The Hunger Games: Catching Firestar Alan Ritchson details the gnarly detail originally intended for his character Gloss. Gloss was a District 1 citizen and former Hunger Games winner who was reaped to compete in the games again as per the new rules forthe Third Quarter Quell. During the 75th Hunger Games, he is killed alongside his sister, Cashmere, after he eliminated Wiress, Katniss' ally from District Three. AlthoughCatching Fireshows him being struck on the chest by Katniss' arrow, the movie nearly had a different version.
In an interview withWIRED, Ritchson detailed how his character was intended to die inCatching Fire.Gloss was supposed to be shot in the face, which impacted how the actor acted during the scene. Because of the change, it looks like his “head snapped back like an idiot.” Read his full response below:
I was a guy that slit that little old lady’s throat. Actually, I took an arrow to the face. So, I played it like it was to the face. And then, I think they decided in post that was a little too gruesome to take an arrow to the face by Katniss, so they changed it to my chest.But, I didn’t shoot it that way. I didn’t shoot it like I was taking a shot to the chest.My head snapped back like an idiot, and the thing went in my chest, and I’m like this. Who does that? I would have died like that."
What Gloss' Death Meant For Catching Fire
The Original Death Followed The Book
Ritchson’s reveal is important since it addresses one change from the book. In theCatching Firebook, Gloss is killed by Katniss after he takes out Wiress. However,Katniss aimed her arrow at his temple, unlike in the movie where he is struck in the chest. Now, it’s clear that the movie almost went with Gloss' original death from the book. However, this death was likely altered so thatCatching Firewould maintain its PG-13 rating, where a headshot would have been too violent. Otherwise, if the film had kept the original version, it’s possible the MPA would have given an R-rating for the intense and gory violence.
Why There Wasn’t A Victor At The 75th Hunger Games In Catching Fire
The 75th Hunger Games was featured in 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and its outcome broke tradition and changed everything for Panem.
Gloss’s death inCatching Firemay not have turned out how it was intended, but it nonetheless shows Katniss' true nature and the evolution of her character. She is fiercely protective of her friends and family and has already survived one trip to the Hunger Games arena, making her willing to kill when necessary. InCatching Fire,when Gloss kills Wiress, Katniss instinctively returns the “favor” by shooting him with an arrow.She acts not only out of self-defense but also to avenge her ally.
Our Take On Gloss' Death
It Would Have Been Too Brutal For The Film’s PG-13 Rating
There is no doubt that the original death would be too intense forCatching Fire’s PG-13 rating. While Katniss' decision to fire her bow would have been brutal no matter where the arrow landed,sending it through Gloss' chest was a less graphic way to kill off the character.
Still, given that the shot to the head was also in the book, and that was the original intent, I wonder if there is a cut where they did have the initial version. While it’s typical for adapted movies to make remarkable changes from the source content, Gloss' changed death thankfully didn’t have too much of an effect, other than just readers wondering what the initial cut could have looked like inHunger Games: Catching Fire.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Cast
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire follows Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark as they embark on a Victor’s Tour after winning the 74th Hunger Games. With unrest brewing in the districts, President Snow orchestrates the Quarter Quell, the 75th games that threaten to alter the future of Panem.
