Mandela's Chambers

“It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” ― William Ernest Henley

Reactions to The Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire

The gradual plot build up followed by the consecutive wham bam thank you ma'ams of gut wrenching, fist pumping metaphorical punchlines. Well thank you. I can't even begin to express how moved I was by the entire film. My heart was racing throughout, through the walk home, and as I type this post. Themes that hit too close to home and too close to my heart. 

After a friend finished reading the trilogy he said, "Deb, you're exactly like Katniss." "In what ways?" I asked. "Watch it," he said. 

For the sheer genius in Collins' ways of incorporating very real themes into our mainstream media. The irony that is the Hunger Games vs. us as the audience, sitting there and watching those kinds of truths brought to screen.

I was discussing this with my cousin after the movie, and he shared a fair point; the entire notion of the way in which these truths are pursued are dependent on how comfortable your life is. In that, if you started with not much, and have succeeded, the system works; the system has filled your hole. In that, if you've lived a comfortable life, you tend to question - and the system doesn't fill that hole. 

At the same time, if the system didn't demand for these things in the first place, there would be no holes to fill. So are we coping, or are we asking for more (or perhaps less if we're being blunt)? And what is that for you? 

I asked a question, "if you didn't have your job, and there was no such thing as the education system, the monetary system - what would you live for?" And it's a funny question. Because obviously (?) we should all be living for something more than this. But reality is, there is a major chunk of our population that can't answer that question. Maybe it's because they've never seen the point in asking it; maybe it's because these questions simply don't exist in their lives. Maybe it's because they live for the entirety of our reality today.

Majority of our population live a life of - doing their best, reaping the rewards, breathing light through the amount of ways they manage to impress people. Which isn't my way of saying that these don't quantify as lesser virtues. Which isn't my way of dismissing reality either, but I beg to plead the question - why? 

Yes this is far fetched and yes it takes more than one angsty blog post to start any kind of revolution, but I'm not dismissing the way the world goes round. I'm challenging it, and I believe Suzanne Collins was, too. 

To sum it up, great movie, great cinematography, stellar acting, brilliant wardrobe and set design. And who couldn't love that wedding dress? And yes I could say perhaps I very strongly relate to Katniss Everdeen,  in more ways than one, save one thing. Can someone teach me how to use a bow and arrow?

Idle

Innocence lost after life happens. The kind of playful, sushine Sadatay ethic that makes minds meet. The shade of grey that teases you and leaves you begging for more. Tainted, jaded impressions of people you knew before – sorry excuses and meaningless exchange. Forthrightness denied, anonymity embraced. Protecting ourselves from ghosts of the past. Is there adventure left? Bereavement spent as conversation to the gods. Idle desires.

/edit: I don't know what to do.

Michael's Essay - The Blind Side Movie

"Courage is a hard thing to figure. You can have courage based on a dumb idea or a mistake, but you are not supposed to question adults or your coach or your teacher. Because they make the rules. Maybe they know the best or maybe they don’t.It all depends on who you come and where they come from. Didnt at least the six hundred guys think of giving up and joining with the other side.I mean The Valley Of Death! That’s pretty salty stuff. That’s why courage is tricky, should you always do what others tell you to do. Sometimes you might not even know why you do something. I mean any fool can have courage. But honour, that’s the real reason you do something or you don’t. It’s who you are and maybe who you want to be. If you die trying for something important then you have both honour and courage and that’s pretty good. I think that’s what the writer was saying, that you should hope for courage and try for honour and maybe even pray that the people telling you what to do have some too."

Dissolved Girl - Massive Attack