The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
A successful prequel narrative will do more than fill us with nostalgic feelings about a franchise- at its best, it should deepen the world, and the characters, in a way that rewards our affection for the world. For the most part, I believe “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” accomplishes that, but novelist Suzanne Collins also can’t help herself in giving us moments that scream, “Here’s why ______ feels this way about _____.• Stretched out to 2 1/2 hours, that can be tiring, but what works in Francis Lawrence’s film keeps us engaged all the same.
Most annoyingly in this film is how the future President Snow’s first name is pronounced Coriolanus as opposed to Cornelius, which I could have sworn it was said as in the first four “Hunger Games” films. (Sometimes, writers, you don’t have to go away from the established pronunciation in genre films.) The performance by Tom Blyth as the young Snow is compelling, as we see the character start to harden into the ruthless dictator he will be by the time Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute decades later. The way this film writes Snow, his malice is not fully formed by the end, but he’s a far cry from the morally mailable student who saw value in helping the tributes prepare as a mentor, and would look after his own tribute, Lucy Grey Baird, with empathy during the 10th Hunger Games. That’s a strong way to write a prequel narrative of a future villain; it made me wish George Lucas could have taken notes for his own prequel endeavor.
Adapted by Michael Arndt and Michael Lesslie, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” follows a fairly familiar formula from the first two Hunger Games books, first establishing the world of Panem before the story’s Games take place, as well as the main players in the narrative. Here, Coriolanus is a student whose family- including his sister and grandmother- are in a financially difficult place after the rebellion; the film begins with brother and sister (children at the time) are trying to find food in a war zone. He is one of 24 Capitol students selected to be the first wave of Mentors for tributes at the 10th Hunger Games. The winning mentor, which doesn’t necessarily represent the winning tribute, will get a financial reward, which- for Snow- means the opportunity to go to higher schooling, and the chance for political power. The odds seem stacked against him, however, when he is made the mentor for one of District 12’s tributes, Lucy Grey Baird (Rachel Zegler).
Rachel Zegler is fast approaching one of my favorite young actresses. Whether it’s in “West Side Story” or this or the “Shazam!” sequel, movies have utilized her best when playing towards her natural warmth and empathy, as well as her singing ability. As Lucy Grey, that is very much the point of the character- while not the youngest person in the games, she does feel like the one who alternately understands the cruelty of the games, but still shows optimism about connecting with others. It’s not as strongly-written a character as Katniss (it’s as though Collins wants her to be an early Katniss, while also being someone a bit more pure in her personality), but Zegler gives a strong performance in Lawrence’s hands.
One of the most intriguing parts of this film is how Snow has a front row seat for both the cynicism of the people behind the Games, as well as becomes friends with people who hope to change the world, and maybe save more of the tributes than society would allow. That would be Sejanus Plinth (Josh Andrés Rivera), a fellow student who hopes to start a new rebellion, and wants Snow’s help in doing so. We know what Snow’s choice will be; from the very beginning, his motivation is solely based on wanting more power. In positions of power at Panem, the alcoholic Dean Hightower (Peter Dinklage), gamemaster Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis, really letting her hair out in an outrageous role) and host Lucky Flickerman (Jason Schwartzman) each have sway over Snow’s actions, sometimes in ways that surprises even them. All three characters are memorable, if only for the over-the-top nature of the performances, but none really connect the way Snow and Lucky Grey do.
Lawrence understands the strength of how best to bring the Games to life, and there are plenty of surprises in the film. And there’s a final stretch in the film that is teasingly ambiguous regarding how the main characters leave things. But “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” can only go so far in transporting us successfully back into Panem, if only because of how familiar the story feels. Not being able to let go of some of the fan service that’s inevitable in most prequels doesn’t help.
