Donald Sutherland: “[The Hunger Games] Almost Makes Me Weep”
Starburst Magazine recently interviewed Donald Sutherland, where he reveals his thoughts regarding ‘The Hunger Games’ and what moves from his youth were life-changing for him:
So the film more than lived up to your expectations then?
I am overwhelmed by it. It almost makes me weep. I just loved it; it’s important for this fragmented society that we live in. And it’s not just the United States but the world in general. And I do so hope Barack Obama gets re-elected.
It’s almost as if The Hunger Games could end up being the ultimate reality show, for real.
Oh yes, because movies can make a difference. One afternoon 55 years ago, when I was at the University of Toronto, I went in and saw Fellini’s classic 1954 film La Strada and I came out with such bliss. I was so in love with going to movies that I went back in and bought another ticket for Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory. I came out of that film and my life had literally changed.
Source: Starburstmagazine.com via DWTC
There is something to be said for the good stuff of this generation as opposed to past classics.
out of all the cast, i think it’s donald sutherland’s enthusiasm for these books and movies that i love best. it never fails to blow my mind that a man as talented and intelligent as donald sutherland, who has read so much, who has interacted with so many different people, who has seen and participated on so many different types of films, finds something meaningful in these books, just as i do. it’s just amazing.
Obama 2012! Love Donald.
Gosh, this guy is so awesome it almost makes me weep, lol! (Go Obama!) haha
Donald is so awesome (and of course, Obama 2012!)
Love the movie (obviously or I wouldn’t be here) and Donald Sutherland is a good actor. But. . . I really wish they would stop trying to tie the story to today’s politics. There are ways you can view this story from BOTH sides of the aisle. It’s rather a large conclusion to draw, considering this is a story that takes place in the future . . . and does not feature any democrats; or republicans.
Agree with Sara J that it’s very limiting to view this story as being just about contemporary politics. I see that three posters have already posted messages supporting Obama, but think about this carefully. Do we really want to send the message that only people who support Obama are welcome in the fandom? There are many Tea Party types who’d never vote for Obama (and aren’t that enamored of Romney either), who see the story as sending a cautionary tale about the dangers of powerful, centralized government. I don’t think that reading is necesssarily “wrong”.
Besides, while the Capitol may have a “1% vs 99%” vibe, SC is equally critical of the enforced equality of D13 where everyone wears the same clothes and food is rationed so strictly, the penalty for stealing a loaf of bread is to be chained up in a dungeon and beaten. While many have compared the Capitol to North Korea, I think comparing D13 to North Korea works just as well. I really think that one of the messages SC meant to send is that the tendency for power to be corrupting, and the need to be vigilant againt tyranny, applies not just to a particular ideology, but all across the political spectrum, because this tendency for humans to oppress others is a HUMAN tendency that exists regardless of ideology or party affiliation. I also didn’t like how so many people in the DVD tried to politicize the story and turn into an opportunity to bash Bush. Not because I’m a big fan of President Bush, but because that way of looking at the story is SO limiting. I’d hope that SC herself wants the books to be relevant to society long after Bush, Obama, Romney, etc., are long since dead and gone and relegated to the history books.
well, everybody’s going to interpret the story from their own experience, including donald sutherland. nobody’s really trying to “limit” it, we’re just adapting the ideas suzanne collins gave us to what we already know. i’m not from the US, and i definitely see shades of central american and south american dictatorships to both the capitol AND district 13. it’s just the nature of literature to be flexible, because one person will not think the same way as the next guy. i think that’s a positive thing, personally.
Just to clarify: I’m not saying that Donald Sutherland stating his own opinion about the message of the books is “limiting”. And his actual letter to Gary Ross about the nature of power and evil is actually a lot less limiting, yes he includes a jab at “Texas” (which I’m pretty sure was meant to be a Bush reference), but also mentions Clinton, Mitterand, and even Ted Bundy. So, I don’t even think Sutherland himself, who’s actually Canadian, thinks the story is JUST about contemporary US politics.
I just felt like backing up Sara J because all the other comments were pitches for Obama, and I did NOT want this topic to turn into an Obama love-fest that made people who don’t like Obama, or aren’t even from the US and don’t care that much, feel excluded.
I think the Hunger Games is about revolution, which is neither Republican nor Democratic. It’s about a system that’s so broken that none of the current options can fix it. I don’t understand why either party would be particularly comfortable with the popularity of the story.
That being said, I like hearing how people with different beliefs and backgrounds bring something new to the interpretation of the trilogy.
As others have said, THG doesn’t take sides on the left/right spectrum. I took D13′s collectivism to be tempered somewhat by necessity (having been cut off and forced to fend for themselves) and, in comparison to the opulence of the Capitol, relatively inoffensive.
The real ire was reserved for the ruthless authoritarianism on both sides. I think it was heavily implied (if not outright stated) that life under Coin would have been mostly no better than under Snow. They were flipsides of the same coin (an unintentional pun I actually tried hard to avoid).
Politics is not a two-dimensional plane. So yeah, the Obama cheersquad thing was a bit off-putting to me too.
No, NOT SNOW NO NO NOT AN OBAMA SUPPORTER OH GOD NO I I WAS GONNA BE HIM IN REAL LIFE lol it dont matter i will any way The horn of plenty for us all!
What’s up, this weekend is pleasant in favor of me, for the reason that this point in time i am reading this fantastic educational paragraph here at my residence.