Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023). Directed by Francis Lawrence. Written by Michael Lesslie, Michael Arndt, and Suzanne Collins.

[Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage.]

I cannot get this film out of my head- and not in a way I particularly enjoyed. I don’t think I’ve ever been more confused and stunned to silence in a cinema, but there’s a first time for everything, and this was finally accomplished when my best friend and I went to watch The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

My first question: what the hell is this?

My second question: what the hell is going on?

My third question: why the hell has it been almost two weeks and I cannot put this film to rest?

I hate criticizing films in my reviews and try to focus on the finer executions that still shine through regardless of popularity and critical acclaim, but I fear if I don’t put these feelings into words, I will implode. I can’t help but point out moments where the film shone and I aim to include moments where The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was successful in translating the story, but for the first time on this blog, I am about to chat shit just like I do offline, so buckle in baby.

Like many other millennials and Gen Z’s, The Hunger Games book trilogy kept me sane in high school- perhaps even a beacon of light in the shadows of my depression and this love only increased annually as the story unfolded in the style of four epic films.

Not only does The Hunger Games age like fine wine but is perhaps one of the best sagas of all time.

And then came the prequel….

Upon first viewing the trailer, I was convinced this was exactly what we needed amidst the chaos that is 2023. It screamed reminiscent, with a brilliantly edited peek into the story before the story- fuck, I was so ready to welcome The Hunger Games (2012 - 2015) back into my life (if we pretend that my sister Sof and I don’t re-watch the saga annually).

With an interesting and promising plotline, this film had many opportunities to expand and develop the world of Panem, which would have in turn added richness to the original cinematic saga. This film could have been the cherry on top of an already-epic sundae. But, it was sour, my dudes.

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As a precursor, I had yet to read the book before seeing the film, but if this movie gave me anything, it was the desire to figure out what the fuck was going on. And that made me angrier.

If I had one sentence to sum up this film it would be, “missed opportunity.”

Never have I wanted a sequel for a single book so badly. I suppose on the bright side, with great reception and the greed of Hollywood, that wish might be granted. And, considering the prequel novel is the longest of the original trio, I cannot comprehend how the creators thought it would be possible to cram it all into one mediocre, half-missing film. Some successful book splits include; I.T (2017-19), A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017-19), House of the Dragon (2022- ).

In brief summary:

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Ballad) tells the story of the 10th annual Hunger Games. This year, the senior students of the Capitol are each given a tribute to mentor during the game- this is partially due to trying to find new ways to make the Hunger Games interesting as the citizens of Panem have been losing interest. One of these students is Coriolanus Snow, (Tom Blyth) the son of the rebel Crassus Snow, who co-created the games with Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage).

With a lot to prove, Coriolanus (Snow) is paired with District 12 tribute Lucy Gray (Rachel Zegler) with whom he progressively grows fond of, and with a lot of effort (including Snow sneaking into the arena and killing a tribute, providing Lucy with contraband, and singing to snakes), Lucy becomes the victor of the 10th Hunger Games.

However, through discourse, Snow finds himself working as a Peacekeeper in District 12 where he reunites with Lucy and continues to do everything he can to get back in the Capitol’s good graces. It is soon evident that Snow is willing to do anything to redeem himself and this includes betraying his loved ones and killing people. This progression in Snow’s callousness comes to a climax when he and Lucy run away together, but conflict arises and results in Snow chasing her down in an attempt to kill her.

Returning to the Capitol, Snow is embraced by the Gamemaker, Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis), and is offered an opportunity for further education. As the film wraps up, he pays a final visit to Casca Highbottom, and using his newfound cruelty, Snow poisons Casca, severing the ties of his haunting childhood, ready to replace this supposed injustice with future success and eventual dictatorship.

So, where to start?

I don’t think I liked this film very much and in fact, I don't think it was particularly good in general terms. I can't even credit this opinion to the hype of the original saga and whether it lived up to them because this film could have fit in the Hunger Games world with ease (think House of the Dragon [2022- ], Better Call Saul [2015-22]). I still cannot tell you what genre this is…

Yes, guys, I am making reference to the insurmountable country music songs that had us questioning what this film’s genre even was. Singing was an extremely impactful instrument used as a symbol of rebellion, heartbreak, and reflection in both the novels and the original saga, but in The Ballad, it started to feel like an actual musical and was rather cheesy.

I’m pretty unbiased to country music, in fact, some may say I dabble, but it certainly did not suit the tone or add to the story's progression- almost unbelievable in comparison with the reactions of the characters. I will give slight credit to the version of the song The Hanging Tree performed by Rachel Zegler.

But this also encourages me to bring up the massive error with symbolism in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Unfortunately, the novel and film both rely on referencing symbolic moments from the original trilogy/saga- it became cheesy with the number of references to roses and Mockingjay's which are symbols that only work in the trilogy because they contribute to the plotline.

Using the example of The Hanging Tree, the viewer is likely to feel a sense of nostalgia (creating a link between the prequel and saga) it's being used as a means of embracing the symbolic song from Mockingjay Part 2 (2015).

