About The Movie:
Divergent takes place in a future Chicago that exists in the era
after a great war. In order to avoid the pitfalls of the former world, the new
society is divided into five factions: Candor (outspoken opinionated types
suited for legality and politics), Erudite (the brainiacs who love knowledge
and logic), Dauntless (brave risk-takers used for policing and military
service), Amity (peaceful hippie-type farmers), and Abnegation (Amish-style
simple folk who are the only ones trusted to hold public office). At age
sixteen, each citizen is given an aptitude test meant to reveal their
personality, and soon after, he or she must freely decided for themselves which
faction they will join for life. “Faction before blood,” as the old adage goes…
The twist comes when young Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) takes
her aptitude test and discovers that she is “divergent” – i.e., part of an
anomalous percentage of people who don’t fit into any of the five factions.
Beatrice is warned that divergence is a death sentence, so she reinvents
herself as “Tris,” a fearless and spirited member of Dauntless faction.
However, before being accepted as a Dauntless warrior Tris has to contend with
harsh instructors like Four (Theo James) and Eric (Jai Courtney), and jealous
fellow recruits like Peter (Miles Teller) – all while protecting the secret of
her divergence at all costs.
What Is Good/Bad About The Movie:
Having never read the novel myself, I can’t know how well writers
Evan Daughterty (Snow White and the Huntsman) and Vanessa Taylor (Game of
Thrones) did with adapting the book for the screen – but knowing the basic
summary of the story, I can say that many of the problems in Divergent likely
originate at the source. The good parts of the story rest with the premise, the
protagonist, and the overall themes about self-identity and defying conformity
in favor of individuality. Luckily, those ripe elements of the story are what
constitute the first two acts of the film, as Tris finds her faction and
navigates the rough training regiment of Dauntless.
Strip away all of the sci-fi, however, and Divergent is just a
formulaic but emotionally anchored coming-of-age movie about an impressionable
young girl trying to find the right cool clique. These days, everything needs to take place in a
desolate wasteland, where attention-starved loners must overcome lethal
obstacles to not only discover their identities, but also overthrow a corrupt
government and save the world. Forget about having a leisurely day off.
Unfairly or not, Divergent is being straddled with the same label
that has accompanied – and will continue to accompany – every YA feature in a
post-Twilight world. Is it the next Hunger Games? Or will it be the latest The
Host, Beautiful Creatures, Mortal Instruments, and on and on.
Divergent is better than those films, yet not quite on par with
either Hunger Games movies. It benefits from reaching theaters later, though,
because it learns a few lessons from the YA efforts that failed before it. Woodley is an expressive young actress whose relatable features invite us on
Tris’ personal journey. We feel her pain as she endures physical hardships
while training to be accepted by the thugs in Dauntless. Her chemistry with the
handsome Four (Theo James) simmers beneath the story but doesn’t overwhelm the
mythology – as was the case in the Twilight films, where Bella and Edwards
became the whole reason those movies existed. There’s a joyous scene where
Tris, after winning a tough game of capture the flag, takes a zipline ride
through Chicago’s broken skyscrapers, and because Burger took his time
establishing this girl and her world, we’re just as exhilarated as she is by
her impossible accomplishments.
It can’t last, unfortunately, and if you know Roth’s book, you know
that a gear-shift will attempt to increase the pace of Divergent, to the
detriment of the film. Burger’s last act is a silly shoot-em-up of a finale,
where seemingly major plot points are barked out in the middle of fire fights.
This all might make sense to those who’ve read the book. On screen, these scenes
felt like they were from a different, less interesting sci-fi movie and stapled
onto the impressive work Burger did during the first two hours. It’s a shame.
That being said, Divergent remains a worthy introduction to a
familiar yet still extraordinary universe that hedges its risks to reach a
teenage demographic but still teases more than enough potential. It’s the first
YA adaptation I’ve seen in a while that genuinely had me excited for the
continuation of the story.
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