels, forcing her into the Star Squad, a special task force charged with being the on-screen face of the attack on the Capitol. Coin calls this action “adolescent,” “insubordinate,” and “mythic” and wants the people to know that  “whatever game’s she’s playing, she’s playing for us.” This statement exposes Coin attempt to control Katniss’ rogue decisions by claiming responsibility for Katniss’ actions.

As Mockingjay Part 2 progresses, it becomes clearer and clearer that President Coin’s goal is to replace President Snow rather than freeing Panem from years of oppression. While in the Capitol, Commander Boggs tells Katniss about Coin, revealing that she “never liked [Katniss]” and that she “doesn’t like anybody or anything she can’t control.” It is worth noting that from the moment Katniss attempted to eat the poisonous berries in The Hunger Games, President Snow took an immediate disliking to Katniss because she was someone that he could not control. Katniss is a force of nature that stood in the way of President Snow maintaining the power that he had and in the way of President Coin retaining Snow’s power. When it comes to the fight for power, Presidents Snow and Coin are more similar than Katniss previously realized.

While President Coin’s death was shocking, considering Katniss’ intended target was the treacherous President Snow, President Coin got what was coming to her by the hands of Katniss Everdeen. In an article written by Sage Young, she describes the signs that led to Katniss’ revelation of Coin’s evil and the assassination of President Coin. Young points out the fact that President Coin is similar to Katniss Everdeen in that she can “focus her energies on victory without clouding her process with feelings” but different from Katniss in that Coin’s “coldness represents an actual disregard for human life” while Katniss puts herself at risk “to better the quality of life for every district” (Young). Though it may appear that President’s Coin and Snow are different, through these quotes, Young points out that they both have the same disregard for human life and hunger for power that eventually leads to their demises in Mockingjay Part 2. The suspense of this scene builds and comes to a boiling point when Katniss points her bow toward Coin and lets go, killing the one person standing in the way of Panem’s freedom from oppression.

The moment that Katniss points her arrow and kills Coin comes as a shock to everyone but herself. When it is revealed that under Coin’s leadership, a society just as bad as the post-First Rebellion one will be established, Katniss sees herself as “the only person standing between the leader [President Coin] and the people of Panem” (Young). For that reason, Katniss decides to point her bow at President Coin instead of Snow, freeing the people of Panem from the likes of the two Presidents forever. Young reinforces this idea by stating that, the moment Katniss “decides to kill Coin rather than let her assume power, Katniss isn’t thinking of herself at all” but she is thinking of a better Panem (Young). For the reasons mentioned in the previously mentioned article, this moment is perhaps the most important in Mockingjay Part 2 and The Hunger Games series because hope finally conquers fear and the people of Panem are freed once and for all.

Although there is not much talking going on during this scene, President Coin does give a final speech before facing an unexpected death. It is the very last part of her speech that stands out: “Mockingjay, may your aim be as true as your heart is pure” (Mockingjay Part 2, 2015). Coin’s final words are quite ironic because what Coin expects is for Katniss to shoot President Snow when what is in her heart is to shoot President Coin. Katniss has full confidence in her heart that Coin is her target because she “knows oppression when she sees it, even when it pretends to be something else” (Young).

Lastly, the facial expressions of certain characters are perhaps the most important details of this scene, especially when President Coin is the only one speaking. The three most important facial expressions in this scene are those of Katniss Everdeen, President Snow, and President Coin. From the time she walks toward her post to the moment that she kills Coin, Katniss has a look of utter determination and confidence, as she knows she made the right choice. As Katniss walks toward her post and aims her bow, President Snow has the usual mischievous look on his face because he knows Katniss will shoot Coin because in the words of Snow himself: “[President Coin] was intending to take my place right from the beginning” (Mockingjay Part 2, 2015). The look on President Coin’s face is just as ironic as her final words. Coin’s facial expression is one of assurance and arrogance, as she knows for a fact that Katniss will kill Snow and not her, when in fact, it is quite the opposite that occurs. These details are vital because they set the tone for the previously mentioned moment of the scene.

Mockingjay Part 2 represents Katniss’ last stand against the tyrannical political powers of Panem, even the undetected powers that lie within District Thirteen. After a long fought battle, Katniss finally realizes that under both Presidents Snow and Coin, there will only be more destruction and dictatorial rule. Though the two presidents have tried to control Katniss throughout The Hunger Games series, Katniss proves to be an immovable, uncontrollable force of change who end the cycle of oppression for herself and the rest of Panem once and for all.

Bibliography

Dargis, Manohla. “Review: ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2,’ Katniss’s Final Battle.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Nov. 2015. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.

Dunn, Gemma. “23 Facts about The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.” Western Morning News. Local World, 19 Nov. 2015. Web. 4 Dec. 2016.

Lionsgate. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Poster. Advertisement. Lionsgate. 2015. Web.

Strong, Danny, Suzanne Collins, and Peter Craig. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.” The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015) – Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango, 02 Dec. 2016. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2: Basic Film Information and Synopsis.” IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. Dir. Francis Lawrence. Perf. Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, and Josh Hutcherson. Lionsgate Films, 2015. DVD.

Truffaut-Wong, Olivia. “Who Dies In ‘Mockingjay, Part 2’? The Death Count In The Final ‘Hunger Games’ Is High.” Bustle. Bustle.com, 19 Nov. 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

Young, Sage. “Why Does Katniss Kill Coin In ‘Mockingjay, Part 2’? She Might Not Have Had A Choice.” Bustle. Bustle.com, 19 Nov. 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.