Did you know that Jennifer Lawrence was extremely uncomfortable singing “The Hanging Tree” on camera for the The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 movie? Lawrence even cried before shooting the singing scene. She quoted that her voice sounded like “one of those goats that scream like a human.” Her raspy voice brought life and soul to one of the most powerful scenes within the movie. In the movie “The Hanging Tree” song becomes the cry of the rebellion. The storyline starts as Katniss was rescued in the arena by the rebels and brought back to District 13 from the arena of the 75th Hunger Games while Peeta is being tormented by the Capitol for answers. Katniss has to agree to become the Mockingjay and most importantly to become the face of the rebellion. While she tries to fulfill her duties as the Mockingjay she embarks on a journey that could help unite the districts and the Capitol as one or it could kill her in the process. If you enjoy lots of action and adventure then you will enjoy the Mockingjay book more than the movie.

Many differences were displayed throughout the movie and the book. The settings of the two were in two totally different places. In the book Katniss starts in District 12 at the rubble and ash of her first home. The movie opens up with Katniss in the hospital in District 13. After she is released she then travels to District 12. Plutarch arranges this in the movie because he hopes he has created a burning passion within her to take the Capitol and President Snow down. Another major difference between the two is when the director added parts for an extra dramatic effect. In District 7, the district which provides lumber, lumberjacks escape into the trees where they set up explosives on the ground where some Peacekeepers end up dying. Also in District 5, the fishing district, a dam gets blown up and it leaves the Capitol without power and not prepared for an incoming rescue mission of the victors that were held captive in the Capitol. In the book, Suzanne Collins briefly talks about the rescue mission, while in the movie they show them searching the building where they get held captive and they actually broadcast the mission to certain people in District 13. On the jumbo screen where Katniss and other select members are watching the mission they get a call from President Snow. There he tells her that he knows that there was a rescue mission taking place within the Capitol walls, but Gale later tells her he let them escape. In the book Katniss doesn’t get to see the mission but just gets to see Gale when the mission was over. They ended the movie when Peeta was tied to the bed in the hospital. He was thrashing because he had restraints on his arms and legs to keep him from hurting someone. They ended this at good spot because they portrayed some of the book but they didn’t give away too much more of the story. It kept the audience guessing what would happen to Katniss, Peeta, and the rest of District 13. If I was the director I would have added a teeny bit more to the ending to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. I would have ended it right when Katniss said, “Fine. Send me to Two.” just as she said that in the book. This would have left the audience in a cliffhanger asking questions about the part 2 movie and how they thought it would start and end.

Those differences between the two sources were solely based on the director’s imagination on how he wanted the movie to look. I think that adding the rescue mission, the breaking of the dam, and the explosives in the districts give us another perspective of the rebellion. The director and actors helped to bring the mental image to life so the audience could visualize a more vivid image. They changed those scenes to keep the audience entertained. 

I feel that the book was better because the book lets you create your own images while the movie is the director’s interpretation of the story. He will try to deliver what the audience wants while keeping the entertainment value. Collins wrote the book well incorporating lots of detail so the readers could picture in their mind how the situations were being played out. To really understand the book, you would need to have read the other books within The Hunger Games trilogy. If not you would be confused on how Katniss started as an unknown face who transformed into the face of a rebellion. The storyline was better in the book because it was more thorough and well thought out. I recommend others to read the book because it is a story filled with suspense, passion, and one last chance for Katniss to take down the Capitol so she can protect the ones she loves.