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The great divide of special education: the 504 plan
The great divide of special education: the 504 plan
Nina HowardMarch 28, 2024

As of 2018, up to one in four students at elite colleges were considered legally disabled due to mental health issues, learning differences or...

Sophomore Mimi Wood darts toward the goal holding the ball.
Girls’ varsity lacrosse conquers Terra Linda in blowout match
Larkin MoffettMarch 26, 2024

On March 26, the girls’ varsity lacrosse team went head-to-head with Terra Linda High School (TL) in a blowout Marin County Athletic League...

Incoming juniors and seniors can simultaneously take a history course and Advanced Placement African American Studies (Photo by Lauren Poulin).
Diverse perspectives: Redwood set to launch Advanced Placement African American Studies
Emily GarciaMarch 26, 2024

Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies course will officially be launched and offered...

‘Mockingjay: Part 1,’ less action but more raw emotion on the part of Lawrence

With her side braid and spunky personality, our favorite feisty female protagonist Katniss Everdeen is back. Jennifer Lawrence takes center stage in the latest Hunger Games movie, delivering an unparalleled, emotional performance.

Based on Suzanne Collins’ bestselling trilogy, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 premiered on Friday, Nov. 21. It set box office records as 2014’s highest grossing opening.

KATNISS EVERDEEN, played by Oscar winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, looks out on District 8 anxiously while visiting a hospital.
KATNISS EVERDEEN, played by Oscar winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, looks out on District 8 anxiously while visiting a hospital.

The film picks up after Katniss, the famous girl on fire, has set off an insurgence across all twelve districts in Panem, as the districts rebel against the dictatorial, fear-instilling Capitol.

Katniss is hiding in the resistance headquarters in District 13 after having been rescued by rebels in the Third Quarter Quell, and discovering that her home district, District 12, has been destroyed by the Capitol. Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, has also been taken by the Capitol and held prisoner.

Following the recent trend in movie series industries, Collins’ third installment in the trilogy was split into two parts when it was adapted to the screen. Likely intended to draw in more profits, this gave the film an awkward, in-between feel, as it begins in the middle of the overall storyline with little explanation for moviegoers who haven’t  seen the previous films, and ends on an unresolved note, leaving viewers feeling unsatisfied.

However, Lawrence’s performance as Katniss is absolutely stunning. Although her  usual sassy attitude is present, the slower pace of the film compared to its predecessors allows viewers to see a raw, emotional side of the seemingly-invincible protagonist as she comes to terms with the loss of her home as well as Peeta’s uncertain fate.

Of course, the film’s pace also makes it less thrilling than its predecessors. The shaky camera work and action-packed arena scenes of the previous movies that kept viewers on the edge of their seats are nonexistent in the film. There are a few minor scenes depicting the rebellions occurring around Panem, however, there is no single climactic battle scene.

However, because Lawrence is able to deliver a superb, emotional performance, Mockingjay never feels dull.

The film also includes outstanding performances by multiple Hollywood superstars, including the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as a leader of the rebellion with an all-business attitude.

Donald Sutherland, who plays the menacing President Snow, leader of the corrupt government, also delivers a menacing and convincing performance, with an eerily calm, yet incredibly evil attitude.

The movie also features an outstanding soundtrack curated by Lorde, whose unique, sultry voice dominates a number of the tracks. Lorde’s chart-topping, soulful song, “A Yellow Flicker Beat” is featured during the credits—her song “Ladder Song” is also featured on the soundtrack, as well as two other songs that she collaborated on.

Overall, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1, while certainly not the best of the three movies that have been released in the series, proves entertaining due to Lawrence’s captivating performance and a notable soundtrack.

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