Divergent (2014)

Divergent, 2014. Film. Directed by Neil BURGER. USA: Summit Entertainment

As a big fan of the books, Divergent is a young adults movie that I've been very excited to see since it went into production.

This film is the start of  a new franchise, based on the bestselling trilogy by Veronica Roth. Set in a world divided by factions, it is important that you fit in. At age 16 all citizens must take an aptitude test to decide which faction they belong in: Erudite (Intelligence), Amity (Peaceful), Abnegation (Selflessness), Candor (Honesty) or Dauntless (Bravery). After taking the test you are placed into that faction and you cannot leave to go back to your family and you cannot fail initiation or you will become 'Factionless'. However not everybody who takes the test can be placed into a single faction; they might fit into 2 or 3. These people are known as Divergent and are a threat to the system.

Divergent follows the story of a young girl named Tris who discovers she is divergent and is forced to choose a faction and hide her secret from the rest of the world. She teams up with her mysterious trainer, Four, to find out what makes Divergents so dangerous and why they're being hunted out before it becomes too late. The film stars some of my favourite upcoming stars including Shailene Woodley who portrays the brave, confident protagonist perfectly. Ansel Elgort stars as her brother Caleb, projecting the mature and mysterious character extremely well (I look forward to seeing these two star alongside each other again in June, The Fault in Our Stars). Also starring in the film is Miles Teller. His naturally confident personality shows through as he gives an excellent portrayal of Peter, an obnoxious initiate who doesn't like anyone that does better than him. This is particularly interesting to see if you have see Woodley and Teller star alongside each other as close friends in The Spectacular Now. British actor Theo James (Downton Abbey) plays the role of the mysterious Four brilliantly showing the perfect balance between masculinity and sensitivity of the character in the book. The only problem I found here is the fact that there are often times when he looks a lot older than Tris even though the age gap is only supposed to be a couple of years. This is something lots of people have picked up on however I am willing to let this pass. Once Tris has settled into her faction, her costume, hair and makeup alters which actually makes her look a little older, making the relationship seem more plausible. Finally, Kate Winslet plays the important role of Erudite leader Jeanine. Although it is strange to see Winslet playing an antagonist, I believe she did an excellent job. She gives off a sense of confidence, concern and naivety that is essential to the character's personality; it is important to understand that she honestly  believes what she is doing is for the good of society.

Divergent is a film that illustrates typical conventions of your typical Teen Movie. It is all about fitting in, belonging in a society and finding out who you really are. This has been done time and time again but I don't see a problem with it if it means connecting to a young audience. In terms of similarity to the book, there is depth missing to the film that only the true fans might actually understand. Take initiation for example: isn't there something really terrifying about the idea of forcing 16 year olds to face their worse fears over an over again until they're no longer afraid? (The use of serums is also quite dark when you see what they're being used for!) Obviously this is another film destined to be compared to films such as The Hunger Games and I can't deny there are similarities, however there are also many differences. Arguably, their post-war society is Utopian.It is an ideal society where everyone is living in harmony because of the factions. The dystopia side of life is only clear to those who ask questions and understand the danger of the system. I would also  argue there is a lot more chemistry between the characters, making them all more lovable than those we often see these days. We learn a lot about them and we understand them. The only other criticism I have is it at 139 minutes, this adaption might have been a little too long. I might be biased but what film isn't these days?

I could talk about it for days but in conclusion, Divergent is an excellent adaption of the book and was well worth the wait. The young stars are brilliant and create a perfect sense of chemistry that allow you to love and care about the characters. Naturally, everyone will compare it to The Hunger Games but it is also important to see it as something separate. The society is a post-war Utopia that is only stable because of the factions, the people who don't fit in and try to question the necessity of factions are those who will see the depth and the dangers of it. As it doesn't quite portray the depth of the book, this film is arguably a little too long however it is definitely worth a watch, especially if you've read the books.