Gary Ross Interviewed on The Treatment

The guest I chose to write about was Gary Ross. He is the director of the Hunger Games and other great movies like Sea Biscuit and Pleasantville. Before listening to him on The Treatment, I had not idea who he was or what films he had worked on. After listening to his interview I have to confess that I am a fan of his work. The interview took place on March 21, 2012.

One thing that I learned from this interview is that Gary Ross is a director who is trying to have his voice heard through his films. He uses them as a means for good, and to open the eyes of his viewers. He seems to direct films that all have a common theme. He shows you films with oppression and how a single person can spark the end of this oppression.

He says that "it takes one person to ignite a spark" and he shows this with Hunger games, Pleasantville, and Sea Biscuit. In each of these films, the main character is subject to oppression of some sort and they end up becoming the spark that ignites the beginning of the end of this oppression.

Another theme that he shows in the Hunger Games in particular is that "when your in a media based culture it is so easy to exploit that for political purposes". I think that this quote really speaks to Gary Ross's feelings about society and the power that the media holds. He talks about how Rome used the gladiators in much the same with pan em uses the Hunger Games as a means of political control through media. This shows how he feels about the exploitation of these powers by the ruling class.

"Social change comes from an individual understanding what they will and will not tolerate" is another thing I heard him say during the interview that really goes along with everything else he has been explaining and trying to get his fans and viewers to understand. He wants people to know that we cannot spark a change if we do not stand up for what we believe in and not tolerate injustices to us.

Everything thing said by Gary Ross was really well put and spoke to me. I now have a greater appreciation for his work and look at it with a different point of view. This interview with him has made it clearer to me the intent of his work and earned himself a new fan.