Panem is a fictional country set one century in the future from now and it’s “Capitol” is where Salt Lake City is today. The film viewer clearly sees the Great Salt Lake in the western foreground of the Capitol and the river that flows into it from the city- just as it does in Salt Lake City today. The mountains behind it mark the eastern edge of the Rockies.
The name Panem appears to be not only a play on “Pan America” but also on the ancient Roman word “panem”- meaning bread. “Panem et circ” was how Roman expressed bread and circuses. Rome, the capitol of the empire, was not only responsible for feeding it’s citizens but also for entertaining them. The “Hunger Games” title of the movie represents the circus for this new capitol of whose empire’s very name represents sustenance.
The flag of Panem has an eagle on it just like the American flag does, the Roman flag, Franco’s Spanish flag, the Nazi emblem displayed in banners under the swastika, or any number of third world dictatorships today and in the past. Panem’s eagle is surrounded by a wreath of laurels. The only flag today containing a laurel wreath is the UN flag but instead of an eagle in the center of it there is a globe. The wings of Panem’s eagle are spread in a wide reaching circle that appears like a sun- perhaps tribute to the Egyptian sun god Rah or the Greek Helios in order to transform it’s wings into an ancient emblem of mystique.
A Roman emperor two thousand years ago was called a Caesar and he always wore a laurel wreath upon his head to show supreme over the empire. Likewise, Jesus was forced by the Romans to have a wreath of thorns pounded into his skull as a mockery before being executed. In Panem, the laurel wreath wrapped around the Eagle likely represents centralized control over Pan America (Canada, USA, Central America).
The Hunger Games television show host is aptly named Caesar because a Roman Caesar would personally host circuses in the capital (Rome) where lions would devour Christians and gladiators pummel each other to death. The Hunger Games is also bloody. The true head of state in Panem, unlike the public figure Caesars of Rome, is withdrawn. His name is president Snow and he is the opposite of the televised Caeasar. As the name “Hunger Games” contradicts any nourishment, the name “Snow” contrasts strongly with the colorful flowers of Snow’s private garden in which he spends most of his time.
The backdrop of Panem’s flag is not the starts and stripes of the US nor the peaceful maroon of the UN, but rather a crimson red. Flags using crimson red today are the communist flags of China, Vietnam and previously the USSR. Most of the world’s programming, manufacturing, and other factory labor is based out of communist countries today.
Panem is a communist country because it’s activities are centrally controlled from the Capitol. One thing to note is that Panem’s “peacekeepers” wear the same white as UN peacekeepers do now. Of course whether it be Haiti or Cyprus, there is rarely any peace when peacekeepers arrive even after decades. White tanks and helmets add more irony to both this film and the dystopia we presently find ourselves in.
On the Panem map in the monorail the movie viewer is glance at a map of North America in which certain areas have been submerged. One possible explanation for this is that there was biological or radiological contamination of current high population areas rendering them uninhabitable- or perhaps they were not permitted to be repopulated by force. Places like Death Valley, currently below sea level, may be flooded with ocean water allowing more condensation inland. It’s also been suggested that this geography is a result of global warming but then why do Seattle and the bay area not show as tiny islands or not at all?
The districts where the slaves toil are situated very far away from one other and each focuses on one unique industry- it’s impossible for any of them to function independently without the capitol’s direction. This is not unlike the contrived scientific/academic departments or regional development zones of today. Polymaths such as Thomas Edison or Galileo are very dangerous to communists who require societies under their thumb and getting the sheep to explore their wolf sides by policing each other into thinking with half a brain via excessive bureaucracy, committees, regulations, ect.
Perhaps in the event of a biological, ecological, or nuclear catastrophe the UN would step in and partner a coalition between the United States, Canada, and Mexico in Salt Lake City to assist survivors. It’s interesting to note that Salt Lake City is currently where many surveillance and drone programs are situated. There are references to genetically engineered birds in the film where such “birds” listen to enemies of Panem and repeat what they say to H.Q. -just like the world wide web and smart-phones do today. Some of these birds breed with wild ones and their offspring become “mocking jays”.
Needless to say, the Hunger Games is neither a joyful nor hopeful vision of the future. The epitome of Panem civilization are foppily dressed degenerates drinking elixirs to induce vomiting so that they can gorge themselves repeatedly on gourmet food while most district slaves can’t fetch a morsel to survive on. The film shows this horror in a flashy fairy tale Hollywood format-no doubt to look glamorous for the kiddy audience it’s targeted towards desensitizing. Of course the super sadists are played by namebrands such as Dennis Hopper and the sardonic looking Seymore Hoffman-recently deceased. The viewer is supposed to respect them, whereas the hero Katnis Evergreen and her friends are all surprisingly mediocre in both looks and script lines. We are being taught who is cool.
Would such a civilization ever produce a cornucopia of interstellar wealth? I think not. When the Roman Empire fell so did Europe’s gene pool, prospects, and infrastructure after which ensued a thousand year long dark age. Russia is besot with belligerent drunks today because the Soviet system encouraged them to multiply while stamping out those nice people who could make it without Moscow’s direction. Hitler destroyed Germany by keeping up a war he couldn’t win so that American bankers could rebuild it in their own image. We all know that Washington/Euro minions and their fiat money printing owners make ten figure earnings by shutting down the non-communist world so efficiently.
It is in all likelihood that the aim of producing this film was that of marketing communism by spinning it to appear trendy. Naive teeny boppers will eat it up the cruel communist mentality and no doubt start recording each others’ minor school infractions on their smart phones in order to collect reward points from the principal so they can purchase fop apparel and more smart devices. Hoo rah!
2 Soon From Cave, 2 Far From Stars 