Divergent arrived in 2014 with a tagline that promised a lot: “What makes you different makes you dangerous.” The film, directed by Neil Burger from a screenplay by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor, is based on Veronica Roth’s 2011 novel. It runs 140 minutes and is the first installment in The Divergent Series.
Trailer, via The Dollar Theater.
Beatrice Prior Tests Equal Across Three Factions
The setup is a post-apocalyptic Chicago split into five factions: Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the kind), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave) and Erudite (the intelligent). At 16, children take a serum-induced aptitude test. Beatrice Prior, played by Shailene Woodley, tests equal across Abnegation, Erudite and Dauntless. That makes her Divergent. Her proctor Tori, played by Maggie Q, logs the result as Abnegation and warns her to hide it, because Divergents think independently and threaten the existing order.
Caleb Chooses Erudite, Tris Chooses Dauntless
At the Choosing Ceremony, Beatrice’s brother Caleb, played by Ansel Elgort, picks Erudite. She picks Dauntless. She meets Christina, Al and Will, transfers from Candor and Erudite. Dauntless leader Eric, played by Jai Courtney, warns that anyone who fails the faction’s standards becomes Factionless. Beatrice jumps from a tall building into a dark hole, lands in a net, and earns Four’s respect.
Theo James Plays Four
Theo James plays Four, the transferred instructor. Roth praised the casting, saying James captures Four’s authority, strength, depth and sensitivity, and called him a perfect match for Woodley’s presence as Tris. Eric later matches Beatrice against Peter Hayes, played by Miles Teller, in a fight she loses.
I’m no idiot. The idea went through my head that I have never played a baddie before, I was almost kind of surprised.
That is Kate Winslet, who plays Jeanine Matthews, on taking her first villain role.
A Cast That Deserves Better Material
Winslet is the best argument the film has. Ashley Judd, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz and Tony Goldwyn fill out a cast with real weight. Woodley carries the training sequences, and the action is competent.
Five Virtues, Five Sets of Costumes
The problem is that the factions stay labels. Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite — five virtues, almost no life between them. The Choosing Ceremony should be the film’s spine. It plays like a formality. The aptitude test, the net jump, the Peter fight: each is a beat delivered and abandoned.
A Franchise That Explains Itself
Critics called the execution and themes generic, and compared the film unfavorably to other young adult adaptations. That judgment holds. Divergent borrows the shape of better films without the conviction. It spends its runtime explaining itself and never earns the danger its tagline sells.
The Numbers
- Release: March 21, 2014 (United States)
- Runtime: 140 minutes
- Director: Neil Burger
- Based on: Veronica Roth’s 2011 novel
- Metacritic: 48/100
- Score: 4.8 of 10
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
