The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: breaking the prequel curse

By Olivia Garrett

Image provided By Creative Commons License

With the release of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, the infamous book-to-movie adaptations have found themself new ground: a prequel. The novel, having strongly resonated and engaged with audiences, called for a film realization. Concerning the production of the prequel, director Francis Lawrence had an immense task set out before him: please one of the largest fan bases in the world. Working alongside series author Suzanne Collins to create a representative, crowd-pleasing film, Lawrence managed to do exactly that.

Taking place 64 years before the original storyline, the film follows future president Coriolanus Snow as he navigates the fictional country of Panem’s early government system and his own interpersonal relationships. Star actor Tom Blythe put on an exemplary performance as Snow and effectively conveyed the intricate and illusory persona of the character. Throughout the story, Snow undergoes deep psychological and physical torment; watching the character subtly succumb to these struggles is beautifully felt from Blythe’s striking performance.   

Not only did Blythe impress audiences, but fellow actor Rachel Zegler also portrayed a masterful performance in her co-star role as Lucy Gray Baird. Baird’s personality can be characterized as stubborn, perceptive and sure, each quality perfectly actualized by Zegler. Baird wears bright, colorful dresses, speaks out of line and rebels against authority, all traits amounting to the character's refreshing and unique persona. This eccentric personality allows Zegler to add her own creative input to the role and fully embody the character's individuality. Zegler’s acting is excellent, and her musical performance is equally remarkable. 

Emphasis on the “Ballad” in “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, the project has no shortage of exceptional songs. Each song is beautifully sung by Zegler, fully encapsulating the audience in the environment of the dystopian world. Songs such as “Nothing You Can Take From Me” and “The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird” lyrically parallel the themes of the series, emotionally connecting the audience to the story. With traditional folk influences, the songs transport audiences to the Appalachian country environment of Baird’s home, District 12. Sung with a southern drawl and a wide smile, Zegler’s impressive and powerful vocals solidify her as an outstanding musical performer.

With a nearly three-hour runtime, the film occasionally overstays its welcome. As the film begins, it slowly builds to the height of the action-filled Hunger Games, portraying fast choreographed combat and physical conflict. However, after this high, the movie takes a severe dip in pacing. Often drawing on with slow and tedious scenes back to back, one starts to feel the movie’s length. This decline in speed, however, is later remedied in its enthralling third act, carefully leading and steering the plot towards the finale. Even so, the movie's resolution feels sudden and unexpected. Ending rather ambiguously, the film leaves a large extent up to the viewer’s interpretation. 

Imagistically, the movie is beautifully shot. With broad, expansive landscapes and deep rich colors, the cinematography is exceptionally done. Portraying both the cold, brutalitarian architecture of the country’s capital and the warm, homely environment of District 12, the film expertly realizes the fictional world. Often utilizing single close-up shots, the director chooses to focus on one character at a time, watching their inner turmoil and reactions unfold with minimal distraction. When portraying the action-heavy moments, the camera work mimics that of a shaky handheld camera, paralleling the erratic and chaotic events of the scene. Within this film, the directional effort and intent are glaringly clear.

This film was extremely successful in it’s pursuit to live up the beloved series. While for the sake of run-time the filmmakers had to cut out some novel material, the movie overall adequately portrayed the book and will be held in regard by fans everywhere.