Divergent book and movie reviews

A few days ago I read the extremely popular novel Divergent by Veronica Roth and today I saw the film adaption in theaters. Both were great mediums of a fascinating story about a future Chicago where the population is divided into factions based on their virtues, selflessness (Abnegation), peace (Amity), honesty (Candor), bravery (Dauntless) and intelligence (Erudite) to avoid conflict. This is the story of Tris (Shailene Woodley),a girl who doesn't fit into only one faction; she is divergent. As the government tries to control her, she breaks the mold of her dystopian society. The message reflects human nature that the government tries to dissolve. Tris is not one specific virtue; she is several. No one human is explicitly kind, explicitly honest or explicitly brave. All of us are divergent.This film connected to me on a personal level because of this. It showed me what bravery truly is. Tris is born in Abnegation but when she turns 16 she, with the rest of her peers, undergoes a test that tells her which faction she belongs in. Unfortunately, the test results are inconclusive and she is forced to figure out which path is best for her by herself, something the government doesn't want. She chooses Dauntless because she has always admired their skill and virtues. While being initiated into the faction she learns that the faction used to believe that bravery was helping your fellow man and standing up for what you believe in. It slowly morphed into a faction that pits people against each other and tries to remove any humanizing fear from your personality. It opened my eyes to what being brave truly is. It is not about being fearless; it is overcoming your fears to achieve success for the greater good.

The book:

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. There are few things I can fault it on. I listened to this novel on audiobook read by Emma Galvin who had a similar voice to Shailene Woodley, the actress who portayed Tris in the movie. This book was enjoyable for a few reasons. Every character was fleshed out and interesting. Some of them you loved, some of them you hated and some were mysterious and full of secrets. Tris, originally Beatrice Prior, started off as a bland girl who was taught from birth to all ways think of others and forget yourself. She is content withe life she leads in Abnegaton but secretly she yearjns to have adventure and fun instead of spending her days wearing drab clothes, volunteering constantly and and hiding her talents. When she moves to Dauntless she becomes a new person, one who is braver than all the rest. She is loyal to her friends and fights against her enemies. By the end she is a strong woman who has dealt with too much hardship and hurt for a girl. The other prominent character in this book is Four, a mysterious Dauntless instructor who teaches Tris the true meaning of bravery that has been shrouded in secret. He is first a cold, closed off ypung adult but develops into a companion for Tris and a man who can fight for what he believes in. Veronica Roth's world is also creative. Set in the near distant future, this city's inhabitants are completely ignorant as to the freedom this country had. They do exactly as the government tells them and no one raises an eyebrow. They endure extreme separation and extraction of virtues so similar people will group together and won't cause conflict with ones who are different. What is best about this booka re the themes and messages it conveys as I explained above. At first glance it looks like an average teen novel but below the surface it is so much more. This worldwide bestselling novel has definitely become one of my favorites and I am excited to continue on in the trilogy.

  

The film adaption was also excellent, capturing the themes and heart of the book while making it its own entity. The director of the film, Neil Burger, did a good job faithfully following a novel with such a huge fan-base. It did take some liberties of its own which is important to distinguish itself from the book. It was a very fast paced movie which is quite a statement for a film that was 2 hours and 19 minutes long. All the major plot points of the book were addressed. I felt nothing important was cut out. Some scenes were cut short for time's sake but it didn't detract from the overall story. The writing also followed the book well. Each character was developed well. Our protagonists and even some supporting characters were sympathetic since they were given some back story and distinguishing characteristics. For example, in Abnegation Tris is only allowed to see herself in the mirror every three months when her mother cuts her hair. When she undergoes her test she is gicen a serum that puts her into different situations based on her personality. She ends up in a room with mirrors on every wall, dozens of Trises staring at her. This shows her wanting to leave Abnegation and discover herself. The dialogue between the characters wasn't completely natural. There were some awkward pauses and the things these people were saying didn't seem very realistic. There were some lines quoted from the book which was a nice homage but wasn't natural. The plot on the other was very inventive and even though I had knowledge of the story beforehand it still felt unpredictable. What I enjoyed most about the writing was that it felt like a true dystopian. At first they set up a seemingly perfect world where everyone gets along harmoniously but as the story progresses that notion is slowly dismantled and the society crumbles in imperfection. 

The transitions between scenes weren't always very smooth sometimes jumping from one set to another with no previous explanation but overall it wasn't too choppy. The lighting did a good deal to give contrast between settings. The Erudite headquarters were bright while the Dauntless headquarters were substantially darker even though dark things were secretly occurring in Erudite. The graphics looked futuristic including holograms and advanced machinery. Some shots, however, looked obviously green screened. the fear landscapes, areas that Dauntless members were forced to enter in their minds that exploited their biggest fears, didn't look very realistic which emphasized their surreal nature well. Overall the effects fit the film well.

The costume design in this film was great. It was what clearly distinguished each Faction and their virtues. The Abnegation wear baggy grey dresses, pants and shirts which added to their belief of forgetting themselves. The Amity, in a beatnik style, wore loose, flowing clothing in reds and yellows that symbolized being comfortable with yourself and each other. The bright colors also helped the characters pop in the farms where they worked. The Candor wore black and white showing their belief that the truth was black or white. The white helped distinguish themselves from the Dauntless who wore primarily black along with their tattoos and piercings which the short, skin tight clothes helped show off. The clothes also worked for their faction because they were probably easiest to move in as they jumped off trains and fought fellow members. The Erudite wore blue tones which made them look calm and collected as they plotted against other factions. Typical pieces such as sweater vests and pencil skirts showed off their intelligence without being over-the-top.

The movie was filmed at Navy Park in Chicago, Illinois where the story takes place. With special effects the city worked well to show a dilapidated version of its former self which added to the dystopian tone. The score was probably the best improvement to the film. Some of the songs sounded a bit too contemporary for the futuristic setting but overall the music flowed with the actors' movements and expressions and built tension, added extra emotion to dramatic scenes and distinguished different events from each other. For example, when the Dauntless are introduced a rhythmic clapping song plays giving excitement to their appearance. The song at the end of the film concluded the story well as it faded to credits.

Overall this was a great film based on a great novel which conveyed a deep and fascinating story. I recommend reading the book before the movie or else the plot points and characters might get confusing without prior knowledge. If you love science fiction, thrilling action and some teen angst thrown in, this story is a good fit for you.