Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)

Initial thoughts on the film and how it serves as an adaptation

*Spoilers ahead*

I admit I didn't see the appeal when the prequel was announced for the Hunger Games trilogy. But then the movie trailer came out and I knew I had to see the movie. I also knew that I had to read the book first to compare. And I’m so glad I did.

I finished the book a couple of days before seeing the movie. With it fresh in my mind, I had high expectations. This particular story is complicated to adapt. It’s a dense novel consisting of Coriolanus Snow’s inner monologue. He’s a complex character with contradicting thoughts and actions.

Like any book-to-film adaptation, changes or cuts must be made. It’s hard to please everyone. I certainly have a few critiques. I think the general essence of the book and characters is captured; however, because the story is significantly condensed, there is a lack of detail and contextualization in the film.

The film has a runtime of 2 hours and 38 minutes, and it feels rushed. It quickly jumps from one event to the next without proper development and time for the audience to sit and process what’s happening.

Right off the bat, there is a bombardment of exposition - the Snow family’s history and fall from grace; the importance of the Plinth prize; the introduction of Sejanus Plinth, Dr. Gaul (head game maker), Dean Highbottom (the creator of the games), and Lucy Gray Baird; and the mentor assignment.

Then part 1 quickly moves through the betting and sponsorship proposal, Arachne’s death, Clemensia’s snake bite, the tour and bombing of the arena, the tribute interviews, and Snow giving Lucy Gray the compact filled with rat poison. It’s relentless. There’s no time for scenes to breathe, so certain plot points feel insignificant when they’re supposed to serve specific purposes.

For example, Arachne’s death goes beyond an ignorant capitol girl taunting her starving tribute with food. The book uses this moment to demonstrate how opportunistic Snow is. When Arachne’s throat is slashed, he rushes to stop the bleeding, not because he cares, but because he’ll look good in front of the cameras.

This heroic act pays off when he’s later asked to sing the anthem at her funeral. Suzanne Collins points out how excessive the funeral is - it’s a glorified act of remembrance and grief. The Capitol makes an event out of it by hanging Arachne’s tribute’s corpse in the air for everyone to see.

Logistically, I understand why the funeral isn’t included in the movie. Similar commentary and themes are explored in other scenes. Though I would’ve liked to see Tom Blyth sing. But at the zoo, a quick shot of him glancing at a nearby camera before “helping” Arachne could’ve been included. It would’ve shown how attention-seeking and egotistical Snow truly is.

Another moment that feels less impactful is the bombing of the arena. Unlike the movie, the book highlights how chaotic the 10th Hunger Games is, which is why Dr. Gaul later erases any record of it. Before the game even starts, numerous tributes and mentors are dead. Snow has to start crossing names off a list to track who’s still left in the competition.

The tributes are either killed trying to escape the arena or they die from the explosion, which is how the mentors die. Marcus is the only tribute that escapes. His whereabouts are unknown until the game starts and he’s seen strung up in the arena. This isn’t made clear in the movie so when he shows up again, it’s confusing and out of the blue.

Additionally, the bombing shifts Snow and Lucy Gray’s dynamic. Something that isn’t as obvious in the movie is Snow’s need to be in control. The book establishes this from the beginning. Snow repeatedly refers to Lucy Gray as belonging to him. It’s possessive. So, after she saves him, he feels indebted to her. He loses a bit of that control. Mixed with budding feelings, their relationship is further complicated. This is apparent during the tribute interview.

When Lucy Gray sings about Billy Taupe, Snow is insanely jealous. His sense of ownership is combined with pride and superiority as his tribute thrives and the others flounder. But what’s fascinating (and deranged) is that Snow starts envying Lucy Gray for the attention she receives. Mind you, she’s singing for her life and all he can think about is himself.

Of course, this is difficult to show on screen without voiceover but it’s a shame that the interviews are brushed over. A third of the book is devoted to preparing the tributes for this occasion. It builds on Snow’s proposal to incorporate sponsors, place bets and make a spectacle out of these kids. It also reinforces how messy this year’s game is. Many of the pairings can’t participate due to injuries or death.

The movie only shows us Lucy Gray’s interview. She appears out of the blue with a guitar and starts singing like she didn’t just experience an explosion. Snow sees the performance from the hospital instead of in person so there’s an emotional disconnect and a sense of unimportance. In the original films, we’re on stage with the tributes. I understand why this film opts for a donation count with a shot of Snow smirking instead, it just feels rushed.

Part 2 is better-paced, in my opinion. A great deal is cut and changed but nothing essential to the core story except there’s no blood bath in the book. Ironically, the movie includes it for entertainment value. In actuality, everyone just scatters when the game starts. It’s slow and drawn out. This is partly due to the explosion. The arena is opened up, allowing tributes to hide for the first time since the creation of the games.

As for the game itself, there are moments I would’ve liked to see (eg. Reaper and Lamina’s interactions) but overall, I enjoyed this section of the movie. Reaper’s flag scene is beautifully executed and empowering. James Newton’s score is top-notch. I also like the changes to his death. It’s cinematic and feels slightly more dignified.

Another highlight during part 2 is Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman. He elevates the character with impeccable comedic timing and a jester-like quality he brings to each scene. Schwartzman also has some of the best one-liners like “tuberculosis on legs.”

If I could keep something from the book for part 2, it would be Clemensia’s arc. She’s supposed to come back with scales and other snake-like features as well as a tiff with Snow. At the least, the film could mention that she’s alive.

Box office aside, this film would’ve benefitted from a second part. I would go as far as to say each part gets a movie - a trilogy. There’s enough material there. It’d be nice to sit with scenes and gain additional insight into the story and characters.

