May contain spoilers.
The notorious book series The Hunger Games has had glory in the movie business. In addition to the four Hunger Games movies their newest addition, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, has been released, revealing the story of President Snow. However, it appears to be an even darker tale than The Hunger Games itself.
The movie opens with a scene of war, where Coriolanus Snow is but a child, and he and his sister are foraging for food. This was a particularly important scene because it indicates the past that could cause mutual hatred between the Capital and the Districts, also providing a past that changed Snow’s view.
Then, the film fast-forwards to the present, where he’s eighteen years old, readying himself for a special occasion, the 10th annual Hunger Games. He’s more than thrilled for the Games, only to find a twist, the Capital students will be mentoring tributes from the districts, and he’s mentoring Lucy Gray from District Twelve, the worst district by far because of the poor conditions, and the believed lack of essentials that makes them an easy target in the Games. However, the movie doesn’t exactly explain why he was excited about the Hunger Games, apart from being able to win, and it doesn’t exactly explain what the older Hunger Games were before bringing the new idea about mentoring.
Gray shows potential as she walks to the stage, though, with a snake to her back, letting it loose on a girl she loathes. She gets restrained, but despite the harsh blows she takes, she stands and starts to sing. The movie does an incredible job of making it look like she’s unteachable, due to her defiance.
The conditions in the districts are horrific; they’re locked in cages like animals. Coriolanus made haste to meet Lucy. He wanted to know who he’d be mentoring, even sneaking to see her and getting himself locked in the cage with her. When the reporter notices him in the capitol’s school uniform the reporter asks questions, to which Coriolanus introduces his tribute before he is let out.
The plot thickens as he meets the game maker, Dr. Volumnia Gaul. He suggests to her that the tributes receive gifts from the audience, that people make bets, and that the crowd gets to know the people from the Districts to bring in a crowd. She is a great character to watch because of how much she loves what she does, despite it ruining people’s lives.
The movie gets dark as they view the arena, but are bombed, with the mentors and the tributes inside. The explosions allow you to see what’s happening, as though you were with them, to where it’s difficult to see or even know what’s happening as the movie goes on due to the debris and until the realization hits the characters.
Also, the movie doesn’t mention how the arena came to be, in The Hunger Games it’s similar to a forest of the game maker’s design. However in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the arena is simply an arena; a large room with underground tunnels, and a large gate outside. The movie lacks depth on how certain aspects came to be.
Granted, the ending of the Games was spectacular, Gray is growing into another person, afraid when she has killed people for her survival. However, Dr. Volumnia Gual won’t let the rebel attacks go any further and decides that the best course of action is killing all tributes, despite the tributes having nothing to do with the attacks. Only Snow isn’t going to let what his tribute has been through go in vain and acts knowing what he has in store if he is caught.
Snow’s cheating in the games is punished by being forced to do service in another district and bribes someone to get into District 12. Fortunately, his friend, Sejanus, goes with him. Sejanus’s tribute, Marcus, had luckily escaped during the bombing of the arena, but the satisfaction of it was short-lived, they caught Marcus. Sadly, Marcus is shown near death tied high up in the Hunger Games, and is shown mercy when he is killed. Snow knows his friend’s heart and is cautious, but makes the mistake that costs his friend dearly.
The actors do quite well in following their parts, they follow their roles precisely, whether they’re acting insane and indifferent, or determined and compassionate. I thought Dr. Volumnia Gaul was by all means the cruel woman who you’d expect to start the Hunger Games. Also, Lucy Gray isn’t thrilled with the arrangement and acts as anyone would in her spot. However, I disliked how quick Snow was to turn on Lucy Gray, despite him being in love. He was determined to save her, even cheating, knowing the consequences that were in store for him during the games. Only to soon want her dead, and willing to do it himself. One might even ask themselves were they truly in love?
