DIVERGENT

US, 2014, 138 minutes, Colour.
Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, Tony Goldwyn, miles teller, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney,
Directed by Neil Burger.

For a PR savvy producer, Divergent may not be the immediate choice for a popular film title. However, with Veronica Roth’s series of novels, Divergent, Insurgent, Resurgent, the word takes its place prominently in the world of young adult novels and films. By the time of Divergent, there is a tradition with the Twilight series, that Hunger Games series, following in the footsteps of Harry Potter.

Audiences will notice a great number of similarities between Divergent and The Hunger Games series, prominently the central character being an energetic and resourceful young female. The men are in supporting roles. And, in the case of Divergent, the malevolent authority figure is also female.

Shailene Woodley, so effective in her performances in The Descendants and The Spectacular Now, is Beatrice Prior, who chooses her pesonal name, Tris, as she enters into her equivalent of hunger games, training in the action of The Dauntless. The overall supervisor Jeanine, is played by Kate Winslet.

Once again, this is a futuristic story, in this dystopian world, 100 years after a devastating war and focused on the city of Chicago. For organisation’s sake and keeping the peace, the population is divided into five factions, with homeless rejects from the factions, the faction-less. The factions are: Abnegation (selfless), Amity (peaceful), Candor (truthful), Erudite (intelligent) and Dauntless (brave), based on their personalities.

But there are individuals who do not fit easily into these categories, transcend several of them, who are viewed with suspicion as undermining the system. They are the Divergents. It is no surprise to find that Tris is a Divergent.

Tris comes from a family of the abnegation faction. This faction is in charge of ruling the city, her father (Tony Goldwyn) is an official and her mother (Ashley Judd) is a Divergent. Her brother chooses Erudite.

A great deal of the film is taken up by the training of The Dauntless, ultra-tough methods, ruthlessly applied by the commander, Eric (Jai Courtney). His second in command, Four (Theo James) is a more ambiguous character with whom Tris forms a bond. Needless to say, Tris overcomes her limitations and becomes one of the key Dauntless.

As might be suspected, there are rumblings in some of the factions, resenting Abnegation being the rulers. This is fomented by Jeanine and her technical program to eliminate abnegation from its key role. This leads to factional uprisings and violent confrontations with the Dauntless.

While the main focus in this film is the training of The Dauntless, the action is leading to insurgency which paves the way for the sequel, Insurgent.

Those who’ve read the novels will be eager to see the films. For those who have not read the novels, the film may be an interesting introduction – but more for the young adult targeted audience rather than the adult audience.

1. The trend for films targeting Young Adult audiences? The tradition and its influence on this film? The Hunger Games? The heroic central character? Her being tested? In a dystopian society?

2. The title, the tone?

3. The society, dystopian, 100 years in the future, centred on Chicago?

4. A peaceful community, the strict divisions in the factions, people choosing their faction, remaining in it, trained in it? Abnegation (selfless), Amity (peaceful), Candor (truthful), Erudite (intelligent) and Dauntless (brave), based on their personalities? The Erudite and their superiority? Amity and the tilling of the land? The Dauntless and their policing society? Abnegation, self-sacrifice for the good of others? The homeless, faction-less? The divergences Divergents and their being considered non—conformists and the enemy, to be got rid of?

5. The visuals of the fact factions, the areas, the clothes, manners, activities, the quiet of the Erudite? The charity of abnegation? The exhilaration and action of the Dauntless?

6. The secrecy about the Divergents, targets of the other factions, especially the Erudite?

7. The city, futuristic, yet similar enough to an identifiable Chicago? The developments in technology and weapons over the hundred years?

8. Jeanine, her role in the community, authority, control, her assistance, inspecting, picking the elite? Her interest in Tris?

9. The Prior family, in the Abnegation faction, the father and his involvement in administration, helping the poor, accused of insurrection? The mother, a role in the family, in Abnegation? The later revelation that she was a Divergents? At home, the meals, the brother, Tris and her place on the family, her age, education?

10. The young people having a choice their faction? The preparation, the test? Tris and her test, the reaction of the administrator, realising she was a Divergents, keeping her secret? Her later intervention?

11. The ceremonial, administered by Jeanine? The young people and their choices, the brother becoming an Erudite? Tris and her hesitation, choosing the dauntless Dauntless? Her parent’s reaction, acceptance? The fact that the children will be separated from their parents because of the different factions?

12. The presentation of the Erudite, elitist, the laboratories, investigations, discussions, superior, thinking they were born to rule?

13. The Dauntless, changing into the uniforms, the spartan area for the dormitory, toilets and showers, equal for everyone? Eric and his command, a hard man, brutal? The contrast with For, seeming hard, the touch of the genial (and the later explanation that he was a Divergents concealing himself)? The group and the tests, Peter, his seemingly carefree attitude, Christina, small, ambitious? William and his being part of the group? The call for volunteers? Tris going forward, the fall, it being softened, falling through to the ground? The fights, the confrontations? Eric and For and the test, the teams, Tris and her leadership, the ferris wheel, Four and his vertigo? Tris and her tactics, climbing the tower, winning the competition? The return and her sliding along the line to the headquarters, exhilaration, the break? Her being congratulated? The test of the group, those to be eliminated and to become faction less? Trish, her being injured in the fight, sleeping for 24 hours, being roused, going on the train to join in the competition? Her graduating? The group rejoicing?

14. Jeanine, her moving around the factions, observing?

15. The character of Four, seemingly part of the authoritarian leadership? Participation in the tests? Yet his reticence? His interest in Tris, helping her, gradual revelation and her realisation, the attraction, sexual? His becoming part of the resistance? Yet his being programmed to work against Abnegation? His being freed from the programming? His father, the accusations against him, his being part of the rebel group, reunited with his son?

16. Tris seeing her mother, the conversation, the danger? Realising her mother was a Divergents?

17. Jeanine and the machines to program the Dauntless police, they’re massacring the Abnegation group?

18. Tris, her mother, the pursuit, her mother saving her, her mother’s death? Going home, her brother and he is moving away from the Erudite, her father and his grief, leadership?

19. Tris, confronting Jeanine, the fight, closing down the program? The Dauntless coming to their senses? Stopping the killing?

20. Abnegation being saved – and the preparation for the sequel? Insurgent?