Anyone with even the vaguest familiarity with the plot will know that the theme of violence (and child-on-child violence at that) is at the heart of The Hunger Games .
It was confirmed earlier this week that the UK version has had seven seconds of footage cut from the final edit in order to guarantee a 12a certificate. However, Jennifer Lawrence has told the BBC that the cuts were crucial to the film’s success and won’t dilute anyone’s enjoyment of the film as a whole.
“We had to have a PG-13 rating,” she explained, “but violence is [ still ] at the heart of the movie, because it has to make people angry enough to start an uprising. We couldn't water down the movie.”
Indeed, there’s nothing to suggest that a 12a certificate necessarily translates to a sanitised film. The Dark Knight is an excellent example of an extremely violent film that shows very little in the way of on-screen nastiness.
Lawrence went on to talk a little about her character, who she confirmed she would like to play in any forthcoming sequels. “She’s a lot braver than she thinks she is,” said Lawrence. “She’s an interesting hero. She never thinks she won’t die.”
The Hunger Games opens in the UK on 23 March 2012.
