The Hunger Games is having a pop culture moment right now, and it’s no surprise considering that the recent film adaptation of its prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, was a resounding success, recouping its initial $100 million investment in only its first week. A fast-paced and action-packed plot as well as stellar cinematography and sound design come together with a star-studded cast for a cautionary tale set in a dystopian future.
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The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes tells the story of a young Coriolanus Snow, about fifty years before the events of the original series. The movie shows us what we could only define as a “vintage” aesthetic set against a futuristic dystopia. Here, Snow is not as untouchable as he seems in his later years. He is orphaned, living with his cousin and grandmother, and they are all on the verge of starvation and eviction from their home. Like the book, the film is separated into three parts: “The Mentor,” “The Prize,” and “The Peacekeeper.”
As part of his final year at the Capitol Academy, Snow, along with twenty-three other students, is invited to be one of the mentors at the upcoming Tenth Hunger Games. This was before the Games were popular in the Capitol, where viewers had the ability to send items to their favorites and where Tributes were paraded around the city and on television to gain favor. Each student is assigned a Tribute following the Reaping, and Snow is given District 12’s girl tribute, Lucy Gray Baird.
Unlike his classmates, Snow shows initiative in engaging with his tribute. He immediately spots Baird’s potential at the Reaping, where she sings a haunting song that captures the attention of the public. He eventually uses this to both their advantage, allowing Baird to garner sympathy from Capitol citizens and for Snow to show Dean Casca Highbottom and head gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul how to make the Hunger Games more popular.
At a runtime of over two and a half hours, the film seems too long at first glance. The runtime is one of the pitfalls of the film—but not for the reasons one might think. While a lot of important arcs made it to the screen, a lot still had to be cut for time. The moral descent of Snow involved a much more complex series of events. Gamemaker lessons involving Dr. Gaul and the eventual fate of Clemensia Dovecote add to Snow’s beliefs about war, which he professed at the end of the film.
There’s also some necessary context being cut out that could lead to confusion or misunderstanding with the ending, though this is an issue with the medium more than anything. The novel is written in the third person limited perspective, which gives the readers insight to Snow’s innermost thoughts and beliefs, helping to color the choices he made throughout the story.
What really carried the film, however, was the brilliant performances of its cast. Tom Blyth’s Snow starts off as oblivious, if not fairly innocent, but by the end, he holds to his convictions, and seeing this transformation was a treat. Lucy Gray Baird is played by Rachel Zegler, who shot to popularity when she was cast as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of West Side Story. Zegler brings not only her amazing voice to the role but also a great amount of charm. EGOT actress Viola Davis steals scenes as Dr. Volumnia Gray, and her performance still shines above the ostentatious Capitol style. Other notable performances include Peter Dinklage, who brings a menacing performance as Dean Casca Highbottom; Josh Andres Rivera, bringing life to the hopeful yet jaded Sejanus Plinth; and Hunter Schafer, who plays Snow’s cousin and voice of reason, Tigris.
Overall, the film adaptation of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a worthy addition to the canon of the Hunger Games universe, with plenty of old and new fans alike placing it along the likes of Catching Fire because of its masterful storytelling. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes manages to stand independent of The Hunger Games, a reminder that what is now past was once considered future.
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