“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”: Great Book, Not-So-Good Movie

It’s been eight years since the last Hunger Games film was released. As a huge fan of the franchise, I was so excited to see the prequel to  the series, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

The book is amazing because of the lovely pacing, great characterization, and captivating plot. It meets the same standards as the original trilogy, but sets itself apart just enough, through a different setting and characters. However, I feel that all of the praise the film is receiving is misguided. Many people are rightfully captivated by the plot and characters, not the film itself. As a book adaptation, the plot and characters are provided for them. And while the film is well written, including most important plot points from the book, the cinematic elements of this new film pale in comparison to the original movies.

My favorite thing about the original films is that they walk the line between realism and the distinctiveness normally employed in dystopian films. Audiences can usually recognize a futuristic aesthetic, including extreme technology and outlandish fashion. Yes, the original films are obviously in a different time and space than right now, but there is something about the atmosphere created that seems more current and familiar than other dystopian story worlds. These events seem to be happening in our world, just a few years down the road. However, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes falls more into formalism, a cinematic style that relies on more fanciful props, set dressings, and costumes to create a more extraordinary reality.

If I did not know, I would think it was done by a different director. It has a completely different energy than the original films. I understand that they were trying to establish that this new film is happening in a time before Katniss, but it still happens after 2023. So then why is the look in the capital so mid-century modern?

Although The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is not perfect, there are certainly elements of the film that are still great. The acting was good all across the board of main characters, with exceptional performances by the legendary Viola Davis and Rachel Zegler, the latter of whom is bound to have an amazing career ahead of her.

Like I said, the adapting was well done. The film made sense, but it was not unbearably long. I was concerned that such a long book would need two movies to be logical, but they did well. Nonetheless, it is not as good as the originals. The main theme of the books and films is how far people will go to be entertained. They include a call to action for people to think critically about the world around them, not somewhere they are removed from. The mise-en-scène of this film moves away from this, watering down the intended message.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is still in theaters and is rated PG-13.