The long-anticipated Hunger Games film The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was finally released on November 17th and is undoubtedly the best movie I’ve seen this year. I watched the movie a few days ago, and thoughts of this masterpiece have barely left my mind. The action in the movie had my heart pounding from the tension! I began to read the book immediately after and discovered how much I’d been missing out onthinking that this prequel wasn’t going to be as good as Suzanne Collin’s original Hunger Games. I couldn’t have been more wrong, as there are so many aspects of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes that make both the novel and movie amazing in my eyes.
First of all, I want to admit that this prequel makes the audience sympathize with a guy who turns out to be a vile dictator in the future of Panem, the fictional country in the series. From the character’s internal monologue in the book, readers will be able to tell that Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blythe, was morally gray from the start. However, I want to note that he had some sarcastic thoughts that were very entertaining. Psychoanalyzing Coriolanus’s personality has been one of the most interesting parts of reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. There are many psychological and environmental aspects to consider that contributed to Coriolanus’s questionable ideologies, which of course, does not justify his actions, as he still could’ve chosen to be better. It’s obvious that the war he endured throughout his childhood fabricated his belief that he must have control over his environment to be safe from dangers, making it easy for him to manipulate others for self-interest. Along with this, the capitol pushed corrupted views on its citizens and Coriolanus wasn’t immune to this propaganda about the districts. Much of this dark side of Coriolanus isn’t presented throughout most of the movie since we can’t hear his internal monologue, a reason that the character is almost immediately likable in the film.
One of my favourite characters in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is Sejanus Plinth, who deserves the world. We truly need more people like him, with the courage to rebel against oppressors for the greater good.
In my opinion, the casting of the movie was perfect. Tom Blythe did an amazing job portraying Coriolanus Snow, and no one can convince me that Rachel Zeigler isn’t literally Lucy Gray, from her enchanting singing to her charming personality.
The tragedy of Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray’s romance is another part of the story that made this film so emotional for me, which I won’t spoil! There’s debate whether Coriolanus Snow’s love for Lucy Gray was genuine, but I like to believe that it was. Lucy Gray’s song for Coriolanus, Pure as the Driven Snow, was beautiful, along with every other song she sang, including The Hanging Tree from the original series. However, his possessiveness over her in the book was a bit alarming, which was partly due to the capitol’s dehumanizing views toward people from the districts.
Suzanne Collins did a spectacular job connecting this prequel to the original series by foreshadowing how the games were changed into the ‘present day’ Hunger Games. From the development of the Game with the aid of capitol students to the continuous apprising of rebels many years before Katniss Everdeen, it was an exciting experience for Collins to give us a chance to connect these dots. It’s important to remember that the Hunger Games isn’t solely about the games but delivers larger messages including standing up for what is right, with its parallels to the real world. I recommend every Hunger Games fan watch The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes because this film is just as good as the original series and isn’t an experience to miss.
“Snow lands on top!”