Riddle Me This: The Hunger Games

So I went and saw The Hunger Games again last week (seriously not much decent playing at my local theater) and a I kept thinking something felt off about one of the film's coolest moments. You know that really awesome scene when Katniss shoots the apple out of the roasted pig's mouth because none of the gamemakers are paying any attention to her, despite the fact that she just hit a perfect bullseye from a gazillion yards away? I just have to know, are the gamemakers psychic?


Let's review: in an earlier scene, Peeta falls while climbing a rope and Katniss convinces him to throw a heavy metal thing because the Career Tributes are looking at him like he's "a meal." At first Peeta argues with her, stating that their mentor, the drunken Haymitch, told them not to show off their skills in the training sessions. Though the film doesn't elaborate, Haymitch didn't want the other tributes knowing Katniss and Peeta's true strengths, so they couldn't be used against them in the arena, at least not right away. However, once they have their one-on-one sessions with the gamemakers, they're free to show off their mad skillz, in order to gain a high score, which may guarantee them sponsors in the arena.


However, when Katniss enters the training room, which was full many weapons during the actual training sessions, suddenly there is nothing but a bow, a few arrows and target dummies. How convenient for our heroine! The gamemakers never saw her pick up the bow once during training, and I'm pretty sure they don't know about her highly illegal hunting in District 12. And yet they provide her the only tools she needs to get the highest score of any tribute.

SO RIDDLE ME THIS:

1. How did the gamemakers know that Katniss would want to use her archery skills to show off for her one-on-one session.

2. Why would they clear the room of all the other weapons, anyway? What if a tribute was talented at several different weapons, like the Careers who were trained in many areas?

12 comments:

  1. Visual convenience? Or we can go with "Haymitch told them" or something.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Considered the "Haymitch told them" reasoning; however, the night before at dinner, he told her "there will be a bow, make sure you use it" and goes into the "this is the time to show them everything...make sure they remember you" bit from the trailer. Somehow his specific choice of words the previous night doesn't quite gel with what we see.

      No doubt they clear the room in the film to make things more aesthetically pleasing and there isn't a lot of clutter behind her, but in the book, she did get to walk in and choose the bow.

      Delete
    2. I still think Haymitch's words work with the "Haymitch told them" theory. He told them the previous day about the bow, so he knows there will be a bow. Then he tells Katniss to show them everything--as in, everything she can do with said bow.

      Delete
    3. Well, there was already a bow during training because they show one of the Careers (Glimmer maybe) try it, so it was safe to assume there would be bow there since it had been all along.

      I do see what you're saying, because Haymitch saying something could be the ONLY possibility, but it still feels pretty weak.

      Delete
  2. Or the director taking dumb cinematic liberty. You were not supposed to notice it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's been a while since I saw the movie. How did Haymitch learn she was an expert archer?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Almost everyone in District 12 knew of her hunting skills since she sold her game at the local black market. In the film though, all Haymitch says is "I understand you're pretty good with a bow." She says she's just alright, but then Peeta really plays up her skill.

      Delete
  4. Ooh - I sense this series is only going to make me angry I didn't think of it first. I have a few in the Harry Potter series that bug me, but I'd better go confirm them before I offer them up here. Great post as always.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, partner! I have a couple from the wonderful world of Disney I've found while Mia watches them. More to come!

      Delete
  5. Or maybe each person requests a certain item to be ready for them before they enter the room?

    But yea, I did notice that when I watched it, but didn't make much of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Possible. I just feel that with the dialogue spoken before we get to that moment (plus having read the book) something just isn't clicking there.

      It certainly doesn't ruin the film for me (none of the scenes I point out in this series do), but it's my way of overthinking things and poking fun at a film's potential flaws. But best of all, I like the readers to come up with logical answers.

      Delete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.