Donald Sutherland Compares “Hunger Games” To George Bernard Shaw’s “Saint Joan”
Only Donald Sutherland, who plays President Snow in the imminent “The Hunger Games,” could compare that movie to Shaw’s “Saint Joan.” To wit: “When I read [“The Hunger Games”], I thought it had the possibility to be the most influential American film since I can’t remember. What we’re dealing with is the destroyed fabric of a once-upon-a-time empire. And the empire is obviously here.†He says the parallels between the film’s heroine, Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence), and Joan of Arc are extraordinary. “I went back to Shaw (pictured) and the introduction that he did for Saint Joan.â€
“It’s the preface, which is probably 40 pages long, where he breaks down everything about Joan of Arc, comparing her to Socrates, to Napoleon. The particular kind of genius and vision she had, and the ability to make effective that vision, which is the definition of genius.†He opens a folder full of script pages and extracts a copy.
“Oh he’s wonderful, Shaw. God, he’s hysterical.â€
