deja vu!

Rating: 7/10 (13 April 2014)

You know how we rate dogs on the intelligence scale? By their ability to obey human commands and perform their predefined roles. In many ways, in muggle or wizard world, this quality of every entity doing their predefined role is man's vision of a perfect society. However, it is in human nature to sacrifice altruism over ambition, and hence the only two factions that will stand the test of time are the oppressed and the oppressor.
Divergent is the latest movie adaption of yet another young adult dystopian novel by the same name, written by Veronica Roth. Typical of the genre, it explores themes such as friendship, love, relationship with families and authority figures, diversity and socioeconomic status through a young lead character, Tris Prior, played by Shailene Woodley.
"Faction before blood"
Sometime in the future, society in Chicago is divided into five factions- Abnegation (selfless), Amity (peaceful), Candor (truthful), Erudite (intelligent) and Dauntless (brave), based on their personalities. Much like the sorting hat, young 16 year old citizens have to undergo a test that defines their fit. While most conform to these factions, there are a few who display characteristics of all the five factions, called Divergents. These folks can think independently, and not according to pre defined norms, which makes them a threat to the social order government, so are usually terminated. Tris is born in an Abnegation family, but her results show that she is a divergent, and to stay alive she chooses Dauntless.
And why not. In a slew of drab, the fearless, military faction members are uber chic- get to wear snazzy black, put on cool tattoos, fight peek-a-boo style and get to jump on and off running trains. The initiation and trainings in this faction are severe tests of strength, conviction and courage. All is not well though, as the Erudites and the Dauntless leadership collude to bring down the rule of the Abnegation, leading to a final showdown as Tris struggles to fight for her parents. While the movie by itself is reasonably good, there is a feeling of deja vu. The success of Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and the Twilight Saga have led to film producers treating young adult fiction movies like stones thrown in the dark, hoping for a hit. There has been more misses than hits. The hits managed to transcend its audience, from young adults to adults. While the film adaptations of the misses- such as The Host, The Mortal Instruments, The Golden Compass, Percy Jackson were made in a way that they appealed to only their fan base.
My feelings after watching Divergent were mixed. The good is that it largely eschews spectacle for substance. Considerable amount of time given to develop the characters, and their motives. There is no shortage of grit- the characters embrace the violence gratuitously. But the script is utterly predictable, and that is kind of sad for a movie that is all about being different. No wonder Shailene Woodley is so talked about these days. When she smiles, she lights up the screen. Pity though the script allows her to do it so little. Also, since this is a trilogy, director Neil Burger stays away from giving us three climaxes (one in each movie), rather keeps setting up things for subsequent films, which makes the ending of this movie a bit non entertaining.
Strictly popcorn fare. Fans will love it though- 7/10