           Many individuals believe that the storylines in movies and books  such as Divergent or The Purge could never actually happen, but thinking more deeply about The Hunger Games, the idea does not seem so far-fetched. Every day, people talk about the struggles of our country and the way we function as a whole. Our country as a whole has many issues that do not seem like big ordeals yet if we look back to see the difference from hundreds of years ago jaws would be dropping. Through The Hunger Games movie directed by Gary Ross and written by Suzanne Collins, we see how this series of events foreshadows the United States’ future using key themes of Government control and power struggle. Both the director and writer of this movie whether with purpose or not, used parts of this movie to compare to our everyday lives and possible future.

           Throughout the whole movie, the major conflict between the poor districts and the overtaking capital is obviously presented. These “districts” are forced to rally together to be randomly chosen to compete in a live streamed competition where there is one survivor, and the rest die. The rich districts and people from the capital look at this competition as an honor and fun yearly activity. Many people would relate this to the war draft that used to have sons, fathers and brothers involuntarily sign up and potentially be thrown into a war that they may not want to participate in. Whether this was a good or bad thing is not the question, but whether history could repeat itself once again and randomly assign people to a death sentence, just like the Hunger Games. Each district could be represented by a state from which a certain amount of people are chosen. The director uses a huge ceremony and ecstatic announcers to create this “joy” of the hunger games when in reality extreme fear is being instilled into all of the districts. After the tributes from each district are chosen, “Peace Keepers” are sent to the districts to make sure nobody is rebelling or breaking rules. These peace keepers are supposed to instill fairness and keep everyone safe, but are causing chaos and brutally beating and killing innocent people who they do not think are following the rules. The reason for the Hunger Games itself is the fact that the north government collapsed and went to war with the capitol, leading to a capitol win and overtaking everything in the north. The Civil war was a fight between two sides within the country that dealt with very different views. Every day in the news, there is another African American shot and killed or beaten by police officers who are suppose to be “protecting” just like that of the peace keepers in the hunger games.  Uproaring in these cities have caused major problems for the cities officials and havoc, as well. In the later movies, once the districts have had enough of the peace keepers’ ways, they decide to rebel and attack the capital and all of the peace keepers.

           Power struggle is something every city, state and country goes through but through these main characters and instances Ross and Collins are able to perfectly portray  how the U.S struggles. Most people in the districts know that if a young girl, like Katniss was to volunteer and go into the Hunger Games that she would most likely die and not be able to stand her ground. Throughout the whole movie and games, Katniss struggles to prove that she is strong and worthy of this. For example, at one part of the movie, she perfectly aims her arrow right next to all the government officials who refused to pay any attention to her skills. This can be related to the modern day struggle that women still have in this country when competing for army or navy seal positions. Men and even some woman, every day, say how men are physically stronger which means they are much more capable. Katniss and woman all around the country everyday prove that it is not all about strength and speed but intelligence and drive, for instance Katniss did the unthinkable and was a woman from a poor town who won the Hunger Games.  The power that the capital holds over these districts is almost unbearable, to think of how someone so evil and unwanted could rule so many people. This two thousand and sixteen year election, one could say is almost the same thing. Both candidates are as most people would call undesired and power hungry. Ross and Collins use President Snow and his twisted ways to show and prove how out of control things and countries can get when power gets put into the hands of low trusted people.

           With examples of presidential elections, racial fights, and old ways, Ross and Collins were able to portray an entertaining and dramatic movie while foreshadowing things that have either already happened or are bound to happen in this country. Movies every day, now, are based off of real world experiences and how people handle them. While some might say that The Hunger Games is an extreme version of reality and would never actually happen, some of the things have already happened. By masking it with examples and details that seem unrealistic, the movie shows us versions of history in a less aggressive way. Therefore, The Hunger Games is ultimately a visual text that has displayed future and past events while incorporating entertainment and unrealistic objects.