The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Review and Comparison

This article will contain many spoilers for both the film and book!

As someone who was younger when the original films were coming out and only got into the books and films a few years later, I never had the experience of seeing the Hunger Games films in the cinema, so it felt extra special getting to do so with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the film! I think generally it was a very faithful adaptation to the book, and whilst obviously there were some cuts to the plot, like the camaraderie building in the barracks, and what happens to Clemensia, it was done in places that made sense to condense the long book into a single film. 

CINEMATOGRAPHY

As expected, the cinematography for the film was fantastic. I particularly liked how it contrasted the cool tones of scenes in the Capitol with vibrant colours out in the Districts and away from the cameras. The pacing and visuals of the whole arena sequence managed to capture both the tension and fear masterfully. It was interesting getting to see the Capitol in its developing stages post-war with an engaging blend of classical and futuristic aesthetics, as well as District 12 before we come to see it in the trilogy. The representation of Dr Gaul’s snakes additionally seemed plucked right out of the book! I loved the spinning cinematography in the scene where Coriolanus Snow shot at the trees, so perfectly portraying his confusion, rage, and fear. The final scene where a rainbow of light shines on the dress of the statue Coriolanus is looking at so cleverly captures how the memory of Lucy Gray will continue to haunt him.

CHARACTER PERFORMANCES

The casting was great for this film; Tom Blyth did a masterful job in portraying both Snow’s charisma and psychotic traits, in getting us to sympathise with him at the start and hate him by the end. In the book, one of the most compelling features is getting to read a lot of Snow’s inner thoughts which heighten the stakes of his downfall; this is much harder to do on screen but was successful nonetheless – we get to see how the self-preserving, ambitious side of Snow eventually overrides his loyalty and his love. Viola Davis as Dr Gaul was just as terrifying as I hoped. Rachel Zegler did a wonderful job at bringing Lucy Gray to life, both her sweetness and performative qualities. Her singing was phenomenal. A circulating comparison online (which I do not take credit for!) puts the differences between Lucy Gray and Katniss perfectly – whilst Lucy Gray is a performer forced into a hunter, Katniss is a hunter forced to perform. In this way, they are inverse parallels of each other. 

COSTUMES

The costumes were an interesting contrast to the original trilogy in showing the difference in the time. I particularly liked the university uniforms in this regard, Lucy Gray’s rainbow dress, and her clothes from her District 12 performances. Dr Gaul’s clothing equally served to match her electrifying personality. 

MUSIC 

‘The Hanging Tree’ is an old folk song, the origins of which we get to see in the prequel. Later, we hear Katniss singing it in Mockingjay, where it becomes a kind of anthem for the rebellion. In the prequel, we discover that Lucy Gray wrote the song. Hearing it in her voice was maybe my favourite part of the film; I think the song is the perfect balance of haunting; heavy with the emotional weight and sacrifices of generations, while representing a flicker of hope, exactly what it represents in Mockingjay. In the book, Lucy Gray sings it on stage. What’s interesting is that Snow wonders if it’s meant for him, demonstrating how his love for her has grown possessive, indicating his self-possession. The song is inspired by a man named Arlo who Lucy Gray witnessed calling out for his love to run at his execution. Hearing Katniss singing it in Mockingjay is bound to be deeply shocking to Snow, due to his intimate connection with the song, deepening his hatred for Katniss. I do wish we got to see more of this book’s accuracy and deconstruction of its meaning in the film, including the other lyrical link to Wordsworth, but I appreciate there were time restraints and that showing the songs’ impacts often has to happen differently on screen. The performances from Lucy Gray were captivating and compelling, demonstrating her skill as a performer. I wish there was more original score in the film!

SYMBOLISM

Mockingjay’s are an important symbol in the story of rebellion and remembrance. The book does a fantastic job of showing the intense dislike and discomfort Snow has towards something the Capitol couldn’t control, as a result of a failed spying experiment that the Districts turned against the Capitol. It’s what Katniss as the Mockingjay comes to symbolise. The scene of Snow shooting madly at the birds in the trees was a fantastic depiction of his wild anger and fear in that swarm of chaos. Hunger is a recurring symbol through all the stories, particularly how it makes a powerful weapon, that even Snow is a victim of at the start of the story. The importance of performance and forced entertainment are parallel themes in all the books too – whilst Katniss is forced to perform as well as survive to win, Lucy Gray’s ability to perform saves her life and is a comment on entertainment and dehumanisation from audiences. They cut out the general public’s reaction to the games in the film, which would have been interesting to see, but it does show the interesting battle between guilt of what’s happening to the tributes, and with determination to win for their own means (Snow’s classmates). Additionally, Snow’s performance in the Capitol, his pretence of having wealth and comfort, his careful performance to not indicate his constant hunger in public, all serve a higher goal. Snakes and songbirds, which could be taken to represent Snow and Lucy Gray respectively, also recur in the story, for example, Snow’s cunning betrayals of Sejanus and Lucy Gray. Love comes at the expense of power and control, which Snow is not willing to lose. It questions whether survival comes at the expense of morality, which Snow personally explores. The story explores a lot of interesting philosophical themes including the balance between control and chaos in society, where this tipping point is, how far systems will go to repress individuals to ensure their own political security, and the use of blame and punishment, as well as touches of rebellion, and humanity, such as Reaper covering the dead tributes in the arena with the flag. It’s fascinating to see the justifications and development of the spectacle of the Hunger Games around 60 years before the trilogy.

LINKS TO THE TRILOGY

I’m sure you also appreciated the reference to Katniss in the film! In this respect I think it did a good job of linking to the original films whilst also independently moving away from them and strongly standing in its own right. I was also so pleased to hear Donald Sutherland’s ‘It’s the things we love most that destroy us’ at the end as I hoped! The knowledge of Snow that we gain serves to heighten the horrifying and disturbing relationship he has with Katniss later on; the fact that he’s been in her woods (one of the only places where she feels like herself), has been by the lake she has so many memories of being at with her father and dropped the guns incriminating him into that lake, and has a personal connection with District 12, makes his presence so much more invasive and disturbingly personal. In my opinion, it’s the sign of a successful prequel, as it only elevates the trilogy and makes it all the more intense. 

ENDINGS 

What happened to Lucy Gray? I’m so glad they left the answer as open ended as it is in the book, so fans can interpret themselves. Regardless of if she lived or died, escaped or didn’t, it’s powerful that she managed to break away from Snow’s grasp, and finally broke free from it all. Snow’s indifference for her by the end chillingly shows that his feelings for her were only so strong because he could benefit from using her, that when she became a threat to his future, she wasn’t worth it anymore. No one who rebels in the story, or is a threat to him is alive by the end of the story, a painful message. 
The stories are so important to so many people, and contain so many highly relevant and thought-provoking messages on society and human nature, relevant to culture and political clashes in our own world. Perhaps I’ve convinced some of you to watch the film or read the book if you haven’t already!

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