“Divergent” offers complex dystopian society

Divergent offers a look into a society that is very different than our own. It is the first movie in the series.

“Divergent” offers a look into a society that is very different than our own. It is the first movie in the series.

“Divergent” is all about identity and finding out where you belong for the rest of your life.

A war that destroyed society 100 years ago leaves the last remnants of civilization living behind a giant wall in what was once Chicago. Society among the survivors of the human race is very different. They live in a society in which all citizens are divided into five large “factions” based on human virtues. Each faction has a role that must be strong and remain consistent.

At age 16, everyone must choose their faction, but before the final decision, all adolescents are given aptitude tests to determine which faction fits their personality. Beatrice Prior (Tris), the main character, must choose a faction in which she will spend the rest of her life. She is already a member of Abnegation by birth and can continue to be selfless, protecting herself from vanity, greed, and envy. Or she can select the Dauntless faction of brave citizens with courage, the Amity faction of peaceful and kind farmers, the intelligent and well-educated Erudite, or the honest Candors that see the truth as black and white.

After taking the aptitude test, Tris finds out she is “divergent” meaning she has equal aptitude for more than one faction and must hide her capabilities because it makes her different and although she doesn’t feel dangerous, she is dangerous to the well-defined social order. Despite what the test results were, she had to make a decision, and she chose to become a Dauntless.

The first part of the film focuses on Tris’s initiation as a member of the Dauntless. To get accepted to become a Dauntless she must complete all the stages of bravery. This includes jumping off moving trains, shooting, fighting, and controlling her mind in a series of harrowing simulations. For a girl coming from the Abnegation faction, her amazing skills draw attention from all the people around her. Soon she encounters her handsome trainer, Four, who comes off as dark person, which portrayed accurately what readers imagined him to be. Four and Tris soon build strong chemistry with each other. In the novel, it took some time for the romance to build over the pages of text, but It was rather rushed in the film.

Besides the story plot and acting, the costumes were very well-presented, using black, white, blue and gray to define the five different factions and their values. The set of the film and unique details really defined the idea of the future world that the author originally set for the audience to see.

Overall, I found the film to be as impressive as the novel was. It’s worth watching to see how the story unravels, revealing whether or not this extraordinary girl, Tris, will serve either as a destroyer or a savior to the dystopian world that she currently lives in.