In 2012, ‘The Hunger Games’ series broke into the movie world. This range of science fiction dystopian adventure films, based on the novel series of the same name by Suzanne Collins, created a frenzy in the cinematic universe. Each of the four films in the franchise was a major success.
Come 2023 and the hype has not yet died down. Director Francis Lawrence has banked upon the previous movies to launch this prequel which boasts of ambition and complexity while taking the risks of being on par with the novel. These features themselves would have made ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ a successful stand-alone movie.
Tribute
The story unfolds in the bleak setting of Panem when it is no longer prosperous. Hunger and fear rule every nook and corner much like the thirteen districts.
Coriolanus, who is eighteen, is firm but gentle. He is shrewd but soft-spoken. He lives in remembrance of his wealthy family’s lost prosperity. He needs to win the top spot at the academy and the prize money because the war destroys the fortune and the family is struggling to support his grandmother and cousin.
However, destiny intervenes, and he is compelled to coach Lucy Gray Baird, a female tribute from District 12, in the 10th Hunger Games. She is given a white rose by Coriolanus during their first meeting, but she takes a petal off and swallows it. She’s wearing a corset that depicts a snake-like shape entwined with vibrant flowers. It might serve as a metaphor for the character she represents, which is a poisonous yet delicate entity akin to a flower. Even though she has a persuasive personality, she may sting when it comes to survival.
Lucy and Coriolanus become close. Lucy acknowledges that things would have been different if ‘we’ met in another circumstance when they met at the zoo, where all of the participants are parodied like wild animals. As the iron grills keep them apart, a gentle intimacy develops between the two. As the patricians and plebeians attempt to reconcile their differences, we witness the evolution of their never-ending dilemma. Society and their situation still serve as a reminder of their differences despite their efforts.
Powerful scene
One of the most powerful scenes in the film involves the moment when Lucy, with her hair blowing softly in the breeze, sits in a serene setting and sings the ballad, “Are you, are you coming to the tree…” She tells Snow that trust is more significant than love. A flock of mockingbirds flutters above them, a subliminal hint at what will happen in the Hunger Games universe. Sixty-four years later, when Jennifer Lawrence’s character Katniss Everdeen is born and competes in the 74th annual Hunger Games, this song and these birds will be heard once more. This is how the dreaded manner which the narrators have employed to foretell the future.
Another feature which sets this prequel apart from the four previous movies is that this production seems to solely focus on the protagonist, Coriolanus Snow – The authoritarian President of Panem in the future. Rather than pinpointing the blood-thirsty nature and violence of the game director Lawrence seems to have shifted the viewer’s attention to the rise of Snow and the pivotal role he plays in the games. This is significant, especially in the episode when Snow relates that he felt power when he killed one of the children engaged in the game as a means of escaping a gruesome death. This comment foreshadows what is expected from him in the future.
Lucy’s character is as powerful as Snow’s here and it is at times difficult to assume who anchors whom. She is a powerful canon in her own right. However, compared to Snow, Lucy is shown to be more self-reliant. She is capable of existing independently because she has her own agency.
The only major flaw of this production seems to be its lengthy screen time. It tests your power of endurance yet the pros outweigh the cons here. The exceptional performance delivered by the cast – in big or small roles – is commendable. A special mention needs to be made to the lead pair, Tom Blyth and Rachel Ziegler, for their exceptional acting. They made sure that all the “Odds were in favour” of this production.
