Thursday, March 27, 2014

Divergent, Dystopian Literature, and Dissing Films

The Divergent premiere in the United States was last Friday, on March 21st. To be dead honest, I did not read the books before watching the movie. Yes, I went right after school, passed by a cinema, and bought a ticket for the 4:00 showtime. And then I watched it. Let me just say, watching the movie without knowing anything except for the fact that there are five factions, a girl named Tris, a guy named Four, and a brother named Caleb? Was totally awesome. After going home, hastily ordering the trilogy, and rushing through them, the feeling? 

Meh. The movie was still good. Probably because Theo James is... well... Theo James. Look. 


THAT? IS HOT. 

So I might be a little (*cough* WAY *cough*) too young to have a crush on this guy, but he certainly stood out in the movie; unlike usual dreamy "teenage" male characters in films, he has that masculinity. He has that "plain old testosterone factor," as Shailene Woodley (Tris Prior) puts it. I don't doubt that. I don't think anyone doubts that. Aside from the absolute gorgeous men in this movie (Have you seen Ansel Elgort. God), the movie was absolutely amazing, transforming Chicago into a place I now can only imagine. 

[CONFLICT] "The movie was a disappointment. They did not include all the Fourtris moments in the book! WTF?!"

My god, what a fan. Even shipping "Fourtris," which is Four and Tris, the two mains in the book. Okay, I ship them too, but let's get to the conflict. The opinion is that the movie was a disappointment. That may be true, but you have to admit; the movie was pretty damn cool. After reading the books, I really do see that they miss moments where Four and Tris... yenno... and especially the train scene. However, I am a big believer in the fact that movies should never be exactly the same as books. If you expect that the film will depict every single detail, it just makes it easier for you to be disappointed. I found the movie a good film version of the book, and I can see why it was made that way. Divergent is a really long book. As in, four hundred-something pages long. Making a movie costs lots of money. There is a budget, so obviously parts of the story will be cut out. And on Fourtris moments? Wait until Insurgent. They kiss so many times in that book I lost count. I'm sure we can wait a little for some more lip-action. On Theo's absence of abs exposure? OFC I AM MAD. I WANT TO SEE DEM ABS BRO.

The difference of the film and the movie is actually quite refreshing. Actually, I like how they changed the film, because it works for the movie. After the changes, what happens in the movie actually makes sense. You also have to pay attention to the fact that you are viewing from third person, not first person like in the books. Definitely, the change in perspective requires some adjustments as well. Some parts didn't have to be cut out, but I guess it was for the sake of the movie's duration. Every second of that movie costs hundreds of dollars. The movie did include most of major parts of Divergent, along with a slight twist in its storyline that is demanding of fans to be accepting. Overall, the movie was fine. It wasn't perfect, but satisfying enough. The disappointment? Possibly not because the movie as a whole was disappointing, just that what happened in the movie was unexpected to fans of the books. 

Dissing movies is not cool. They might not be as great as the books, but what can you expect? The world on the page has much more freedom than the world of reality. As much as I hate being a realist, this is just the truth. 


The Divergent trilogy was bloody fantastic. The movie was good. What more do you want?


Dystopian literature is general has become quite the eye-catcher genre of the generation. I mean, who doesn't want to read about the future? Who doesn't want to read about the possible outcomes of our government, our world, and possibly ourselves? This is definitely a genre that catches the attention of young adults and twenty-primers the most. With protagonists like Katniss Everdeen [The Hunger Games], Tris Prior [Divergent], and Cassia [Matched] struggling to define themselves in their worlds, it is hard not to get hooked. I personally am a huge fan of dystopian literature, being a teenage myself, and I have always strived to write a story like the ones I've read. Dystopian books teach of peace, love, politics, and being human all through the life and actions of one person. They tell us to speak up, believe what we want to believe, and treasure those we love and who love us as well. 

Many messages came out of Divergent, but the one that stuck with me is that you have to be willing to sacrifice for those you love. Sacrifice vengeance for forgiveness. Sacrifice time for life. Sacrifice judgments for trust. Be willing to take risks. Defining yourself is probably one of the hardest things you could ever do, and that is shown through Tris's life. But in the end, it depends on your actions. Not your words, not your opinions, not your genes, just your actions. As my heart reached out for Tobias, I felt a sort of lifting feeling at the end of Allegiant. I understood why Tris did what she did, and the meaning of the trilogy just slammed into me. I don't know how to put it in words, but I can say that this is probably one of the greatest series I've ever read. 


I don't know how-to end this post, as it is also my first, but let's just go with this:






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