Catching fire: How to Write Emotion into an Action Film

Written by Bridget Raymundo

Amidst an era of revolution—of pandemics and protests and even killer hornets in North America, the rebirth of Hunger Games enthusiasts seems fitting. When quarantine initially hit, many people returned to the beloved adaptations; particular the 2013 sequel, Catching Fire. The film became certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes seven years on and a fanbase re-emerged on Twitter to discuss the various reasons why they loved this series so much. What elevates this story in comparison to its predecessor is the change in director and an overall more mature approach to the script. For instance, the emphasis of the first film is on a theme of innocence and youth; whereas, in their second arena the starcrossed teenagers are dealing with experienced killers. Therefore, the tone of this story has to evolve because Katniss and Peeta are no longer naïve to the system of the Capitol. The film is divided into three acts: The Victory Tour, training for the Quarter Quell, and the 75th games. Each of these sections builds in tension and scale than the previous, as the characters are given more complexity and their relationships intensify under the backdrop of a killing competition. Concentrating primarily on the third act, the games themselves, the focus of the film becomes action based. The script necessarily becomes open-ended in places, leaving room for camera direction stunt coordination, and special effects. The small quantity of dialogue then becomes amplified by the greater action sequences of this film because they are so rare and because characters are only speaking to each other when it is most important.

Hinting the Rebellion & Establishing Emotion

Catching Fire begins by dealing with the trauma Katniss now lives with as a result of the previous games. While she desires to return to her “normal” life, she is immediately confronted with the hope she has sparked amongst the districts. In the first act, Snow visits Katniss and says, “If a girl from District 12 of all places can defy the Capitol and walk away unharmed, what is to prevent [the other districts] from doing the same?” (Catching Fire 8:11:00). Snow’s question becomes the thesis upon which the film is built as it foreshadows the rebellion brewing right under his nose. Little hints that a war is coming are interspersed through what Katniss sees in the other districts. And yet, despite Katniss’ curiosity, it is revealed by Haymitch at the end of the film that she was kept in the dark about everyone’s plan to rebel: “We couldn’t tell you with Snow watching. It was too risky” (Catching Fire 2:13:04). This reveal adds meaning to every action and interaction Katniss has with each of her allies in the games that is not Peeta. Most notably, when the morphling sacrifices herself to save Peeta from the mutts. The other tributes go out of their way to protect Katniss and Peeta because they are aiding in this brewing rebellion. This foreshadowing by the other victors is not made obvious to the audience because they observe the secondary characters through the perspective of Katniss—they are made to feel as in the dark as she is. Katniss’ motive throughout the games is to protect the people she loves; in other words, what drives her actions are her emotional ties to people. As a result, her motivation distracts the viewer from the bigger rebellion at play.

Using Effective Dialogue

The final act with minimal dialogue begins with a devastating scene—Katniss watches as her friend and designer, Cinna, is beaten and dragged away from peacekeepers and then she is immediately thrown into the games. The proceeding violence of the games is underpinned by a protagonist fueled by anger and revenge. As Peeta and Katniss find each other and realize their mentor has aligned them with other tributes, every interaction becomes a test of trust. Most of these feelings of comradery develop in non-verbal scenes. For instance, when Peeta almost dies and Katniss cradles him, the focus flips to Finnick who recognizes that their love for each other is not performative. Other secondary characters, like Mags are mute and therefore, rely completely on the actor’s interpretation of the script to convey meaning. In the fog scene, where there is almost no dialogue for several minutes, Mags sacrifices herself so that Finnick, Peeta, and Katniss can survive. This scene resonates with audiences with hardly any written speech or action, which argues that sometimes in order to write effective stories for the screen, the visual takes precedent over the auditory. In other words, scenes can convey depth and power through imagery alone.

That is not to say that well-written dialogue cannot have the same emotional impact of non-verbal scenes. In fact, the minimal lines that are written occur after intense action sequences to make the script that much more impactful on the audience. An example of this is Peeta and Katniss’ last conversation on the beach which prefaces the climax of the film—the lightning tree at midnight. Somewhat separate from the others, Katniss let’s her guard down for just a moment when Peeta says, “Nobody needs me,” and Katniss responds, “I do. I need you.” (Catching Fire 2:01:52). Katniss finally admitting to Peeta that he is one of the people she cares about reinforces all the actions she has taken to protect him in the games. It is a culmination of two films worth of building their love story amidst a dystopian action franchise. Another stand-out line occurs after Katniss electrifies the forcefield and the arena descends into chaos. The scene cuts to President Snow realizing he has been tricked when one of the employees says off camera, “Sir, we’ve lost power” (Catching Fire 2:10:15). This line has deep connotative meaning as it both refers to the literal loss of electrical power, and the loss of control Snow has over Katniss and the games.

A whir of non-verbal events occur as Katniss is brought to safety and the film is about to conclude. She finds herself with Gale, who has been absent since the first act. When Katniss asks if her family is still in District 12, Gale responds, “There is no District 12”. In the book, this is the cliff hanger that the story ends on. In the film, the audience gets to see Katniss’ reaction to this line. All the events that have transpired in the past two films lead up to this moment where the protagonist is full of rage against the power of the Capitol. This is what Snow predicted at the start of the film; there is nothing to stop the rebellion now that Katniss has once again defied him. The screenwriter’s ability to connect earlier predictions to third act revelations speaks to the circular narrative of the story— everything comes to fruition. The audience does not get to see the pay-off of the intense emotionality until the final two films, they are left within that climactic point of tension Katniss is experiencing. Therefore, the response Catching Fire evokes is arguably why it is regarded so highly by its fanbase. It is not an action film that provides a mere two hours of adrenaline, the complex emotionality behind the action is what leaves a lasting impression.

Works Cited

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Directed by Francis Lawrence, Lionsgate Films, 2013.