Movie Review of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes

Slight spoilers ahead but no major spoilers will be given.

I managed to watch an early showing of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” on Nov. 16 before its release on Nov. 17.

The prequel movie follows 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow as he’s about to graduate school with an assignment to mentor Lucy Gray Baird during the 10th annual Hunger Games. The movie is divided into three parts that show the progression of Snow’s journey for power. The audience gets to meet a young President Snow as we learn about his family and their circumstances.

I think it was interesting to see the early days of the hunger games after the war. As cruel as the games are, they weren’t as bad as when we’re first introduced to them in the original “Hunger Games” movies. The 10th games are the first time they’re being turned into entertainment because people aren’t watching them.

You also get to put the pieces together of how much Katniss Everdeen and the rebellion reminded Snow of Lucy Gray, the girl who broke his heart. Lucy Gray introduces Snow to the Katniss plant and Mockingjay birds long before Katniss Everdeen was born. She even wrote “The Hanging Tree” song, which happens to be about her and Snow, that Katniss Everdeen sings in the last movie.

Character posters for Lucy Gray and Coriolanus Snow side by side.

Lucy Gray Baird is all about freedom. She’s not originally from district 12, she’s from a Covey, a band of travelers who moved throughout Panem before being forced to settle in the districts. Lucy Gray’s parents are dead, but she considers the Covery to be her family. As the movie follows Snow’s perspective, what we as an audience know of her is what she tells him.

Coriolanus Snow is all about power. His family is originally from the capital but have lost their money and power with the death of his parents and the war. Snow is willing to do anything and hurt anyone in his way of achieving his goal of power.  

Lucy Gray and Snow were bound to end as power and freedom don’t work well together. I do think they loved each other but not in an understanding and trusting way, maybe a superficial kind of love born from survival. It’s clear this movie is not a love story but a journey to power with a pitstop of love.

I don’t think Snow is capable of meaningful love, I believe he viewed Lucy Gray as someone he could possess and control, which made him feel good. I imagine he liked her because she made him feel pleasurable emotions and not for the reasons people should love another for.

I would categorize Snow as a Narcissist as he only cares for himself and whatever pleases him. He doesn’t have meaningful relationships, though they appear to be, because he uses people to get what he wants from them. He views himself superior to those around him and shows a lack of empathy towards others. He’s envious of his classmate’s money and exhibits entitlement.

As Snow is fighting his way to power, there is an individual who senses cruelty and intelligence in him and places him in a position to later gain power. As an audience, we don’t get to witness this, but we know this person also feeds and develops Snow’s sense of cruelty.

The music sung by Lucy Gray is beautiful and fits the world of Panem. Her songs are purposeful with lyrics that speak her emotions and tell stories.

I loved Lucy Gray and Sejanus Plinth, a friend to Snow, and I don’t believe Snow deserved to have known or been loved by them.

I would rate this movie an 8/10. Though it was done purposefully, I would have liked to know Lucy Gray more outside of Snow’s perspective.