THE GIVER

US, 2014, 97 minutes, Colour.
Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, Alexander Skarsgaard, Katie Holmes, Odeya Rush, Cameron Monaghan, Taylor Swift.
Directed by Phillip Noyce.

The Giver is based on the Young Adult novel by Lois Lowry. Filmgoers, especially young filmgoers, will recognise the links with such films as The Hunger Games as well as Divergent although The Giver was published in 1993. In fact, The Giver begins in a very similar way to Divergent but moves to calmer and more peaceful solutions to the crises in the society and community rather than the violence of Hunger Games or Divergent’s martial training.

One of the immediate characteristics of the film is that much of it is in black and white rather than colour. Audiences are informed that this is a future society where equality and sameness are valued, that there are rules to foster the sameness, so black and white is an obvious visual leveller. No standout colour differences (which is also seen in the layout of the suburban area of the community where all houses are exactly the same). This isolated would-be Utopia is situated on a high rocky outcrop, making the moving out of the community difficult even if it were desired. There is a distant boundary which keeps people in. Not that the community wants to go out. This is very peaceful community, living in harmony, everyone following the rules, peace, happiness and friendship.

We are introduced to three friends who are about to graduate and move into adult tasks: Jonas, Asher and Fiona. At their graduation ceremony, The Chief Elder allots a place in the community to each of the teenagers, child nurturing, upholding the law, drone pilots... But, Jonas is not called in his turn and waits to the end where he is allotted a special role, working with The Giver, who retains all the memories of the past which have been obliterated from the members of the community. The Giver’s role is to advise the council of Elders.

The audience has noticed that Jonas has already had a glimpse of colour. When he works with The Giver, the older man holding on to the young man’s arms, transmitting memories – of people and events outside the community, all in colour. Jonas begins to appear in colour himself, and his perceptions of the community become coloured while all the rest are still conformed in their black and white.

As one will anticipate, there will come a time (perhaps this was The Giver’s intention), that Jonas would leave the community and break through the boundary.

The film has a strong cast. Australian Brenton Thwaites (the prince in Maleficient) is effective as Jonas. The Giver himself is played by a somewhat grizzled Jeff Bridges. And, perhaps surprisingly, the community is ruled over by The Chief Elder, who is Meryl Streep, presented in the most unglamorous way, the touch of the hag. Jonas parents (adoptive) are played by Alexander Skarsgaard whose work is in the nurturing of the planned babies and the mother, severe and an ally of The Chief Elder, is played by Katie Holmes. The director is Australian Phillip Noyce, director of Newsfront, Rabbit Proof Fence as well as such American action dramas as Patriot Games, Salt.

Unlike so many other films of this kind, the running time is very short, around 100 minutes. So, in some senses it seems like a short story rather than an epic like The Hunger Games. Obviously, it is a values-oriented film, a story that is against forced conformism in society or family, where the value is freedom of choice, self-determination, and contradicting the opinion of The Chief Elder who is against freedom of choice because humans are prone to make the wrong choices.

1. Young Adult novel brought to the screen? For the target audience? For adults? Parallels with The Hunger Games and Divergent?

2. A futuristic Utopia, on the rock tableland, isolated? The emphasis on equality, all the houses looking the same? No differences? The valuing of sameness and conformism? The delineation of the rules, and the precision of language, apologies, and accepting of apologies, telling lies?

3. The black-and-white photography, its effect, emphasising sameness? Jonas’s glimpses of colour? The changes, the pervading colour, gradual, with characters, situations, with the memories, emphasising differences? The bright coloured scenery, the insertion of footage from such films as Baraka, Samsara? The contrast with the black-and-white? The breaking of the boundary and the transformation of everything into colour? The musical score?

4. Jonas, Asher, Fiona, age, bike riding, the graduation day? The place in their families? Artificial families, babies from the care centre? The observance of the rules inside the house? The mother and her strictness? Father strict but more open? The friendship – the latter consequences?

5. The Graduation ceremony, in black and white, the Chief Elder appearing in hologram, her words, charm and humour, encouraging of the younger graduates and their getting their bikes? Each of the graduates being allotted their task, according to their aptitudes, the range of tasks, nurturing, flying drones, issues of authority? The Chief Elder thanking every one for their childhood? Jonas and his not being chosen, until the end, the special task, the surprise? His being entrusted to The Giver? To be a repository of the memories of the past, all of which had been obliterated from the memories of the citizens? His being bound to secrecy?

6. The Chief Elder and Meryl Streep’s presence and performance? Appearance? Coming to the ceremony? Presiding at the meeting of the elders? Charm yet severity? The Giver and his presence of the graduation, looking round at Jonas?

7. The daily routine for the citizens, the initial injection, no memories, building the new?

8. Jonas and his going to the house of The Giver, discovering the library, the explanation of books, his looking at them? The house on the cliff? The Giver, age, personality, the story of his failure, the revelation that it was his daughter, Rosemary, and the memories of her playing the piano and refusal to go on? Different rules, the ability to lie? Jonas and his eagerness, sitting with The Giver, the holding hands for the memories of the sled, riding, the colour? Jonas returning the visits, the elephant hunting and shooting the elephant and his being upset, leaving? Eventually coming back, the war sequences and the shooting? The nature scenes from Baraka, Samsara? The effect, its becoming full of colour? At home, secrecy, the reactions of Father, of Mother, the little sister and his talking with her? Gabriel, holding Gabriel’s hand, absorbing memories? Seeing Fiona, his feelings for her? The Giver and his explanation of love?

9. The babies, the nursery, the cribs, Father and his naming the baby Gabriel, against the rules, but to give it more care? Gabriel as the new Receiver, going home, care, smiles, the sister and her care for Gabriel?

10. The Giver, his concerns and plans, the interrogation by the Chief Elder, her warnings? Screens, surveillance – the capacity for replaying secret conversations?

11. The Giver and his continued communication to Jonas, the time, Jonas seeing the Giver and Rosemary, the piano? The motivations for passing all this information to Jonas?

12. Jonas, the decision to leave, to take Gabriel, getting Fiona to be a decoy with the false crib? Riding his bike, getting to the cliff, going over the cliff, Asher and the conversation with The Chief Elder, magnetising Jonas to the drone, dropping him into the falls, Jonas and the baby, their continued travels, through the desert, the snow and the mountains, the memories, finding the sled, breaking through the boundary, everything becoming coloured?

13. The Chief Elder and her interview with Asher, commanded him to search for Jonas, find him, lose him? Asher and his return, reporting that he had lost Jonas?

14. The change, the community and the pervasiveness of colour, differences?

15. The Giver, sitting with the elders, the meeting, the cameras, watching? The defeat of The Chief Elder?

16. The recovery of memories, freedom of choice, emotions and love, the pessimistic view of The Chief Elder and her belief that people with free choice made wrong choices?

17. Young Adult story of the future, of conformism, of freedom of choice, of initiative and adventure?