I cannot overstate how pleasantly surprised I was during and after viewing this film. I had many concerns and reservations about how well it would be adapted (which I discuss here), but I was truly blown out of the water.
This post is mainly a response to my previous post about my concerns prior to watching the movie. I plan to elaborate more on this film, but that maybe take some time.
Again, SPOILERS throughout this entire post for both book and film of A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Lucy Gray Baird
I’m so happy with how Lucy Gray’s character showed up on the big screen. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I was concerned that Lucy Gray came across as a sultry, sexualized character in the limited promotional materials I had seen. I am pleased to report that the concerns that her character was unnecessarily (also untrue to her character) sexualized are false.
There are some instances, like with the bow Lucy Gray took in District 12 at the Reaping, where it’s a bit noticeable that Rachel Zegler is a newer actress. Some moments just felt a little stilted, choreographed, or just clearly acted out. Despite that (which is honestly just a minor comment), Zegler really brought Lucy Gray to life. Her accent was not terrible and she was pretty believable.
The dress is . . . a bit odd, but I’m personally not a feathers person. In the film, the dress is far more colorful than it appeared in the trailers, and it really was all the colors of the rainbow. It’s not quite what I envisioned, but it’s still accurate to the book. Her hair was not braided for the arena, but that’s just a minor comment.
Overall, I’m so happy with how this phenomenal character was portrayed in a cinematic setting. 🙂
Coriolanus Snow
I struggled to find words to describe my thoughts on a young Coriolanus Snow for this post, but in a good way. Tom Blyth absolutely embodied Coriolanus Snow, and by the end of the film the connection between young Snow and the eventual President Snow was apparent. During most of the film, while Coriolanus is struggling to make the decisions that he makes, he becomes more and more like the persona he will have later in life. By the end of the film, once Snow has triumphed and has returned to the Capitol, his presence on the screen and in every scene is domineering, powerful, and commanding — much like how Donald Sutherland personified the character in the original film series. Absolutely stunning.
I did not realize in the first post, but the red suit that he wears is a nod to the suit that President Snow wears in the first Hunger Games film, as well as his signature style in general. The school uniforms were all red, like his suit in the end. The strong visual theme of red throughout the film indicates that Snow has always been Capitol, he will always be Capitol, and he didn’t go through a sudden shift in character, but he was always like that deep down. He was destined to become the great and terrible man known as President Snow.
And, yes, there were times during the third act of the film that it seemed like Eminem had been inserted into District 12 😂
Dr. Gaul
Dr. Gaul’s character also delivered, and she is just as crazy in the film as in the book. I absolutely love how maniacally evil, intelligent, and twisted she is.
Dean Highbottom
Peter Dinklage’s portrayal of Highbottom was not quite what I had hoped for or expected. It was still a good job, and I like how there may have been certain parts of Highbottom’s character portrayed that I hadn’t considered, but I still think that he wasn’t quite angry enough. In my reading, at least, Highbottom was much angrier. Not a terrible job, but maybe just not quite what I had envisioned (I’m sure others had a different interpretation of Highbottom from the book).
Tigris
I absolutely loved Tigris’s character in the movie. Her quiet, meek strength, determination, and morals were fleshed out in such an inspiring light. The only complaint I have is that she didn’t get more screen time.
Her outfits were AMAZING. I adore 1940’s fashion, and she was decked out in those silhouettes for the entirety of the film. I also find it interesting that Tigris’s pink ensemble seems to hint at Effie Trinket’s outfit for the 74th Hunger Games Reaping . . .
Sejanus Plinth
In the film, Sejanus Plinth seemed a bit more mopey and passive aggressive than I felt Sejanus is in the book. Sejanus constantly wrestled with the morality of the circumstances around him, his family’s awkward situation in regards to the Districts, and the depravity of Capitol culture. The Sejanus in the film just felt a bit more angsty than in the source material.
I understand that, for the film audience, the ending would be a complete shock and a twist, so they perhaps needed to color Sejanus as more obstinate, angry, and confrontational than he originally seemed. I didn’t even realize that Sejanus was the biggest adversary to Coriolanus Snow until writing this.
Overall, I think they did Sejanus justice and were true to his character and his motives. Maybe not exactly the flavor I would’ve liked, but I’m glad they didn’t change his character too much.
Grandma’am Snow
I liked Grandma’am Snow, both in the book and in the film, but I will say that the film version of her is very different than the book. In A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Grandma’am is a very stern and proud woman who holds both Coriolanus and Tigris to high standards that she believes befit the family name.
I wish they would’ve said, “Snow lands on top” more often in the film. It’s something that Coriolanus, and the rest of his relatives, practically chant to themselves to give them enough motivation to accomplish anything.
Press and Promotion
I think, despite Rachel Zegler’s comments as a person, her embodiment of Lucy Gray was superbly done.
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.
I’m posting this paragraph from my previous post because it still holds true. The promotion feels extremely out of touch with the message and themes of the film. From what I’ve seen on Instagram (much of that being reels that have been shared from TikTok), the message of the film and the horrors of this dystopian world seem to have completely gone over most people’s heads.
I do like the comparison videos that I’ve found on Instagram (many have been posted by Lions Gate themselves) that juxtapose Katniss Everdeen, Lucy Gray, the Hunger Games 10th, 74th, and 75th, and many other aspects of the movies.
My Thoughts . . .
I was so excited to see this movie and it did not disappoint. I think this movie is right there with Catching Fire. A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is so faithful to the book that some lines were taken directly from the pages of the book. Some scenes, like the end scene where Lucy Gray is singing about snow (but also Snow 😉 ), are exactly what I had imagined them to look like. I know everyone has their own mental interpretation of a book when they read it, but nearly every scene in this film was how I had imagined it while reading A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. 🙂
I believe I mentioned this in the last blog article I wrote on this, but I was worried that, given what is going on in our culture and how nearly every film and show that is made nowadays is WOKE, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes would also have a lot of WOKE messaging. Thankfully, it didn’t. Now, to be fair, I’ve only seen the film one time, but I didn’t detect virtue signaling or anything like that. I do hope to see the movie again, so I’ll add an update to this post if there’s anything else that I notice upon rewatch.
The screenwriters, director, and film producers seemed very intent on bringing Suzanne Collins’s book to life in the most accurate and honoring way possible. Some things about the Capitol, like infrastructure and interior designs, seemed a bit unrealistic, but we’ve a) not seen inside the Capitol on an intimate level like this before and b) it is set in a futuristic dystopian society.
In my above comments on Tigris’s character, I mentioned how disappointed I was that she didn’t get more screen time. To add to that, I’m disappointed that Snow’s personal struggles (family’s financial situation and crumbling reputation) were very glossed over. These concerns weigh on Coriolanus’s mind all the time and are his main motivators to do well as a mentor in the Hunger Games. It’s why he wants the Plinth prize (which is another thing they skimmed over) so badly. The film also skimmed over the Snow’s struggles with hunger, attaining food, and providing for themselves.
Lastly, I like how the film opened with the gruesome scene (hints at cannibalism, not shown) that would haunt Coriolanus Snow for the rest of his life. This childhood memory is what keeps Snow fighting for dominance — so that he’ll never have to face that horror ever again.
A Word from You
Well, that’s my thoughts on the Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie. What’re your thoughts on the film? Did you like how it was adapted? I’d love to know your thoughts too. 🙂
(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, 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/