The Hanging Tree was used as a song of protest and resistance in Mockingjay- the symbol only exists within the context of that plot. Incorporating this song is ineffective because no parallel can be drawn, therefore, there is no reason for the song to appear in The Ballad other than to acknowledge the original trilogy which felt contrived and was certainly a weak way of connecting the links between the prequel and saga.

The Ballad aims to fill in the blanks of President Snow’s early life to create a timeline of his life from childhood to elder and how his traumatic and difficult past has influenced the man we know him as in The Hunger Games.

To execute this plotline, it’s vital to unravel his evolution from good to bad with pacing that neither lags nor rushes to maintain a smooth progression that feels realistic to the audience- believability is key.

Tragically, like many post-released prequels, I fear that author, Suzanne Collins failed to execute the quality of the story that she aimed for.

There is so much to learn about Snow. He makes for a brilliant main character and has enough literary material to carry the film with less need for supporting roles.

However, the supposed need for romance, drama, and high stakes involves the choice to push Lucy Gray almost to the forefront, regularly implying that she is actually the main character and the one who holds the most importance, in stark contrast to the novel where Lucy is not present for sometimes up to 50 pages at a time.

This results in the film implying that Lucy is the main reason for Snow’s empathetic demise and if you don’t believe me, take a look at some of the Letterboxd reviews.

It’s okay for the story to be solely centered around Snow and would have greatly increased the viewer's understanding of his character's progression in a way that feels natural and warranted. I just don't buy that he is on the way to wholly embracing his darkness, which is something we really needed to believe before the credits rolled. As a result, there are two versions of Snow and neither share a link other than their names.

What a shame. Snow is certainly one of the more complex characters of The Hunger Games.

This isn't an impossible challenge to successfully execute, some examples of believable gradual descents into madness include; Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976) , Jack Torrance in The Shining (1980), and the Narrator 'Tyler Durden' in Fight Club (1999), to name a few.

And with such a vast amount of information, I couldn't help but feel as if pieces were missing from this film. I think this can be attributed to pacing. Suzanne Collins had carefully structured the trilogy, allowing the viewer to absorb information and build up anticipation for the game’s start.

In both The Hunger Games (2012) and Catching Fire (2013), the game begins around one-third of the way through, and this is extremely successful in creating two climaxes (one when the game starts, and one when the game ends), but because the plot of The Ballad aims to focus on Snow’s’ life post-game, Suzanne Collins introduces the game earlier on, and this instantly lowers our satisfaction when the game is won, resulting in a decline of our attention for the remainder of the film.

Also, the game was honestly just not that interesting. The games are still new and lack the majority of the tricks, technology and challenges of the games we see later (74th + 75th), and tributes are dying from everything BUT the games!! Armies of snakes, cheating, rebel bombing, diseases, sneaking into the arena- worst of all, fucking useless drones that caused more harm than good. It was a shitshow and quite laughable. I’m not surprised that nobody in Panem was interested.

Look, Suzanne Collins did not ultimately provide much information or content for the novel The Ballad to be as successful as its predecessors she missed the opportunity to expand and solidify the personality and history of an already three-dimensional antagonist, instead opting to instead repeat and reinforce information already provided in the original saga.

As a result, there was nowhere near enough source material for this film to have been a total success and it truly shows. The film ends 64 years prior to The Hunger Games where Katniss and Peeta and reaped... So, what the hell did Snow get up to in between The Ballad and The Hunger Games?

Where does The Ballad succeed?

Using the same director as the original saga allowed for some connection to the world of Panem and applying similar cinematography and sound editing helps wedge this film in with the original saga is certainly first on the list.

I enjoyed Tom Blyth’s range of acting, and obviously, he is just so beautiful. Another actor worth mentioning is Josh Andrés Rivera who plays the role of Snow's best friend, Sejanus Plinth, and boy oh boy, Rivera gave it his all! He was so committed to his performance that I really believed in his character arc as a result.

The ‘adult’ cast members were having a blast, and it showed in their performances. I refer predominantly to Viola, Jason Schwartzman, and Peter Dinklage. They understood the assignment and thank the lord for that.

Viola was fun, having fun, letting loose and leaning into the craziness that is Dr. Volumnia, and blessings upon blessings for Jason Schwartzman who embodies the role of Lucky Flickerman- local weatherman, amateur magician, and the first host of The Hunger Games- we really needed some light in the depression that was this film.

Lucky is also the ancestor of Caesar Flickerman- a fan favourite from The Hunger Games trilogy- and as far as I’m concerned, this should have been the only reference.

Best of all, Peter Dinklage brought to life a secondary character with minimal backstory and managed to create somebody that became far more interesting than the protagonists. He executed a solemn, dark, and mysterious performance that left me wishing the story had been about Cascus Highbottom instead.

In summary, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was an ambitious attempt to reignite the spark of an already stand-out saga and failed miserably. With a lack of smooth pacing, an unstable storyline, and a little too much focus on singing, the result struggles to maintain interest and audience engagement. It was kinda enjoyable and has helped introduce the younger generation to the original saga, which is awesome!

But, with great sorrow, I am still wondering how I can get back those two hours and thirty minutes.

6/10. “Snow lands on top.”