Hamish mentioned getting sponsors as something that could keep them alive. However, once the games began you didn't see any impact from them at all.
shareThe sponsorship was downplayed in the film compared with the book but, as pete-293 points out, it was shown.
Other sponsorship items that Katniss received in the book but were not shown in the film were:
- Bread from D11.
- Sleep serum (used to knock out Peeta so she could leave for the Feast).
- A banquet, including Katniss' favourite lamb stew (for her and Peeta in the cave following his recovery).
In the film, the sleep serum was rendered unnecessary by Peeta simply falling asleep anyway, and their time in the cave was severely compressed (as was the duration of the Games as a whole).
The omission of the bread scene (it was filmed, but only turned up later as a deleted scene) particularly annoyed book fans, however. For a District to give a gift to a Tribute from another District was unheard of, and an incredibly expensive act for the people of D11: it's therefore the first hint we get of Katniss being seen as a rallying figure for the Districts (the film instead chose to show a riot in D11, which foreshadows events in "Catching Fire").
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"So I've got bullets, but no gun. That's quite Zen."
Very well explained.
In the first film, you can see Haymitch wheeling and dealing with the sponsors, eventually convincing them to send the burn medicine to Katniss.
Also, in the second film, the sponsors sent a spile, so Katniss and the others could get water from the trees.
If the original poster enjoyed the films, I strongly recommend the books.
I intend to live forever.
So far, so good.
Who Care's why the sponsors do it? Just be glad they do, especially when Katniss and Peeta receive then.
Stay Weird, Stay Different.
I wonder what sorts of stunts would the tributes have to pull during the contest to get these sponsors to send them some heavy artillery down there like a sniper rifle or a firearm of some sort.
Is that even allowed in the hunger games I wonder.
Obviously the tributes did play a role in the ensuing fight for survival for certain tributes, but I'll have to agree that their role seemed somewhat small.
Also those tributes which had been basically trained from childhood for the contest didn't seem to get anything from their sponsors even though they were "front-runners" so to speak from the audience?
At least it wasn't shown that the big guys got anything from their sponsors, but you'd think that their sponsors would have been very willing to send them something juicy so they'd win the contest even quicker that way.
Also the sponsors could've invested some cash for something a little more concealing for the tributes. Now everyone seemed to be wearing brightly coloured backpacks or jackets when they should've had something like camouflaged clothing at the very least in order to blend in better.
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The future ain't what it used to be.
Finnick Odair received a trident from sponsors in his Games, which Katniss thought might have been the most expensive gift in the history of the Hunger Games. That indicates that a hand weapon is the best one can possibly get, and nothing like a firearm. The Capitol wants the tributes to suffer (even the Career Districts) and wants the Games to feature visually exciting hand to hand combat. Shooting somebody from a distance just isn't the same (although you can use a Bow, and potentially make more sophisticated traps like Beetee did in his games).
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I volunteer as tribute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gvjfldW3A4 :)
I wonder what sorts of stunts would the tributes have to pull during the contest to get these sponsors to send them some heavy artillery down there like a sniper rifle or a firearm of some sort.
Is that even allowed in the hunger games I wonder.
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Nope. It's the Gamemasters that transport the gifts into the arena and they can block any gift that would end the games too quickly, like giving a firearm to one person.