was the lottery to go on the contenders meant to be completely random?

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I haven't watched it in a while now but I think I recall them showing it as a lottery and picking people by random. They choose a city or town and then pick people at random from that place.

But then I haven't watched it in a long time so I might be confusing it with something else.

It seems to be completely random, due to the fact of the lottery and the "government issued identification numbers". Also why would a pacifist sign up for it? Sure, he has cancer and wants death, but still? Why would a "religious" nurse sign up?

It could have been random or what I think is that they rigged the lottery to put some interesting people on. Otherwise it's a pretty big coincidence that they drew Jeff's number to be on the show to fight his high school sweetheart Dawn. I don't think anyone signed up for the show. The announcer said they were drawn at random by their Social Security numbers I think..but you know reality tv shows I'm pretty sure they rig some things.

WOE BE UNTO HIM WHO OPENS ONE OF THE SEVEN GATEWAYS TO HELL

I doubt it is random

The odds of two people with an existing relationship ending up on the same program resulting from a national lottery would be astronomical. Something like one trillion to one.



"It's just a movie" is no excuse for treating us like idiots!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwRqc0KSkJ0

My theory is that it's meant to look random, but the producers use their discretion to add drama to the cast. I think that all citizens over 16 are eligible to compete, and are actually required by law to compete if selected.

Think about it - a government sponsored reality TV show, endorsing murder for entertainment purposes.

If you look at the "cast" of Series 7, they cover a broad demographic - the teenager, the middle aged married man, the older man and woman, the cute sexually ambigious man.... something to appeal to everyone. Each of them has a story that has the potential to make the public fall in love with them, and each has a potential storyline of growth, or redemption, or love.

And of course, the biggest license the producers took in the seventh series is to select Jeff, Dawn's first love. It's probably the greatest dramatic story they've had in all 7 seasons - former young lovers, one dying, one pregnant, both knowing what they have to do yet trying to fend off the inevitable

I wonder what happens to people who refuse to play the game? Are they taken into custody? Do they suffer terrible accidents like poor Tony who suffered a self inflicted knife wound to the back?

This film is just so thought provoking, I've loved it for years and everytime I show it to a friend, they come up with new ideas and thoughts.



Cause of parents death?
They got in my way....

Given the false reenactment ending and improbability of high school sweethearts, 3 men 3 women, all ages being chosen at random, I like to think the game is completely rigged. It answers more questions for me, though there are still exceptions: "She didn't sign up for this!" springs to mind, implying someone did sign up. I think everyone's told that it's random to appease the audience and contender's sense of fairness; keeping them playing. The government's already clearly corrupt: if they're willing to let their citizens hunt each other down for entertainment/social control, why sweat the details of fair casting?

They pick a wide demographic, average people who are non-important (or draining) to society, yet personally compelling enough for ratings. Didn't know old man was supposed to be a conspiracy nut, but I think his death scene also hinted at some underlying set up. After 6 series watching increasingly improbable plot lines, you probably wouldn't need to be a conspiracy theorist to begin questioning the selection process or true series of events itself, as we do in the audience.