Gary Ross' 2012 adaptation of the young adult dystopian novel The Hunger Games was an effective, if somewhat uneven, film anchored by strong performances and interesting ideas. The tale of young tribute Katniss Everdeen, who is forced into a state-sanctioned spectator sport where she must kill her fellow teenagers for the entertainment of the Capitol, is given a bleak and stylized look, fleshing out the world of the film while often shying away from real violence and issues where it counts. The sense of isolation that the protagonist feels is not unlike Foucaultian Panopticonism: Foucault came up with the idea of the Panopticon, a circular structure that would provide maximum visibility and a completely lack of privacy, as well as the ability for covert observation without the patient or student knowing about it: "The Panopticon is a marvelous machine which, whatever use one may wish to put it to, produces homogeneous effects of power" (Foucault, p. 203). Foucaultian Panopticonism is rampant in The Hunger Games, as the themes of discipline and punishment are displayed through both the oppressive, class-conscious nature of Panem society and the structure of the Games themselves.
Foucault's Panopticonism is closely related to power through discipline and surveillance: "Each street is placed under the authority of a syndic, who keeps it under surveillance; if he leaves the street, he will be condemned to death" (Foucault, p. 195). Panem keeps its citizens in line with a constant, watchful eye. Guards and cameras are everywhere, showcasing just how much the people are watched. When people know they are being analyzed, they behave - this is why the people of the Districts fall in line and do not attempt resistance. In the Reaping scene (where the Capitol picks two tributes for the Hunger Games), the people of District 12 are all corralled into the town square, with large TV screens displaying camera footage of the people right back at them. This showcases the Panopticon environment they live in, as the people are forced to look back at themselves, and are reminded that their leaders are watching over them always.
The world of the book depicts a horribly oppressive, Orwellian government, sometime in the indeterminate future, on a continent known as Panem (presumably what is left of the war-ravaged United States). Here, the film depicts deep social and class inequalities by showing the denizens of the Capitol to be extremely wealthy, privileged, spoiled, and unused to modesty or challenge. Representatives of the Capitol, like Effie Trinket, are dressed in garish clothing, with nearly clownish makeup, to emphasize just how foppish and delicate their sensibilities are, while the inhabitants of the impoverished District 12 live simply, almost like Pennsylvania Dutch. The people of the Capitol are on the outside of the Panopticon, looking within at the members of the Districts and controlling their fates through their use of force - they have superior firepower and technology, keeping people hungry and low in resources in order to maintain control over them. Even within the Games, the people of the Capitol have the power to affect the outcome of the games - sponsors are able to give supplies to favored tributes, as long as they behave in the right way.
The primary character of Katniss Everdeen, being the narrator of the story, conveys much of the narrative through her inner monologue. Through this, we get the impression of a strong, yet deeply pragmatic and traumatized girl, who resolves herself to do whatever it takes to survive, whether that be fighting or navigating the Machiavellian whims of the audience. She is very independent, as she goes out on her own and hunts for animals out in the forest with her friend Gale, with whom she coldly contemplates having romantic feelings for. Katniss' whole personality is based in practicalities - being from the poorest District in Panem, she understands that even food is a luxury, so she knows how to survive. Many of the biggest conflicts she has in the film simply stem from her discomfort with the luxuries of the Capitol, and her attempts to become acclimated to them. Once she is on the outside of the Panopticon for that brief period, she is uncomfortable, as she is not used to having this much power or agency (which, of course, is yet another illusion).
One of the major themes of the book is the coldness and artificiality of reality television; the Hunger Games are televised for the entertainment of the Capitol, and as such this cold, deadly game is couched in the artifice of a reality game show, another Panopticon-like development. There are color commentators, stylists and fashion experts for each tribute, and even interview shows where Capitol hosts talk to the tributes about their impending fight to the death. All of this results in a darkly humorous bit of absurdity, but it also hammers home just how trivialized violence can become when it is edited and shaped into a narrative. When Katniss and Peeta decide that one thing that can help them survive is sponsorship, they decide to perform for the cameras a fake story of star-crossed lovers, which resonates with the audience but is patently untrue. When giving yourself up like this is one of the ways to survive, the film demonstrates just how much control the Capitol has over its citizens. Katniss and Peeta, throughout the course of the film, must play up a romance in order to give the people what they want - since they know they are being watched, they have to behave in a way that they approve of in order to benefit from it (e.g. Katniss kissing Peeta in order to get him life-saving medicine). While this keeps them alive, it also leads them to follow the desires of the panopticon - they are being disciplined to show this love for each other through the promise of rewards and continued survival.
The totalitarian nature of the Capitol harkens back to classic science fiction like 1984, where governments rule with an iron fist, under the guise of helping the common people. The Hunger Games exist as a means to exert control through offering a slim bit of hope to the impoverished districts that they can be represented, even within the Capitol. At the same time, the Capitol's citizens get to live in the lap of luxury. In this way, the film shows just how unequal the divide between upper classes and lower classes can be, as the upper classes earnestly see those in the poorer Districts as undesirable. In this kind of Panopticon-based society, the upper class control the districts through fear of reprisal and withdrawal of resources (leaving many districts starving and struggling for survival). According to Foucault, this is a deliberate move by oppressors to keep a populace from being able to better themselves and their own living conditions - with this strategy, control can be achieved within the Panopticon.
In order to combat this society, Katniss and Peeta have to play by its rules; however, she finds subtle ways to rebel, with the help of Haymitch (her mentor) and the other support staff of District 12's tributes. For instance, their ride to the Capitol shows them adorned in clothes that simulate being on fire - capturing the attention of those in the Capitol. Katniss' reckless stunts during her training with a bow and arrow (firing it at a suckling pig to impress the ignorant judges) make her desirable to sponsors, and the fake love story with Peeta gains them further favor. In essence, the film uses these tricks to demonstrate the small ways that oppressed people can still rebel, while also making fun of the artificial storylines and manufactured drama that consumerist culture feeds on when consuming media.
In conclusion, The Hunger Games establishes a world that is a highly exaggerated, yet still cuttingly effective, version of our own world - one which is also reflective of Foucault's Panopticon. A combination of Orwellian government, Battle Royale-style gladiatorial gaming, and the fake drama of Survivor or The Amazing Race, the film skewers our obsession with reality stars who may be making it up for the cameras, while turning our bloodlust for drama on television to its natural conclusion; a civilization that would actually kill children for ratings. The Panopticon-like society of Panem has the rich, privileged Capitol on the outside, using their influence to control the people in the starving outer districts, while constantly being able to watch them for misbehavior. In the Hunger Games themselves, a more direct Panopticon analogue is created in which human behavior is strictly controlled and disciplined with the threat of death, or the promise of salvation.
References
Blasingame, J. and Collins, S. (2009). An Interview with Suzanne Collins" Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 52(8): 726-727.
CLARK, L. A. (2012). Dystopian and Postapocalyptic Fiction and Criticism. Of Bread, Blood and The Hunger Games: Critical Essays on the Suzanne Collins Trilogy, 35.
Foucault, M. (1995). Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison (NY: Vintage Books, pp. 195- 228.
Ross, Gary (dir). (2012). The Hunger Games. Perf. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson. Lionsgate.
WEZNER, K. (2012). Perhaps I Am Watching You Now. Of Bread, Blood and The Hunger Games: Critical Essays on the Suzanne Collins Trilogy, 35.
Woloshyn, V., Taber N., and Lane, L. (2013). Discourses of Masculinity and Femininity in The Hunger Games:" Scarred,"" Bloody," and" Stunning". International Journal of Social Science Studies 1.1: 150-160.
