When I decided to watch Divergent, I did not know anything about it since it just came out. I was excited to watch it because I heard it was similar to The Hunger Games, which I extremely enjoyed few months ago, and it was based off of a teen best-seller by Veronica Roth. Before the movie started, I told myself to focus on music, dialogues, and scenes to remember the movie better. The movie started with a narration in a dystopian and futuristic Chicago with calming music. In this world, the residents are divided into five factions: honest Candor, selfless Abnegation, smart Erudite, peaceful Amity, and brave Dauntless. After the main character, Beatrice Prior, takes a test to determine what faction she belongs to, she is informed that she is a Divergent, meaning she has the capacity to fit into multiple factions. I was extremely impressed with the actors and actresses’ performances, especially the two main characters, Shailene Woodley and Theo James, whose personalities matched their roles well. Since Beatrice chose to become a Dauntless, she and other actors had to fight each other in numerous realistic action scenes. Even though they are relatively young, they illustrated their characters’ personalities flawlessly.

The movie was about two hours and fifteen minutes long, but I was completely unaware of the time since I became so involved and hooked by it. Furthermore, I personally think the director did a wonderful job on capturing the significant and essential details of each scene. Even though I did not read the book, I followed through well and did not lose the story line. I truly enjoyed Beatrice’s strong, persevering spirit as she continued to practice in the Dauntless compound, even when she realized she was weaker than other members. Also, she is a rare, independent female protagonist, as she saves Four, her lover and another Divergent. Although Beatrice experiences many struggles, such as death of her parents and losing her friends, she does not give up until the end. I was reminded of a hero cycle because Beatrice enters a special world (Dauntless) and meets hardships, but saves her lover, stops the fighting, and restores peace to the factions in the end. Beatrice’s personal journey clearly describes that she is worthwhile and valuable.