you can read my review here:
https://dissidentsound.discoursehosting.net/t/the-hunger-games-2012/634
and my analysis here:
https://dissidentsound.discoursehosting.net/t/the-hunger-games-2012/635
and in this thread i want to focus on one particular aspect of the game design that seems to parallel urban planning …
- the games are held in what appears to be a large dome about 3 miles in radius or so, which is essentially a forest.
- contestants ( Tributes ) are introduced in a circle formation about 40 yard radius or so.
- at the center of the circle is “Cornucopia” which is a staging area for all sorts of goodies contestants want such as weapons, medicine and other survival tools like rope …
so what does this have to do with Urbanism ? well everything !
the Cornucopia is Manhattan. the 40 yard circle is the NYC boroughs. and the forest is the Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut suburbs of NYC.
in the games the fools immediately rush Cornucopia and get killed by the fierce competition. the wise try to get as far away from Cornucopia as possible and hide in the depths of the forest …
BUT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO SO ! ! !
because the goal of the game is to have 24 tributes fight to the death until only one remains and they all have to die in the allotted period of 2 weeks or so that the games last they cannot be allowed to just hide from each other …
on a side note there is a related debate as to what is the optimum size of octagon / ring for UFC / boxing ? the reason the Octagon is fairly compact is to force the opponents to fight instead of walking around.
back to “The Hunger Games” … the primary job of the so called “Gamemaker” is basically to bring Tributes into proximity of each other so that actual fighting and killing can take place. and although there are many ways in which he accomplishes this the PRIMARY mode is simply announcing that there will be stuff handed out at the Cornucopia …
because Cornucopia is ONE PLACE and the stuff is handed out there at THE SAME TIME if you want that medicine for your wounds you will have to take the risk of running into other contestants there trying to kill you …
well if you spent 20 years in NYC like me you will know that is exactly how it is in real life as well …
Manhattan has the “goodies” such as Jobs and Clubs … but when you go there you take the chance of getting killed on the subway …
In “the Hunger games” a sort of a mafia forms among the more brutal Tributes and they take control of Cornucopia to guard the stash of goodies …
likewise of course in real NYC there are gangs that control parts of the inner city …
meanwhile anybody with half a brain leaves and tries to hide in the suburbs …
and that’s where Klaus Schwab ( the Gamemaker ) comes in with his tricks to get you back to the Center where you must fight and die …
it is such an uncanny parallel that i’m going to revise my rating of the movie from 3 starts to 4 …