The Hunger Games Return: A Deep Dive into “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”

Hey there, movie enthusiasts! Settle in because on November 17, 2023, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” graced the screens, treating fans to a captivating journey into the dark and enthralling world of Panem. Under the skillful direction of Francis Lawrence and based on Suzanne Collins’ prequel novel, the film promised to unveil the mysteries of the Hunger Games’ origins, unfolding a tale set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen’s iconic arrival to the arena.

A Glimpse into Panem’s Past: Coriolanus Snow’s Tale Unfolds

Now, let’s dive into Panem’s past with the main man himself, young Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blyth. He’s navigating the tricky terrain of the 10th Annual Hunger Games, once a part of the fallen Snow family. Now, he’s unexpectedly thrown into the role of mentor for Lucy Gray Baird, played by Rachel Zegler, a tribute from the struggling District 12. The film explores Snow’s moral struggles, tangled relationships, and his surprising journey from privilege to the edge of power.

Star-Studded Ensemble: A Stellar Cast Graces the Screen

And can we talk about the cast? A bunch of stars that had us counting down the days! Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, and Jason Schwartzman brought their A-game. Davis rocked as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the mastermind Gamemaker with a seriously sinister imagination. Dinklage was the brains behind the Hunger Games as Casca Highbottom, and Schwartzman added humor and charisma as Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman, a distant relative of the original trilogy’s charming host.

Beyond Survival: Privilege, Exploitation, and Power Unveiled

Now, “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” wasn’t your typical survival thriller. It went beyond the previous Hunger Games entries, digging into deeper topics — privilege, exploitation, and power. All of this unfolds in a condemned amphitheater where the lives of tributes hang in the balance. Coriolanus’ moral tug-of-war and his intricate bond with Lucy Gray Baird promised a storyline packed with unexpected twists, giving us a fresh take on Capitol society.

With a mix of new faces and familiar elements from the Hunger Games universe, the film hit the sweet spot. This movie works as a great expansion of the world created by Suzanne Collins. As we got lost in the roots of Panem’s most infamous tradition, “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” is set to make a lasting mark on the Hunger Games legacy. It was a thrilling and thought-provoking joyride, inviting us to revisit the dystopian universe that first captured our hearts and witness the rise of a young Coriolanus Snow. Fingers crossed the odds stay forever in our favor!

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Game of Thrones, S1E2 "The Kingsroad"

behind the scenes!

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) trailer.

There's a natural goodness built into us all. We can step across that line into evil, or not.

in my reaper brainrot era because how on earth do you not stan a boy who was so defiant to the end that even as he died, he never begged or pleaded or cried, just calmly accepted his fate, because he was never going to give them the satisfaction of putting on the show they wanted, would never allow himself to be a pawn in any of their games, because fuck that and fuck them and fuck anyone who had anything to do with it

Speaking of Cyrano de Bergerac, I recently saw the movie musical version of it released last year, with Peter Dinklage in the lead role. And I already thought it was an incredible casting choice, but today I found out that the screenplay (and the stage version) was written by Dinklage's wife, Erica Schmidt, and I just. Holy shit.

Is there not something so fucking romantic and intimate about loving your partner so much that you rewrite one of the most iconic and classic stories in the world to be about them, about the way they are overlooked for having a stigmatized physical trait, and portraying them as a sexy, compelling romantic lead so that the world can fall in love with them like you have? And making that classic story better, more meaningful and personal, because you put your own love for this person into it?

I'm just, I'm losing my shit over here, you guys. Now the whole movie just feels like we're seeing this man through his wife's eyes and I'm genuinely crying over this revelation.

A fae-like creature wanted me and a couple other people to kill a troll that had the face of Peter Dinklage.

“Hunger Games - La Ballade du Serpent et de l'Oiseau Chanteur" de Francis Lawrence - préquel de la trilogie de films "Hunger Games" (2012-15) d'après la série de romans de Suzanne Collins (2008-20) - avec Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Viola Davies, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman et Josh Andres Rivera, décembre 2023.

Tom Blyth and Peter Dinklage on set of TBOSAS

okay, i finally saw tbosas and here are my thoughts

1. i personally think it would have benefited from being split into two movies, one in the capitol, one in twelve

2. i feel like sejanus wasn’t fleshed out as well as he could have been. i absolutely adore him but in the movie he came across as more reckless as opposed to filled with righteous fury, and his death wasn’t as painful as i was expecting (let’s be honest i wanted to fall to my knees sobbing at his death and instead i was just ‘ahhh noooo ☹️’)

3. ma deserved to be better featured in the movie + she would have helped flesh sejanus out (also to show snow’s relationship with the plinths in general would have really hammered in HOW evil he is)

4. i wish we had been able to spend more time in 12, seen snows HATRED for mockingjays spelt out clearer and spent more time with the covey and see how close they all are and how much they genuinely did trust snow

5. changing the ending of the games with everyone dying from the snakes was a little disappointing but i did laugh when the students started chanting “get her out!” (also when dr gaul said she didn’t care if there wasn’t a victor vs snow demanding there has to be a victor, which 64 years later comes to bite him in the ass was MWUH chefs kiss)

6. critiques aside, every single actor was PHENOMENAL. not a single weak or subpar performance in sight, even characters without any/much dialogue were incredible and scene stealers (shoutout to irene böhm as lamina)

7. the sets and costumes were EVERYTHING, almost everything was exactly how i pictured and if it wasn’t plucked straight from my brain it was even better than i could have imagined

8. rachel zegler and tom blyth please marry me please

9. the part where marcus comes over and tells lucy gray that she can run and get out KILLED me, oh i could just feel my heart shatter in my chest

10. OH MY GOD lucky flickerman being an absolute scene stealer, what an ICON, i laughed at everything he said

okay that’s all i can think of at this moment. overall i did love it but i do find myself being all “the book was better 🤓” but very rarely do movies come close to being as good, and as far as adaptations go i loved it and could make peace with most of their changes