Part 3 especially needed more time for the plot to naturally unfold. Everything happens so suddenly. It’s almost contrived. I think this is partly due to the handling of Sejanus’ character and arc. He’s an integral part of Snow’s origin story. He’s Snow’s foil. Reducing his role and importance flattens Snow’s character and eliminates the context behind Snow’s choices and rise to power.

Sejanus and Snow's relationship majorly factors into Sejanus’ death and Snow’s success. Without fleshing Sejanus out as a character, the relationship is underdeveloped. As a result, the ending isn’t earned and doesn’t make sense.

First of all, the movie downplays how sweet and sensitive Sejanus is. For instance, he’s the first person to offer the tributes food in the book, not Snow. Sejanus genuinely cares. Snow just doesn’t want to be upstaged so he follows suit.

Another example is Sejanus negotiating for Snow’s diploma after Snow is exiled to the districts and cannot graduate. That diploma is what allows him to continue his studies later on. Sejanus didn’t have to do that! Snow wouldn’t have.

Second, the movie doesn’t dive into Sejanus’ relationship with his parents and how they came to live in the Capitol. Exploring the resentment for his dad’s complicity and his Ma’s passiveness (and emphasizing her cooking!) would clarify his actions and beliefs. Otherwise, he seems dumb and reckless.

Living in the Capitol is extremely isolating for Sejanus. He’s the only person with a moral code. The only person who cares about the districts. The only one who vocally disagrees with the games. Even his own family turns a blind eye and tries to silence him.

Sejanus desperately needs someone in his corner. Then Snow comes along. He’s the only person to remotely listen or be present, so Sejanus starts to trust him and view him as a brother. But where Sejanus is impulsive, empathetic and generous, Snow is calculating, manipulative and selfish. Snow takes advantage of Sejanus’ compassion and then discards him.

The movie downplays how duplicitous Snow is. He spends the majority of the book insulting the Plinths and resenting Sejanus for having money, being undeserving of it (because he’s district), and seemingly throwing it away. But he’ll stop by the Plinth’s house and act concerned about Sejanus hoping for a financial gift. He’ll pity Ma but shamelessly eats her food because he can’t afford any. And he’ll have Sejanus hung, fake sympathies and grief and take Sejanus’ inheritance.

Snow worms his way into the Plinth family by being a good “friend” to Sejanus. Ultimately, this is how Snow lands on top. It’s because of the Plinths. Their food. Their money. Their kindness. It’s a shame the movie couldn’t fully explore the Plinth/Snow dynamic. It explains how and why Snow gets the inheritance. And why Sejanus trusts Snow and seems so careless.

Before I move on to more positive aspects, I do have two more qualms I want to briefly mention. The first is the Mockingjay storyline, which is awkwardly incorporated into the movie. Why do the peacekeepers randomly round up birds? There’s no explanation. The entire plot is extensively cut out.

It’s unfortunate that Lucy Gray’s “the show’s not over until the Mockingjay sings” is excluded. I like Snow’s puzzled reaction to this line and how it ties into the hangings in part 3 and Katniss’ embodiment of the Mockingjay later on. Snow’s immediate disgust and hatred for mockingjays, because they’re unnatural and represent chaos, adds to his character.

The second qualm has to do with Lucy Gray’s introduction. This is a nitpick. She isn’t explicitly defiant or angry in the book. Her reaping performance is more playful. She grabs the mic and starts sashaying across the stage, engaging the crowd and getting a few smiles.

This better showcases how performative and enigmatic she is from the get-go. So when Lucy Gray tells Snow to “own it” in the zoo, it’s genuine. It also makes her feelings for Snow ambiguous because you don’t know when she’s performing and being honest. Seeing her through this lens makes her role and ending more interesting.

While the nuances of the book are lost in the adaptation, this is still a movie worth watching. The costumes are fabulous. The direction is visceral. The set design is intricate and visually stunning. The soundtrack has been on repeat. “Can’t Catch Me Now” better rack up some nominations.“Pure As The Driven Snow” is my favourite song. Rachel Zegler has the voice of an angel.

Huge credit to the casting team too. Everyone embodies their character perfectly. Rachel Zegler is Lucy Gray Baird. She came in like a storm….higher than the hopes brought down…

Zegler is insanely charming and so magnetic. The accent is fantastic. Her line deliveries are captivating. My favourite one has to be “I’m not made out of sugar.” And an underrated scene of hers is when she’s talking to the kids at the zoo.

One of my favourite lines from the book is “Do you hear that? It’s the sound of snow falling.” And Peter Dinklage delivers it so much better than I could’ve imagined. I like how committed the movie is to show how much Dean Highbottom hates Snow (father and son).

Though Hunter Schaefer’s role is limited, I am in awe and mesmerized by her. There’s an authenticity and genuineness in her performance that feels so rare. She grounds every scene she’s in. Her performance is quiet but impactful.

Viola Davis is one of the best-working actors right now. She nails the crazy scientist aspect but is also intimidating and authoritative. My favourite line that she says is “down, down, down.” I loved the “get her out” scene too. Davis does so much with zero dialogue.

And of course, this entire movie would fall apart if not for Tom Blyth, who brilliantly tracks Coryo’s descent into evil and Snow’s ascent to power. Without voiceover, the film relies on his performance to convey the nuances and conflicts. He has these split-second expressions that add so much life and complexity to the character.

All in all, I would (and will) watch this movie again. I enjoyed it. This was a worthy addition to an excellent franchise.