MovieChat Forums > La grande bellezza (2014) Discussion > Party at the beginning, reminds me of Hu...

Party at the beginning, reminds me of Hunger Games's Capitol lifestyle

posted 10 years ago by skizzzo63
7 replies | jump to latest

I just finished watching this movie. Although it's not perfect, I liked it a lot (and still I know many people will be disappointed by it).

Anyway, when the party at the beginning was unfolding, I couldn't help myself thinking it reminded me a lot about the Capitol's lifestyle in The Hunger Games novels.
The utter importance about looks, the shallowness, the "I-really-must-have-fun" attitude, everybody wearing a facade/mask (real or metaphorical), the overall sense of emptiness, decadence and subtle desperation...

I think in both works, the party atmosphere represents the "dark side" of our modern Western lifestyle: having fun on the outside, feeling void and clueless inside.

Did anybody get the same feeling?

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The only sure thing we know: we don't know everything - and we never will.

[–] ficie 10 years ago

Well, you know where the word "Capitol" originally comes from...

[–] skizzzo63 10 years ago

Sorry, I'm not sure I get it (I'm not native English).

Of course Rome is Italy's capitol. Beyond that... :-?
Care to explain?

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The only sure thing we know: we don't know everything - and we never will.

[–] ficie 10 years ago

Capitol =/= capital ;-)
The word capitol comes from the "Capitoline hill", one of the 7 hills of Rome (in current Italian "Colle capitolino" or "Campidoglio"). The Roman Forum, which was the political and commercial centre of ancient Rome, was situated next to it.
The Capitol in the US (that's where the Congress meets) takes its name from the Roman one.
So, the HG Capitol ("Campidoglio") already has a Roman-resounding name, it doesn't surprise me to see more similarities (this said, I have no idea if Suzanne Collins has ever been to Italy, or knows anything about it).
Anyway, yes, both Capitols are full of corruption, and decadence.

[–] skizzzo63 10 years ago

Thanks for your explanation.

Suzanne Collins openly stated that she got lot of inspirations by the Roman society (the characters names are telling), and especially from gladiators' games.

BTW, are you perhaps Italian? Because I am, too. :-)

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The only sure thing we know: we don't know everything - and we never will.

[–] ficie 10 years ago

Ah ecco, a saperlo te l'avrei spiegato in italiano :-P Adesso che me lo fai notare è vero, oltre a Seneca e Cinna anche gli altri abitanti di Capitol City hanno nomi latini... e sì che ho anche letto i libri! C'è sempre qualcosa da imparare.

[–] DendelionBlu 9 years ago

Wow - really nice observation

That scene strikingly looks like The Hunger Games actually

Follow the latest films around the world!! http://7films.dendelionblu.me

[–] lamorna 9 years ago

I stopped drinking last year for health reasons, and have just started loosening the reigns and going out again, but Ive lost my taste for partying I think. Just lately, I can be having a great time and then all of a sudden I look around at all the garish, loud, pointless drunken-ness and posing and just think how ridiculous it is, and how much I just want to be at home. When I watched the film, I thought of that. Things are fun and then all of a sudden the veil is lifted and you see it's not fun at all, it's not even real.