Earning a 6.9 on IMDb and 64% on Rotten Tomatoes as of Jan. 9, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” was a hit for audiences in theaters. According to Box Office Mojo, the movie grossed over $300 million worldwide despite its slower opening weekend. This prequel explores President Coriolanus Snows’ backstory as he falls in love with Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute reaped from District 12 for the 10th annual Hunger Games. This book-turned-movie deserves to be a huge success as it was one of the most well-constructed films of 2023.
When looking at the choices in music, cinematography and plot structure, it is clear why fans are gushing over this adaptation. Though there are certain aspects of the movie that differed from the book, it was overall very cohesive and well done.
To convey the intense, dramatic scenes of the movie, there were many decisions that the filmmakers made that successfully illustrated their perspective. The composers did a fantastic job transforming the lyrics on the page into real musical pieces. Not to mention, Rachel Ziegler, or Lucy Gray Baird, and her incredible vocals.
One of the most creative choices was the camera angles. Each shot was carefully planned to reflect Snow’s perspective of himself – better than everyone else – with the majority of the movie being shot from a low angle looking up at him.
Each cinematographic choice they made contributed to the depth and beauty of the film. Regardless of the aesthetic appeal of the movie, I – a fellow book lover – felt that some of the director’s plot changes made the film feel incomplete.
The movie was told from a third-person perspective, so audiences were unable to hear the inner monologues of Coriolanus Snow – arguably, the most convincing part of the whole storyline was Snow’s internal dilemma and his “she’s mine” lines. The movie also altered a lot of characters’ stories, deaths, etc., which changed the feeling of certain scenes and altered the original plot.
As a big fan of the book, these choices were a bit disappointing, nonetheless, I also understand why they had to make them. Besides, these plot differences do not take away from the masterful production and the overall appeal of the movie.
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” was a jaw-dropping movie that would engage all movie and book lovers alike. It is, without a doubt, worth seeing at least once in theaters, as it does a great job of balancing the need to convey the theme of the book and appeal to movie audiences. So, if you haven’t watched the movie yet, or are still debating seeing it again, I would say to go for it!
