The Unbelievable Camouflage of Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games

The Question of Believability

The Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson expresses doubt about one of Peeta's most extraordinary skills. Based on the bestselling books by author Suzanne Collins, the first movie in the Hunger Games franchise was released in 2012, introducing Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, with Hutcherson playing fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark.

Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) painted to look like a rock in The Hunger Games.

In a recent interview with Inverse, Hutcherson questions just how believable Peeta's Hunger Games camouflaging skills are. The character is somehow able to paint his face to look exactly like a boulder despite not having the time or materials to do so, and the actor recalls expressing some doubt about the scene at the time. Check out Hutcherson's full comment below:

“He's an artist. He's got the sense of color and touch and technique of painting. I don't know how he pulled it off. I mean, that's the truth. When I saw what they did, I was even like, 'Guys, this is pretty far.' I don't know how long we're saying it took him to do this or where he found the materials, but alright, I'm down. But I'm just saying it's a push for me.”

The Jarring Nature of Peeta's Camouflage

Collins' books are intended for young adult readers and the Hunger Games movies largely follow this same trend. Each one is rated PG-13, telling a story in a heightened, science-fiction version of reality. Despite this, however, the story is still told in a very grounded way, and this is especially true of the violence and atmosphere of the titular games.

The film's action sequences are intense, with tributes cutting each other down in a way that arguably pushes the limits of the PG-13 rating. This is part of why the Hunger Games reviews are generally quite positive. It's this grounded and intense quality that makes Peeta's camouflage scene somewhat jarring, as it's the moment that ends up feeling the most unbelievable in the movie. Somehow, while injured and being hunted in the wilderness, Peeta is able to paint his own face to look exactly like a rock.

The film attempts to explain Peeta's extreme camouflaging skills by attributing them to his experience as a cake decorator.

Of course, this tactic isn't necessarily new in action movies, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, for example, memorably covering himself in mud to avoid being seen by the titular hunter in Predator. What makes Peeta's Hunger Games scene so jarring, however, is that it looks like a makeup job that could only have been done by a professional makeup artist with professional materials and hours of time on their hands. Clearly, Hutcherson himself felt similarly at the time.

The Grounded Reality and Unbelievable Moment

The first Hunger Games movie is currently available to stream on Starz.