The famous dystopian series The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins has expanded with the release of a new movie called The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The movie is an adaptation of Collins’s most recent novel by the same name. It was released on November 17, 2023, about three years after the book was published.
When multiple global disasters caused the collapse of civilization in North America, the country of Panem was formed as a result. The fictional country is made up of one Capitol and twelve additional districts. After a brutal war between the two, which led to a victory for the Capitol, the Hunger Games were created in order to punish the districts. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to the original Hunger Games trilogy, taking place sixty-four years prior. A young Coriolanus Snow, the infamous dictator from The Hunger Games, mentors Lucy Gray Baird, a charming singer from District 12, through the tenth annual Hunger Games.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes offers insight into how the Hunger Games came to be and shows Panem in the aftermath of war. It mainly takes place in the Capitol and District 12. The movie did a great job displaying the different time period, going from the futuristic Capitol in The Hunger Games to the less advanced version in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Like in every adaptation, there were bound to be some differences between the movie and book. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is pretty accurate to the novel, but there were some alterations and a few scenes were entirely left out. The movie is divided into three long sections. The first two take place in the Capitol and the last takes place in District 12. The last section felt a little rushed compared to the others, which was disappointing considering it’s when many crucial events of the story occur.
When the book was first published in 2020, it got a lot of mixed reviews. Many loved it and thought it was a great addition to The Hunger Games series, while others thought it was slow and uninteresting. One of the movie’s best qualities was the music. Lucy Gray’s songs are a really important part of the book, as they connect to the songs in The Hunger Games. The movie depicted them perfectly. Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray, did an excellent job portraying her character. It was slightly disappointing that not all of her songs were included, though most of the important ones were.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes sends an interesting message about the effects of war and what it can do to people. The movie is from Coriolanus Snow’s perspective, and it explains his role in the creation of the games as a result of his will to succeed. Watching a movie from the villain’s point of view is different, because some scenes appeal to viewer sympathy. At first glance, it may seem surprising that Snow is a dictator in The Hunger Games. A lot of fans wanted a book about one of the Hunger Games victors or other important characters from the original series, but Snow’s story is still an intriguing one. All in all, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a great addition to The Hunger Games movies.
