The new Hunger Games film, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, has premiered this week, and I’m eager to go and see it. Well, sort of. I am excited, but, like any fan devoted to the source material, I’m apprehensive.
This post is just going to be a quick summation of my thoughts and concerns about the film. I have avoided pretty much all promotional material up until this point. I’ve watched a teaser and a short trailer. Other than that, I’ve not watched anything else about it. Yes, I’ve viewed some stuff, but I’ve purposely avoided as much as I could until this week.
Disclaimer: I read the book back in March 2023, so I’m going off of what I recall from my own readings. I will be utilizing some internet resources to double check my memory, so I’ll be sure to cite my sources at the end of this post.
SPOILERS AHEAD for those who haven’t read the book or seen the movie yet.
Lucy Gray Baird
Just with what I’ve seen (and heard) in the trailer, I don’t have much confidence that Lucy Gray’s character is going to be represented well. Again, I’ve not viewed much of the promotional materials, but from what I have seen, Lucy Gray is shown to act a bit more sultry than in the book. The way she talks with Snow and even her copycat bow (copied/homage to Katniss Everdeen’s bow in the first Hunger Games film) feel like she’s intentionally trying to be sultry and flirty, which is not really what her character was in the book. Yes, Lucy Gray is charming and confident, but why must confidence in women always be equated or portrayed, at least in the media, in a sexually charged manner?
In the few lines that I heard in the trailer, it sounds like Lucy Gray has a butchered Southern/Appalachian accent. I read on bookanalysis.com that “Author Suzanne Collins has mentioned that Lucy Gray speaks with a deep Southern accent from the United States,” but I don’t recall that being mentioned in the book. Even if it was, I’m concerned that Zegler won’t be able to deliver the lines in a believable and easy-to-listen to fashion.
Her rainbow dress in the trailer is not as colorful as it’s described in the book. I dislike how dingy it looks. It’s supposed to be vibrant and colorful; the dress is supposed to make her stand out. I will say that, so far, Lucy Gray’s hair looks like it’s accurate to the book and to her living situation and environment. I hope it’s braided for the arena, but that is kind of a minor detail.
Coriolanus Snow
I wasn’t sure about the actor for Coriolanus Snow, but once I watched him in the trailer and let it sink in more, the more I like Tom Blyth as this character. I like that they included his military haircut in the trailer. I hope he can carry the same attitude and demeanor as Donald Sutherland (who I absolutely love as an actor), and I have some hope for that after watching the trailer.
His long-ish hair is not quite what I would picture the Grandma’am permitting her grandson to have, but that’s a minor detail, too. The red suit, though I don’t remember being in the book, is quite the sharp and interesting outfit to look at (unless it’s his academy uniform?). There isn’t much to go off of from the trailer and promotional pictures, but that’s what I think about Snow’s portrayal so far.
Also, am I the only one that thinks that, when his hair is cut for military service, that Snow looks kind of like Eminem?
Dr. Gaul
I like Dr. Gaul’s outfits and character makeup. I hope the actress brings out the unhinged, overt crazy like was in the book. The Dr. Gaul I saw in the trailer seemed a bit toned down and even slightly monotone for the almost stereotypical crazy scientist that was written in the book, so I hope she’s a little more “coo coo for cocoa puffs” in the movie.
One thing I really appreciated so far is her crazy curly hair. LOL.
Dean Highbottom
I pictured Dean Highbottom very differently in my mind, and not at all how he’s portrayed in the film. I don’t think I will like Peter Dinklage’s portrayal. I think it’ll come across as trying to hard on his part to convey the complexity of Highbottom’s character.
Tigris
I don’t have much to say about Tigris at this point. I honestly loved her character in Mockingjay, even though she was a minor character there. I’m looking forward to seeing her on the big screen, and I hope her quiet, meek strength will be conveyed and shown accurately. Quick side note: that’s something that I love about Tigris — compassionate, loving heart with meek strength and intelligence. She’s a fantastic and, in my opinion, underrated character. I’m mainly excited to see her before her borderline garish transformation that she undergoes between this story and the original trilogy.
Press and Promotion
I think just mentioning Rachel Zegler’s name is enough to convey my thoughts and concerns about her. I think, based on her comments for the Disney’s Snow White premiere and other occassions, that Zegler probably put an even stronger feminist spin on the character than was already there. Lucy Gray is a strong female character, but I hope the focus is put more on the story and bringing it to life on the screen accurately.
I think the selfies that were posted to the official Hunger Games Facebook page were . . . just a bit out of touch with the message of the film. In fact, a lot of the promotion for A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes feels very catered and polished for modern audiences. I understand how advertising works, but I think the promotion of this film could be treated with more gravitas.
The red carpet premiere event for this film honestly just screams, “Capitol,” and that’s not a compliment. Again, it just feels like the entire cast and crew for this film are so out of touch with the messages and *warnings* that Suzanne Collins implemented into this novel.
My Thoughts . . .
Overall, I’m excited to see this movie. I like things to be as accurate as possible, and I appreciate when adaptations are done well. (*cough* *cough* Catching Fire *cough*) This post was just a quick dump of my current thoughts and feelings before I go and see the film sometime this weekend. My main concern is how Lucy Gray will be portrayed because of who the actress for this character is, and the limited promo materials I’ve seen thus far. I’ll be posting a review of the film soon. 😉
Notes
“The Definitive Glossary for the Hunger Games: Lucy Gray Baird.” Book Analysis. https://bookanalysis.com/the-hunger-games/lucy-gray-baird/
(Photo credits and all rights to Suzanne Collins, Lionsgate, and Scholastic. I do not own it.)
Links
If you want to buy the Hunger Games series or A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, or any other book that’s on your list, then check out my ThriftBooks link here! https://www.thriftbooks.com/share/?code=3RzwAY203zlZCGetHohqJw%253d%253d