It’s the golden era of YA, and yet another trilogy has hit the silver screen in hopes of being the next Hunger Games. The film, which is now playing, stars Shailene Woodley (Tris), Theo James (Four), Ashley Judd (Natalie), Jai Courtney (Eric), Ray Stevenson (Marcus), Zoë Kravitz (Christina), Miles Teller (Peter), Tony Goldwyn (Andrew), Ansel Elgort (Caleb), Maggie Q (Tori), Mekhi Phifer (Max) and Kate Winslet (Jeanine).
Divergent is, shall we say, Hunger Games-lite — another dystopian tale with a kickass heroine who hasn’t quite yet found her place in the world. Based on Veronica Roth’s bestselling novel, Divergent is the first in a trilogy, which also includes Insurgent (the film version is out Spring 2015) and Allegiant (out Spring 2016).
Divergent tells the tale of Tris (Shailene Woodley), a good-natured yet strong 16-year-old living in a futuristic, rundown version of Chicago. Since a war broke out years before, the population has been living inside a walled city (the giant fences prevent whatever horror is outside from getting in) and has been separated into five factions, each based on a particular virtue: Abnegation (the selfless), Erudite (the intelligent), Dauntless (the brave), Candor (the honest), and Amity (the peaceful). Each faction also correlates with a particular career— Abnegation runs the government, Amity is in charge of farming, Dauntless keeps the city safe, Candor deals with the law, and Erudite are the doctors, scientists, etc.
Tris, her brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort), and her parents are part of Abnegation — a faction that rejects vanity, rarely looking in the mirror and wearing gray and little else. But Tris always yearned for something more, admiring the Dauntless, who parade around in black leather jackets (seriously), and rejecting the selflessness rampant in her community. At 16, teens take an aptitude test that decides which faction he or she belongs in (normally it’s the one they grew up in). Then, in a very Harry Potter-like fashion during a ceremony that involves cutting oneself and letting the blood drop into bowls, the teens officially choose which faction they’d like to settle in (teens are told to pick the one their aptitude test recommends, but they are free to pick any of the five factions). But once one has chosen, he or she can never go back.
The real trouble begins for Tris right away, when, during her aptitude test, she displays equal parts Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite. She is proclaimed Divergent (for those who don’t fit into one particular faction) and told that she must never tell anyone what she is as she poses a threat to society. Ultimately, Tris chooses Dauntless, devastating her parents, but doing wonders for her wardrobe.
The film spends an awful lot of time with this exposition, which is understandable since it’s the first of three. Still, it seems slow at times and viewers are left with so many questions (aren’t there more jobs than just these five? If it’s the future, why are all of Chicago’s beautiful buildings so rundown?).
Tris is whisked away to the Dauntless community, which lies just outside of the city, a train ride away. The trains are certainly a high point of Neil Burger’s direction. Few moments are we wowed by visuals, but these bullet-like locomotives twist and turn so appealingly, it will be hard to forget them. Tris and the other teens who have chosen Dauntless must then train both physically and mentally to become a full-fledged member of the faction. After all, with Dauntless as protectors of the city, it’s essential every trainee is an expert in fighting, shooting, being resourceful, etc.
And that’s when she meets Four (Theo James), her eventual love interest, and, if we’re being honest, the real star of Divergent. James shines in this role, so it’s understandable why he was cast even if he looks far older than Woodley (in the book, Four is 18, but directors changed his age to 24 to make it more believable). His character arc, from a closed off teacher to a leading man who rips off his shirt revealing one heck of a back tattoo is a joy to watch. It’s only a shame he’s so much more appealing than Woodley, a spectacular actress who made waves in The Descendents and The Spectacular Now. By the end of the film, she’s able to break free from her stiff start and I see only good things for the two future films.
Much of the film focuses on Tris’ training, both physically and mentally. The mental training is a highlight as the tests challenge her to face and deal with her fears (a task we can all relate to just a little too well). In the meantime, an uprising has begun with the Erudite challenging Abnegation for control of the government. Eventually, the sh*t hits the fan, and you can probably guess who’s left to pick up the pieces.
Divergent is a fun ride that doesn’t ask too much, but doesn’t give too much either. It’s not Hunger Games, but it honestly doesn’t have to be. While many reviews haven’t been kind, I don’t expect that will matter much to fans, who have been waiting ages to see the Tris/Four scenes on a screen. There’s a lot to like (Miles Teller is excellent as Tris’ enemy) and some stuff that’s just OK (Kate Winslet is horrifically miscast as the leader of Erudite).
But it’s decent enough start to a trilogy that can only get better from here. Burger isn’t directing the final two films, which means that a lot of the strange pacing and unimpressive visuals will be dealt with. Woodley will come into her own as Tris and hey, if there’s more Theo James, I can’t imagine anyone staying away from that screen for too long.
-Alexandra Finkel
