DIRECTOR'S CUT: Psychology of a Hero: Katniss Everdeen
How do you stay true to yourself, to your core values, when facing incredible challenges? How can you move forward and start to find healing after facing trauma?
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright talk about Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire, from the Hunger Games. They talk about the trauma she goes through, her integrity and compassion that drive her and give her strength, her relationships, and how absolutely phenomenal Jennifer Lawrence's performance is in this series. Because Katniss is able to stay true to herself and her values, to not be changed by the Capitol and everything Snow throws at her, she becomes a symbol even larger than herself.
They also talk about the trauma Katniss faced in her childhood, in the Hunger Games, and that she continues to face throughout her story. They discuss the differences between PTSD and CPTSD (complex PTSD), trauma triggers, and finding healing and moving forward. Jennifer Lawrence's performance pulls the audience right into what she is feeling and experiencing, from the horror and the trauma, to the relationships, to becoming a public figurehead. In spite of hating being in the public eye or putting on a performance, she faces that fear/dislike to make an impact on something she cared about, and for Katniss it hinged on being true to herself.
Comments (9)
My dad has CPTSD. This is the first time I’ve seen it visually shown and so well explained by the guys. This helped my family and I.
One way to cover the smaller characters would be to do side characters ranked from least to the most moral, that way you can play the scenes with Cinna and Snow.
I have a lot to say on this, but I'm just going to instead say thank for acknowledging that CPTSD is a thing.
I always felt so much for the character of Haymitch. I never read the books, but I assume he's been mentoring for what, 30 years? He seems to be someone who cares deeply for his tributes, and the alcohol abuse, sarcasm, and cynicism are defenses against that caring, and understandably so. I imagine him sending two children into the arena year after year. Was he hopeful in the beginning for his tributes? Then as the years went by, did he try harder and harder to not care about them, dulling the hope with alcohol? I imagine as the time drew closer and closer to battle, his moral center wouldn't allow him to not care, and his survival instincts for his tributes heightened as if he were back in the arena himself. He would then strive to help them win so, at most, one of them might survive. Then after everything, he's riddled with the guilt and trauma not only of winning his own games, but mostly of failing to protect his tributes every year of his life. Every year would push him further down that hole. To be so affected by his inability to not care for others, and still be strong enough thru his own decades long Complex PTSD to keep trying for them, and even become a large part of the rebellion, I think makes this an amazing character.
Filmmaking question for Alan, why does Jennifer Lawrence's nightmare waking up scene work so well whereas Kristin Stewart's in New Moon comes off as humorous?
Tonally it's not as huge a shift for Katniss. And the performance is too big in Twilight, compared with what she's done in other scenes. -alan
Yall should cover Peeta's psychology. We don't get a whole bunch of his perspective, but he probably has just as much trauma to deal with, and he presents some interesting dynamics. Something to do for preparation for the prequel that's coming out.
Superbe analysis but most importantly, #youcanfleefermybottom will be engrave in my brain forever
Oof…forgot how close these movies cut to the bone. Thank you for covering these.