Roxy Kalantari

Since The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes released in theaters on November 17, 2023, it has been a big hit around Ayala, with students talking about the stellar performance that the actors had. As Coriolanus Snow would say, “Snow lands on top.”

[Spoilers]

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (TBOSAS) is a lyrical film that unfolds 64 years prior to the original trilogy and highlights how the drive for power can be costly to one’s life choices. Directed by Francis Lawrence, who also directed the other Hunger Games films, this film was released on November 17, 2023. The film made a little over $100 million in the global box office during its opening weekend, exceeding initial projections.

So what exactly does this prequel add to the Hunger Games lore? While the plot may not be everyone’s cup of tea with its power and war themes, the way the story intricately weaves bouts of mystery with clarity makes the viewers understand the psychological mind of the movie’s main character, Coriolanus Snow, as he navigates throughout Panem, the setting of this dystopian society. But the Hunger Games wouldn’t be the Hunger Games without the iconic Games. These Games however, would take place 64 years prior to the iconic 74th Games.

The story follows a young Capitol—the highest social class—citizen named Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) who finds himself one of the 24 mentors in the newly added mentor program for the 10th annual Hunger Games. When Dean Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) announces that whoever has the strongest performance for the program would receive a prize, Coriolanus jumps at the chance to win the prize that would allow him to attend one of the most prestigious universities in the Capitol. His hopes of getting the prize diminish when he ends up with the female tribute of District 12, Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), known for being one of the worst performing districts in the Games. However, in a sudden reversal, it seems as if rather than a burden, Coriolanus has been given a gift– a gift that he can use to his advantage to win that prize.

Part of what makes a good film is how immersive it is and how well it can capture the audience’s attention, making them feel like they are transported into the world. TBOSAS does that, where its literary elements of song and emotion immediately transport the viewer into Panem, into the Games, into the Capitol, and into the woods, making it a magical experience. 

“[The movie] was exciting and there were moments where I realized that I’m not actually in the movie,” junior Violet Kowalski said. “It was just that good; I was really into the story.”

Along with transporting the viewer into Panem, the film also interweaves many songs and ballads into the story. Lucy Gray’s character is a performer, and it can be seen throughout the movie as she sings many ballads that express her feelings. Some of her most famous ones were “Nothing You Can Take From Me,” “The Hanging Tree,” and “The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird.” These songs provided new depths to the movie in a way that set it apart from the original trilogy. 

Of course, the songs and production weren’t the only thing that shined through. Aside from the plot of the movie, the actors chosen to portray the iconic TBOSAS characters delivered a stunning performance. With accurate physical descriptions and personality traits, it felt like the characters, especially Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray Baird, jumped out of the book’s pages and into the movie screen. 

But despite how great the actors portrayed their characters, there was a little bit of disconnection between the characters and the movie. Like with most movies, TBOSAS didn’t quite capture the essence of the original story through the unique eyes of Coriolanus, as viewers could only watch the story unfold from the outside rather than being directly placed into the world, like most books do. Since books are written from a certain point of view, the reader can really understand the character’s thoughts and motivations. This is especially important for TBOSAS because the reader is seeing the world of Panem through the eyes of Coriolanus, the villain, and can understand his calculated moves, almost as if he is playing a game of chess.

“It’s hard to adapt a book because you can’t understand what the characters are thinking,” junior Karly Welsh said. “I’ll be reading it and it’s just better when you understand where Coriolanus is coming from. For example [in the movie], he seems kind of neutral. But in his mind, he hates everything and he’s choosing to make these horrible choices.”

Many of the viewers watching noticed this detail of really understanding Snow’s character and how he became who he was in the original trilogy. With the lack of character understanding, it was easy for audience members to sympathize with Snow’s character even though in the books, you can clearly see his thoughts forming like those of an antagonist. 

But for what TBOSAS lacked in character understanding, they made up for it with everything else. From the actor’s realistic performances, to the lyrical songs, and everything in between, TBOSAS did a splendid job of transforming a story of a young Capitol citizen with a drive for power into the stoic President Snow that he is in the original trilogy. 

“His villain origin story was unique and you know it’s a good movie when you end up rooting for the villain even when you know what’s to come,” junior Karishma Gianchandani said.