Catching Fire

Catching Fire successfully portrays the different corners or the revolution. Thinking of what revolution means and how this affects different communities is a very complicated and controversial topic to talk about. From the French revolution, the Mexican revolution and the ideals of revolution of el Che Guevara, the film Hunger Games: Catching Fire encloses the idea of how revolution is created, what are the symbols and the falls that this may convey.  As one of the big revolutionary leaders in the World, Ernesto Guevara thought that no revolution is peaceful.  This means that in the process of revolution, casualties are part of the whole.  Revolution has everything to do with education and how this is distributed, the casualties on this one are the misinformed people and the ignorance that media may build to manipulate masses. I believe that the acts of activism on Internet are a demonstration of this media revolution that the common men are using to express ideals and give a voice to the voiceless.

Just like in the text by Stuart Hall said “We need, urgently, to consider ways in which, in addition to urgent and necessary political task of blocking the path to power of the openly organized racist and right-extremist organizations, we can also begin to construct and anti-racist common sense.”  This means that there is a need in the writer of urgent political involvement against injustice in this world, and the use of media is a great tool to either increment or battle against racism, bully and other problems that negatively segregate society. This segregation can be in a city, school or a classroom for mention the least.  As the sister of Katniss mentions:

Primrose Everdeen: You saved my life. You gave me a chance.

Katniss Everdeen: Yes, to live.

Primrose Everdeen: No, to do something.

It is not about survival, but is about to make our lives better and to equalize opportunities, to do so there should be some involvement, and catching fire is surrounded by this awakening of hope and political participation to change things now.  Even though the main character is not actively involve in the cause, the circumstances force her to rise her voice,  not to appeal to the masses, but because it was  morally right.  Although, she didn’t mean to inspire a revolution, the consequences went toward that direction.   Even the elites were inspired by her strong character and her love for her fellow men, this causes the creation of social masses to react and do something against  the injustices  that were happening.

“Social movements do not arise just from poverty or political despair. The required an emotional mobilization triggered by outrage against blatant injustice, and by hope of a possible change as a result of example of successful uprising in other part of the world, each inspiring the next one by networking images and messages in the Internet.” -Manuel Castells.

Manuel Castells reinforces the idea of how one revolution or the idea of revolution may inspire people from one to another generation.  If were not for media in  the film catching fire,  it would have been impossible to know about Katniss and her story.   Event though that wasn’t at the beginning the idea of the media to portray her as this inspirational leader, some of the facts that happened  during the games and later in the organization of the new games backfire the manipulation of media coverage. Media is subjective, and it all depends on which hands this is handled. One side we can have the sense of everything is all right in life, Chins up, smiles on! Attitude and pretend that  survival  and our closer circle matters. Media can be only a matter of distraction and entertainment, but media as is shown in the film can be so much more than that.

 In short, media is what you made of it, it can inspire to raise a revolution, or it can entertain. Both are valid options that can be used to the better of people, but it is so relevant that in order to understand this there should be some analytical thought when consuming media.  As consumer and producers of media is very relevant to take into account that the responsibility of doing so is tremendously important to think about the consequences and responsibilities that both things carry.  Now, many here in the States and around the world may have the possibility to give a voice to the voiceless and express discontent towards injustice and ignorance. What I believe is very interesting from what media and the example of Katniss created in the film  is  what encloses the whole film and this is what anybody nowdays can do by simply posting something on facebook, or making a video about something inspiring or even liking something, it is the idea that media can go places people can normally go and reach different cultures and transcend with an ideal and take it to a universal level.   Katniss’s question is the key for what media education can bring to people…

Katniss Everdeen: What can you see?

Primrose Everdeen: Hope.