At Revita Turnarounds Ltd, we wanted to start the fall season with a more philosophical rather than technical piece of writing by members of our Team, keeping in mind everything we ourselves, as citizens of Cyprus, witness constantly in our everyday lives. The latest movie of the series, “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”, to be released later this year, provided us with a great excuse to revisit the symbolic essence and relevance of the storyline to modern society trends. A “short and sweet” piece of writing, which we sincerely hope will make readers realise and relate to various current aspects and situations of modern life.
A few years ago, one of those film series that everyone talks about was first introduced to the public, making an impact, especially on the younger generations. Titled “The Hunger Games”, the movie saga is based on the novel of the same name. The genre is science fiction, but quite different to the imaginary, fairy-tale type J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series would be. Instead, the “Hunger Games” are of a more dystopian nature, one that would possibly accommodate a George Orwell or Franz Kafka society much more suitably. The type which makes the viewer think, disturbing their peace of mind for the very same reason that dystopian concepts are often a lot closer to life experiences than pure fantasy.
To provide a short and concise summary, the story is based in a future world with a clear and defined ruling class of people, followed by all the rest (the masses), in an unjust system of plutocracy. People are forced to participate in the “Hunger Games”, where the winner takes it all. What is all? The last person standing is set free. A person’s freedom and survival, and certainly their well-being, solely relying on everybody else being extinguished. In this “system” there exist only enemies and no teammates. A sadistic concept for the entertainment of the elite, who enjoy watching the players struggle to grasp on the extremely slim chances of winning and being rescued.
Take away the reality game concept and the blunt killing and, unfortunately, the “Hunger Games” are metaphorically becoming a mirror of today’s world and society. People’s stress levels today all around the globe are higher than ever before, one can feel it, and people are fighting an endless cause in an abstract manner, constantly wrapped up in their anxiety of fulfilling liabilities, with household bills reaching unprecedented limits and an endless effort to cope with inflation and higher interest rates. In the meantime, the era of extreme digitalisation has certainly provided time-benefits, amongst others, but very often at the cost of replacing personal contact and communication. In the job market, positions are being lost and even cease to exist as we know them, while on the other hand, new technological breakthroughs mean exponential professional opportunities for those who can exploit them. A new wave of inequality is therefore increasing dangerously and pressure from all directions is acting to further squeeze the knot on people’s lives. Resorting to impulsive and abrupt behaviours, possibly as a side-effect of this generic sense of pressure and competitiveness, is nowadays an apparent and trending reaction of the masses.
In this perfect chaos, most social welfare systems are suffering from their own inefficiencies, now more than ever, pushing people to abuse the system to the expense of other fellow citizens. Such environments thrive in small countries such as Cyprus, where institutions are weak, often leading to the rise of nepotism and hidden corruption. Apart from powerful, systems nowadays have become so bureaucratic, they have ultimately achieved unbeatable levels of self-sustainment. Numerous simple tasks which should be straightforward for the layman can now lose one in translation and extraordinary procedures. Never-ending procedures.
Sure, the few are still trying to talk common sense and bring some balance of hope in this new world where aggression often prevails, but this modern paranoia and the power of the many seem hard to fight. They always have been, but in older, dated versions. One can really wonder if this is what Europe and the Western World should really be all about. Why is the dream becoming a nightmare? But then again, an old wise phrase says that overall and, in the end, “You Get What You Deserve.”
In his celebrated poem with the title “No Man Is An Island”, John Donne explores the idea of connectedness and human relationships, as people are by nature no isolated “islands” on their own. Is it perhaps the time when people must try working with team spirit in mind all over again? Is not such philosophy the right way to go? Is this not the healthier formula to improve societies; the one closer to Pareto Efficiency, after all?
The “Hunger Games” is an extraordinary novel and film series. A story we very much hope stays in books and on big screens. An imaginary, pessimistic and non-fulfilled prophecy of a gradually disappearing race as we know it, the human race. With all genuine elements that constitute people and societies, core morals and values.
“THE REVITA TEAM”
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