Ever since its first cinema appearance, The Hunger Games has embedded itself into popular culture in a huge way, instantly recognisable to even the less-seasoned filmgoer due to several things: Jennifer Lawrence’s action heroine Katniss Everdeen, Elizabeth Banks’ big haired Effie Trinkett - and perhaps most prominently, the Mockingjay symbol which remains an overarching presence throughout.
Symbols have played a big part in cinema over the years - many of which are recognisable to everyone around the world, whether we have seen the film of not.
We count through the most memorable movie symbols to have appeared in cinema over the decades.
- Superman
Such a part of popular culture is Clark Kent’s ‘S’ shield emblazoned on the chest of his Superman suit, it was voted the world’s most recognisable symbol. Astoundingly, Superman was the first superhero to have an emblem on his chest, paving the way for Spiderman, Batman - even Wonder Woman - to do the same.
Quite wittily, in Man of Steel (2013), the symbol is references when Superman tells a questioning Lois Lane that the shield is a Krypton symbol, to which she replies that on Earth, it’s an S.
- Ghostbusters
Used as the film’s defining symbol, the logo - which makes regular appearances as the Ghostbusters business logo - pretty much sums the whole thing up so damn well.
Capped with the tagline ‘Who you gonna call?’ it is a fine example of a film taking a running symbol used throughout the film and deploying it as a marketing tactic.
- Batman
Okay, so we’ve already covered the superhero logo with Superman above... but the Batman logo is - in many ways - used much more effectively in each film incarnation.
Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) don’t venture too far from the original appearance in the comics with the symbol used as a Bat sign projected into the sky to signal his presence in Gotham.
The symbol also holds immense power - appearing in Christopher Nolan’s feature debut Following, the director would go on to take the franchise into groundbreaking new levels.
-Jurassic Park
This is not just the symbol emblazoned on the posters and DVDs, but the image plastered all over Jurassic Park, John Hammond’s theme park populated with clone dinosaurs.
Note how the Tyrannosaurus Rex on the image is made up of bones - not all that representative of what Sam Neill and Laura Dern’s palaeontologists are about to experience, alongside Jeff Goldblum’s mathematician, Ian Malcolm.
- Scream
Based on Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream, the now-classic Horror franchise’s idea of using the Ghostface mask for its serial killer is not only an ingenious scare tactic, but a touchstone of popular culture - made all the clearer at Halloween time.
It’s almost impossible to believe that the producers nearly fired director Wes Craven for they thought the mask was in no way scary!
- The Matrix
Near the beginning of The Wachowski’s seminal sci-fi film The Matrix, Keanu Reeves’ Neo is told to follow the White Rabbit; seconds later, his doorbell rings, and Neo finds a woman standing on his doorstep - with a tattoo of a white rabbit on her shoulder.
Referencing Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, this is continually referred to following this initial scene - the catalyst for all of what transpires.
- Harry Potter
The Dark Mark is the symbol of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his Death Eater followers.
Appearing in the sky when conjured (usually following a murder), these marks also appear on the left forearm of Voldemort’s closest allies. It serves as a connection, meaning he can summon this group - which includes the Malfoys.
- Monsters, Inc.
This is the main symbol of Monsters Incorporated, the business at the centre of Pixar’s 2001 beloved smash, Monsters, Inc.
Situated in Monstropolis, this is the place where all scare students who graduate from Monsters University aspire to work - including both James P. Sullivan and Mike Wazowski.
- Cloud Atlas
Containing six interrelated and interwoven storylines which span varying time periods, the one thing that connects each character in Cloud Atlas - whether it’s Halle Berry’s investigative journalist in San Francisco or Doona Bae’s genetically-engineered clone in a futuristic Korea - is this birthmark.
- The Hunger Games
One of the most instantly recognisable movie symbols of recent times, this Mockingjay pin becomes the symbol which sparks rebellion amongst the districts.
Given to Katniss before entering the Games, she wears it as her pin throughout - a slap in the face to the Capitol as Mockingjay birds are mutated creatures never intended to exist.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is released on Blu-ray, DVD and download on 17th March 2014, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment.
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