‘The Hunger Games’: Tapping an Ancient Archetype

We have a recurring dystopian nightmare about 99-percenters fighting to the death for the entertainment of 1-percenters. Think of early Christians getting thrown to the lions for the viewing pleasure of the Roman aristocracy.
‘The Hunger Games’: Tapping an Ancient Archetype
The burning symbol of the movie is pictured during the “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” preview event at Kraftwerk Mitte, in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 11, 2014. Christian Marquardt/Getty Images
Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson
Film Critic
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We have a recurring dystopian nightmare about 99-percenters fighting to the death for the entertainment of 1-percenters. Think of early Christians getting thrown to the lions for the viewing pleasure of the Roman aristocracy.

In “The Hunger Games,” the oligarchs amuse themselves by watching the underclasses assigned to different territories kill each other in a high-tech biosphere. Here are a few films along the same lines:

James Caan in 1975's "Rollerball." (United Artists)
James Caan in 1975's "Rollerball." United Artists
Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson
Film Critic
Mark Jackson is the chief film critic for The Epoch Times, and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Williams College, followed by a classical theater conservatory training, and has 20 years' experience as a New York professional actor. He narrated The Epoch Times audiobook "How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World," available on iTunes, Audible, and YouTube. Mark is cited in the book "How to be a Film Critic in Five Easy Lessons" by Christopher K. Brooks. In addition to film, he enjoys Harley-Davidsons, martial arts, rock-climbing, qigong, and human rights activism.
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