Without a doubt, Divergent is cut from the same celluloid as The Hunger Games. Few things beat the satisfactory feeling that you get after seeing a movie that connects with you on a personal level, whether it be because of its story or cast. Not only did this film renew my hope in the movie industry (ironically this occurs while watching a dystopian story), but it also made me happy to know that there are more people out there who take successful books seriously.
Shailene Woodley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager, The Descendants) gives her audience a satisfying performance and portrayed the perfect Tris. She played her character as she should—as an underdog who, despite being able to push past her insecurities and be the hero, doesn’t become a Super Girl. Tris is a believable character, and Woodley brings her to life on screen.
Theo James’ (Underworld: Awakening, The Inbetweeners Movie) portrayal of Four is also amazing. Although it would be easy to play Four as the typical brooding bad boy with a sensitive side, James does more than that, giving his character a depth that enhances our connectedness to him, much to the satisfaction of the audience. Woodley’s and James’ characters’ chemistry on-screen is undeniable, and they complement each other very well.
The rest of the casting was equally brilliant. Kate Winslet (Titanic, Revolutionary Road) succeeds in creating a villain whose motives can be understood by the audience while still disliking her to the nth degree. Even though their roles are relatively small, Ashley Judd’s (Heat, Double Jeopardy) and Tony Goldwyn’s (Scandal, Ghost) performances as Tris’ parents are warm, inviting and well done. Also, Tris’ fellow initiates and other supporting characters helped to round out the film and kept it flowing smoothly, rather than it turning into meaningless filler.
While the film version does differ slightly from the book, the end result still stayed true to the novel’s central narrative. It is hard to go into too much detail about the differences, but the film version is a more mysterious, less detail-oriented version of the book. For instance, the book is written in first person; the film has a voiceover by Tris at the beginning and the end, but it is all presented to the film audience in third person. Also, a few of Tris’s relationships aren’t as fleshed out, the ranking during the initiation is somewhat changed (a creative license to make the film more dramatic, I’m sure) and her relationship with her parents throughout the film is muted. Perhaps my only criticism of the film would be a little bit more explanation of the “fears” (I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t read the book) and with that why “Four” is such as significant name.
Even with these few criticisms, this film blew me away. I was able to empathize with the characters completely and believe that what was going on was real. The visuals were spectacular and brilliant, transporting me to a broken down, oddly beautiful world. The story captured me and kept my full attention for the entirety of the film’s suspenseful duration. Divergent is a cinematic treat for both lovers of the book and those who have yet to discover it.
Critic’s Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Claire Farrow can be reached at claire.farrow@spartans.ut.edu