Brian Robillard

DVD Analysis
April 12, 2015
The Hunger Games is a movie about a dystopian society with a
wealthy capital and 12 districts, which exist to serve the Capitals
needs. Each of the 12 districts specialize in the manufacturing of
resources for the Capital. District 12, for example, specializes in coal
mining. All the citizens of District 12 are raised to mine coal. The coal is
delivered to the capital for their use, and the citizens of District 12 live
in extreme poverty. At one point in the societys history, the 12 districts
revolted against the wealthy capital. The districts lost their revolt, and
as punishment, the capital requires each district to send one boy and
one girl to the Hunger Games each year. The children who are sent to
the Hunger Games must fight to the death for the entertainment of the
Capital people. One child wins, and is rewarded with endless wealth, to
remind the districts that the Capital is just and fair.
The main character is a young woman named Katniss Everdeen.
Katniss volunteers to attend the Hunger Games in place of her sister,
and is sent with another boy from their District named Peeta. The story
follows the unfolding of the relationship of Katniss and Peeta as they
fight for their lives in the Hunger Games. In the end, Katniss and Peeta
are the remaining survivors. Rather than turning against each other,
the two choose to rebel against the Capital and commit suicide to end

the games. This is a major disruption to the functioning of the Society,

and sets the stage for the following movies in the series.
This is an extremely complex movie from a sociological
viewpoint. The society can be studied from any of the three
sociological perspectives. I will evaluate each viewpoint here, though
the most represented paradigm is conflict theory.
The functionalist perspective would view this society as stable.
Although this is a twisted society that kills children, it still functions in
its own right. Order is maintained through the districts providing
resources to the Capital, and the Capital providing oversight to their
day to day lives. The Capital creates the rules for society, and enforces
them through force, to keep each District in check and on task. The
control of the Capital creates bonds between the people in each of the
districts, creating a distinct culture in each district. Ultimately though,
the culture of each district is still subservient to the Capital. Each
District knows that their behavior is regulated by the Capital, and this
is a dominant feature of the culture, present in each individuals actions
and words.
The interactionist perspective can be highlighted in the
relationship between the main characters Katniss and Peeta. Through
the interaction of these characters, we come to understand what the
society values and how they create meaning. Prior to entering the
Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta have a conversation about what is

important to them (family) and how they also want to demonstrate

that the Capital does not own them; they want to assert their
independence, even in death. This interaction shows us that the
individuals who make up the poverty stricken districts battle with the
control the Capital has over their life, and their desire to be a member
of the community. Katniss and Peeta both want to please their family,
and also rebel against the controlling force. This micro level view gives
insight into the general feeling of the people within the society. The
people as a whole contribute to the functioning of the society, but at
the same time, want to find a way to rebel.
The final sociological perspective of conflict theory is by far the
most dominant paradigm in the film. It is obvious there is an imbalance
of power with the Capital in an authoritative position over the 12
districts. This power imbalance is the basis of the society, and shapes
all elements of the culture. The story that is told by the Capital
regarding the Hunger Games is a perfect example of their power and
control. Prior to the start of the Hunger Games themselves, the Capital
broadcasts the story of why the games were created. The story is
told from the perspective of the Capital, as they were the ones to win
the rebellion and create the games. The story explains there was a
war, the games were created to ensure peace for the future, and the
Capital is a just a fair ruler. Obviously, if you were to ask a member of
one of the districts if the Hunger Games create peace or if they think

the Capital is just, you would get a much different response than the
one portrayed in the Capitals story. This is no different than any
country who wins a war the winner is in the position to write the
history of the war, while the losers perspective and story is often lost.
The society is based on and functions completely on the Capitals
control over the people of the districts and their resources.
As you can see, the movie can be studied from any of the three
sociological perspectives, though conflict theory is the most dominant
paradigm. It is interesting to consider a society so different from our
own and how these theories can be applied. The movie is part of a
series, and as you can imagine, the series evolves into a rebellion of
the districts against the Capital. Marx would have been proud to see
the disenfranchised people of the districts standing up to the abusive
Capital!