Divergent (2014)
Idea Deconstruction:
The ‘Divergent’ film series is based on a book, showing a dystopian world with a strict division of their social stratification, just like ‘The Hunger Games’ series. Both focus on a young female lead who fights against the system. The genre of ‘Divergent’ is mainly action and science fiction. The film is primarily about identity; Finding out who you are and where you belong, especially when entering adulthood. It is set in a futuristic world where society is divided into five factions, each made up of people with a defining trait. Teens have to take an aptitude test in order to find out which faction they would best fit in according to the true nature of their personalities. However in contrast to the societal norms, the main character Beatrice (Tris) has a bit of each trait in her, making her results inconclusive.
Therefore Beatrice is established as a divergent, which does not fit into the society and must be kept a secret to ensure her safety, leading her to choose the faction dauntless, known for being rebellious and courageous. Later in the film, many other characters are also revealed to be ‘divergent’, showing that Beatrice was not the only one who didn’t fit in and that she was not alone. One of these characters being her own mother, which was an unforeseen plot twist near the end of the film. Moreover, as divergents do not fit into a category, they cannot be controlled, making them a threat to society. Another main character, Four, who is rather cold-hearted and unfriendly shows more depth as the storyline progresses. His affection, especially for Tris (Beatrice) is highlighted making him a dynamic character. Four is unexpectedly revealed to be Tobias Eaton, the son of Tris’ father’s colleague. Not only that but Tris finds out that he is also divergent, creating more connections between the two. This plot twist was disclosed through a flashback, creating some fragmented storytelling within the film.
Additionally, in the further films, 'Insurgent' and 'Allegiant', many more plot twists are established. Four main characters, including Tris and Four, end up in the faction 'Amity', known for joy and tranquility, however during their time at the settlement, a gunfire breaks out, almost killing one of them. This is ironical as 'Amity' is a place full of happy hippie farmers, who do everything in the spirit of peace. Furthermore, the 'factionless', made up of people that had been neglected by society, as they didn't fit into the factions, were seen as weak and famished people. However, in the second film they are revealed to be quite organised, and even have leadership in place. They also were working towards a big plan, in secrecy. This was not the only unexpected situation; Four's mom, who everyone believed to have been dead, was very much alive, and acted as one of the leaders of the factionless.
Nearing the end of Insurgent, a videotape is broadcasted which explains that the system of factions was in fact just an experiment to encourage the sensibility of the divergent people. This shows that the whole society had been fed lies to, including the fact that their city (Chicago) was not the only place left, the world had not been completely destroyed. It was the government that created these cities for experimental purposes, which was very unpredicted in the views of the audience. In the earlier film an expectation was created that the leaders of the society in Chicago were the ones responsible. Despite that, the expectations were subverted as administration from outside of Chicago were controlling the society. These situations that deviated from the presumptions of the audience, made the series more enjoyable, due to the factor of surprise.
Comments
Post a Comment