In a new city of Chicago where the population is divided into five factions, one must determine their true identity, and choose which faction they belong in. Released in 2014, Divergent is the first of three films based on the novels by Veronica Roth. Directed by Neil Burger we are taken on a journey to a futuristic yet complete change to society and social order.
Divergent follows the story of a world divided into factions, Abnegation (selfless), Erudite (Intellectual), Dauntless (Brave), Candor (Honest) and, Amity (Peaceful). The main character Tris played by the talented Shailene Woodley has a challenging story when she receives the test deciding which faction she belongs to and her result is inconclusive, thus making her Divergent. A Divergent is when an individual is all five factions rather than just one, which sounds positive if Divergent’s weren’t believed to be a threat to society and when found are subsequently killed, so Tris has to keep her faction identity a secret.
The film had so many positives, including the casting by Mary Vernieu and Venus Kanani. When researching the film I found that the Director liked Shailene for the role after seeing her act in The Descendants, therefore, was cast faster compared to finding the actor to play Four, our next main character. They had trouble finding someone to match to Shailene and after many screen tests Theo James was cast as Four, even the writer of the novels, Veronica said she liked Theo in the screen tests with Shailene and was glad he was cast for the role.
Divergent’s inventive story/plot is what makes it such an interesting yet exhilarating watch. The use of complex characters and a strong female lead makes the film that much more fun. The sci/fi, action mix makes it the ultimate watch for those who seek thrill and risk. After watching the first of the Divergent series I could not help but continue the story and watched the other two within only two days. I only chose to review the first as I found this to be my favourite of the three. The series goes as follows, Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant and unfortunately I wasn’t as big a fan as I was of the first. However, with this bold statement, I would recommend watching all three films to understand the complete story.
I conclude with my final thoughts. I love watching film adaptations from novels, and the writers did a fantastic job of bringing such a great book to life. I think as a first-time watch I would most definitely watch again. It’s not a difficult decision deciding my thoughts on the films; it is a lot of fun with some thrilling twists and turns. Although I prefer the first to the second and third, watching the entire series of films was a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes cross science fiction and action. Lastly, there’s only one question, which faction would you be in?
by Kelda Storm
The Music City Drive-In 
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