Hunger Games: Mockingjay Should Have Skipped Its Dumb Love Triangle
People say it was too far-fetched.
Some people might be surprised to learn that there is such a thing as the theory of storytelling. Various writers have been developing methods to teach people how to craft compelling stories for over a hundred years. In the early twentieth century, some authors proposed that a story was composed of specific elements that could be manipulated to create an entirely new narrative. These elements included love and love triangles.
However, some of these elements don't always work in every story. The overall narrative may become compromised due to an ill-placed romantic subplot. A prime example of this is The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.
The third instalment in the Hunger Games franchise, this 2014 film continues the journey of Katniss Everdeen as she strives to topple President Snow's authoritarian rule over Panem. After major dramatic events, including the bombing of her home, District 12, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay shifts its focus towards Katniss's personal life. This shift, however, doesn't really work.
In the film, Everdeen finds herself entangled in a love triangle involving Peeta, Gale, and herself. This romantic subplot, likely designed to attract a broader teenage audience, feels contrived and convoluted. While Katniss and Peeta share a past, her relationship with Gale adds nothing to the narrative. In other words, it feels imposed on them rather than arising naturally from genuine chemistry between the characters.
Indeed, Katniss faces significant internal conflict in the third film. It seems cruel to force her to choose between two men about whom she doesn't feel particularly strongly one way or the other: she has more pressing issues to deal with. The story would arguably have been more coherent without this unnecessary love triangle.
'It seemed like her primary focus was only survival and she saw them both as close friends. The only time she thinks about either is when she is forced to consider being in a relationship with them. It’s also weird that Peeta and Gale both kept trying to force her to decide if she liked them. Like she is trying to escape death, ptsd, and dealing with being the face of a rebellion. A relationship is not a priority,' a Redditor pointed out.
Regardless, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 was a tremendous financial success, grossing an impressive $755 million at the box office on a $140 million budget.
Source: Reddit.