A recent trend has emerged in the movie industry of more women starring in leading film roles, especially in the year 2013 with popular movies like “Gravity,” “Frozen” and “Catching Fire.” Now, 2014 is continuing in this direction with the film “Divergent.”
Based on the popular novel by Veronica Roth, “Divergent” takes place in a post-revolutionary society that was at one time the city of Chicago. Now, a new government has walled in all of its citizens and organized the population into five factions in order to maintain peace. These factions are based on five different virtues of humanity.
The heroine of the film is Tris (Shailene Woodley), who grew up with her family in Abnegation, the faction that values selflessness. The other factions are Erudite, which values intelligence; Candor, honesty; Amity, kindness; and Dauntless, bravery.
All 16-year-olds in the society have the opportunity to take an aptitude test to find out which faction they are best suited for and then choose a faction to live in for the rest of their lives. Tris, having never felt comfortable in Abnegation, hopes to discover her true identity.
When she takes her test, Tris discovers that her results were inconclusive, meaning that there is no one faction into which she truly fits. Because she has the qualities of Abnegation, Erudite and Dauntless, Tris is called Divergent—a category that puts her life at great risk. Divergents threaten the system, which has been established to control people and eliminate independent thought. If a Divergent is discovered, he or she lives factionless or is killed.
From these results Tris must choose a faction and avoid being noticed for her unique mind. She chooses Dauntless, not just because she admires the faction’s fearlessness, but because it is in her nature to exhibit bravery.
Upon her decision, Tris enters a world of excitement and intimidation. She must go through the initiation process where she is trained to fight, use weapons and overcome her fears. Leading Tris and the new initiates is Four (Theo James), who pushes her to her limits.
While Tris faces the cruelty of Dauntless, other factions are experiencing conflict over how the government should be run. Leading the way is Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet), an Erudite leader who has big ideas in store for everyone and will stop at nothing to make them happen.
For fans of the series, the movie does change and take out quite a bit of material from book, which was expected from a novel with such great detail. Although the main plot does not stray too far from the book, a few major themes and scenes were disappointingly left out. Overall, with a book so incredibly complex, the movie version maintains the book’s integrity quite well.
Director Neil Burger created a film with impressive cinematography, an exciting script and great acting performances, but Shailene Woodley is the true star of “Divergent.” She brings relatability and vulnerability to the character Tris, in addition to great fight and tenacity. Her chemistry with Theo James, who combines both intensity and softness in his portrayal of Four, is a driving force in the movie.
“Divergent” has drawn a great deal of comparison to “The Hunger Games” series—a strong and determined female heroine, romance, impressive use of weapons and a divided and troubled society.
But putting all similarities to “The Hunger Games” aside, “Divergent” does stand out on its own because of its lead character.
Tris is truly a character to be admired and an inspiration to audiences because of her bravery. In the midst of great danger, she must face her fears and use her strength and determination in order to survive in her faction. Above all, Tris is not afraid to stand up for herself and speak her mind, characteristics that are often criticized in women. She does not conform to what society tells her to be.
“Divergent” is an important film because it encourages audiences to find their place in the world without losing themselves and while maintaining their individuality. Whether you have read the book or not, movie-goers will not only be entertained, but will discover something new about themselves.