Warning: Spoilers ahead
After months of anticipation, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” has finally hit theaters. The wait was well worth it, as the movie lives up to the hype for the most part.
First of all, the film is visually fantastic. The opening shots of the Dark Days in the Capitol alone do a fantastic job of painting a picture of the circumstances people are facing. Hunger is widespread and people are fighting for survival. The harsh cut to the images of warm buildings teeming with life and crowded city streets shows the juxtaposition of the Capitol’s upper class and the people who are only masquerading as rich, such as Coriolanus Snow and his family.
This is contrasted against the shots of the districts and the Hunger Games, which are dirty, dull and more neutrally colored, highlighting the less-subtle struggle of the tributes and their fellow Panem citizens. The districts are starving but do not have the means to hide that starvation behind lavish buildings and luxurious belongings, ultimately painting a better picture of the dynamic between the Capitol and the districts.
The film has great worldbuilding. While the first movie adaptations introduced Panem to the world, this installment introduced audiences to the history of Panem and how its tyrant came to be.
The culture of the Capitol is strict, with everything the prominent citizens, such as the Snows, do put into the public eye. Furthermore, one mistake can be deadly, as seen with Snow’s colleague Clemensia Dovecote, who is left to an unknown fate after lying about a proposal to the malicious Dr. Volumnia Gaul.
The culture of District 12, though, is different. There is fear of the peacekeepers and constant surveillance. However, they can enjoy themselves and find some semblance of joy in their laborious lives, as seen in the scenes at the bar. Furthermore, the connection to Appalachian culture through Lucy Gray Baird and the rest of District 12 is apparent. Through this, it portrays a region often portrayed stereotypically in a positive light while also enhancing the worldbuilding of the rest of the film.
The worldbuilding of this film was a bright spot for the movie, but the actors’ performances were what shined brightest. Rachel Zegler plays the part of Lucy Gray Baird beautifully, leaning into the archetype of a free-spirited musician without coming off as cliché. She adds a rebellious spice to her portrayal, which is always welcome in a movie about rebellions and corrupt governments. Other actors like Hunter Schafer and Viola Davis were excellent in their roles as Tigris Snow and Dr. Volumnia Gaul.
Tom Blyth’s performance as the blooming dictator Coriolanus Snow is arguably among the best in the film. Snow begins the film as a man out to support his family who wants to make a name for himself, no matter the cost. As a result, he takes full advantage of his mentoring role towards Baird. He ends up doing extremely underhanded things to ensure she wins the games, such as giving her rat poison and sending drones to attack her opponents. Because of this, he wins the prize money that the best of his class want to win.
Snow’s manipulation and underhanded nature in the games quickly become manipulation of Baird, and also leads to him selling out his friend Sejanus Plinth to the Capitol, all while trying to cover his tracks after murdering Mayfair Lipp, a competitor in the Hunger Games.
This turn of events leads to Baird running away from him after they agree to leave District 12, at which point we see Snow’s breaking point, where his true evil nature shines through in a burst of rage. He is manipulative and will do anything to get his way, and when his goal is blocked, he snaps. Blyth executes it perfectly, creating a complex villain.
Despite the good aspects of the movie, there are a few issues. The first is the length of the film. Even though many scenes are action-packed and well-executed, some feel as if they drag on and could have been cut down. Despite many book-to-film adaptations often cutting out large parts of the source material, this film could have benefitted from reducing the length of a couple of scenes.
The second issue with the movie is some of the dialogue. While much of it is arguably quite good, some lines feel corny. For example, one piece of dialogue that is being dragged online is Snow’s line about killing three people, including his old self. This line takes people out of the movie, which is disappointing after keeping people invested for so long.
Another issue also has to do with the lack of dialogue. The source material is told from Snow’s point of view and relies heavily on his inner monologue to drive his characterization, further painting him as a manipulative villain and unreliable narrator. While the movie does a good job of characterizing Snow, it could have further clued viewers into his true nature by including some of his inner monologues.
While the film has its issues, it is ultimately a fantastic prequel with great performances from its actors and great worldbuilding, it adds to an already well-done series.
