Festival Coverage

Divergent

DIVERGENTDIVERGENT was released on the 4th of April 2014; it is based on the book written by Veronica Roth. The cast is made up of talented actors including THE Kate Winslet as the sinister Jeanine Matthews. The movie is set in a dystopian futuristic Chicago where society is divided into five factions. These are called: Dauntless, Erudite, Abnegation, Amity and Candor. Each faction values a different thing:

  • Abnegation value selflessness
  • Erudite value intelligence
  • Amity value kindness
  • Dauntless value bravery
  • Candor value honesty

The factions work together to create a peaceful community, with Abnegation running to government. Abnegation are in charge due to their selflessness; this would avert corruption. The story revolves around Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior (portrayed by Shailene Woodley) who, along with her brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort), has to choose one of the 5 factions and spend the rest of their life there.

At this point, the movie gives you a chance to make your first impressions on the five factions. It displays Dauntless as crazy, which I believe them not to be: Dauntless take risks, yes, but I disagree with the way they are portrayed. They are shown as a group of teenagers you’d find in the city centre: doing crazy things, whooping and cheering. They are meant to be sensible, brave people who have the sense to do what’s right. So I think they should have been a little toned down here. But overall, the first impressions the movie gives us are like they are in the book. And I love it when movies are like books.

… the adaptation was very faithful to the book, and I was thrilled to see the story come to life …

The two siblings choose their factions: Tris moving from Abnegation to Dauntless, and Caleb moving from Abnegation to Erudite. Tris then has to train to become stronger and fitter, or she, along with a load of other Dauntless initiates, will get kicked out onto the streets and become factionless. She trains up, fights through bullying from Eric (Jai Courtney) who is the leader of Dauntless; Peter (Miles Teller), another initiate; and the rest of Peter’s gang – and slowly works her way to the top.

Along the way, she develops feelings for trainer ‘Four’ (Theo James). By the end of stage one of training, the two are in a relationship together. The chemistry between James and Woodley is excellent: they work great together and really know how to play the pair of lovers. Overall the cast is excellent, the acting top notch and a good balance of well known (Kate Winslet, Mekhi Phifer) and less well known (Miles Teller, Ben Lloyd-Hughes).

I love the book series very much and I am very protective when books are made into films. Usually I am let down a little by alterations they have made. But this time I was not disappointed: they changed a couple of the death scenes, but overall the adaptation was very faithful to the book, and I was thrilled to see the story come to life in such a beautiful and exciting way.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkSSTuWtTTg