The Hunger Games prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” hit theaters in November and has showcased not only a new generation of actors but a new brutality of the games. Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler have both gained a massive following since their starring roles in the movie, with Zegler recovering from the public relations nightmare surrounding her negative comments toward her role as Snow White.
“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” displayed an even crueler version of the Hunger Games society than previously seen. The actual games are horrifyingly brutal, the characters are unapologetically psychopathic and the citizens of the Panem Capitol even more brainwashed.
“Iconic actress Viola Davis from ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ delivers a shockingly chilling performance as evil Head Gamemaker, Dr. Volumnia Gaul.”
The movie follows a young Coriolanus Snow as he attempts to mentor his tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, through the 10th Hunger Games alive. This takes a drastic shift, however, when the dystopian action film turns into a psychological thriller of Coriolanus and Lucy Gray’s turbulent love story.
The film also displayed a more authentic version of what the author of the Hunger Games series, Suzanne Collins, wanted people from District 12 to sound like. In a resurfaced video of her reading a chapter, Collins enunciates what she originally meant for Katniss Everdeen to sound like, featuring a thick Southern twang. While Katniss is from District 12, she does not have an accent in the original movies, which was corrected with Lucy Gray, another District 12 tribute.
One of the most important features of the prequel is no one needs prior knowledge of the Hunger Games series in order to follow along and enjoy, which opened it up to a whole new audience. However, there is subtle symbolism sprinkled throughout the film to cater to Hunger Games fans as well. One of the biggest examples is when it is revealed why President Snow’s character later has an obsession with white roses, the parallels of the hanging tree and even the roots of Katniss’ name.
Iconic actress Viola Davis from “How to Get Away with Murder” delivered a shockingly chilling performance as evil Head Gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul. It is common that gamemakers will stop at nothing to secure the future of the Hunger Games, but this character takes it to a whole new level. As she takes Coriolanus under her wing, viewers could eventually connect the dots of a lot of the ideals that President Snow preaches in the original movies.
Another significant new character was Sejanus Plinth, played by Josh Andrés Rivera. The parallels shown between Sejanus and Coriolanus demonstrate how evil can easily creep in and take over good. While Coriolanus continues to support Panem and keep his head down, Sejanus decides that he can’t violate his morals anymore, and the fate of their friendship is just as sickening as the Games themselves.
The mystifying character of Tigris Snow — played by Eugenie Bondurant in Mockingjay Part 2 and now played by Hunter Schafer from “Euphoria” — also has her backstory revealed alongside Coriolanus. Tigris and Coriolanus have the privilege of being the only two characters to appear alive in both the prequel and the originals. While originally rallying against the authoritarian Panem and the Hunger Games together as cousins, the slow burn of Coriolanus drifting from his own family prevails in the newest movie.
Notably, the prequel also features Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman, who fans speculate is the father or grandfather of the later Ceasar Flickerman (the movie leaves it ambiguous). Played by Jason Schwartzman, Lucky Flickerman is the host of the 10th annual Hunger Games and first-ever interviewer for the games — a tradition that Ceasar Flickerman, played by Stanley Tucci, carries on in the original trilogy. The relationships between the host and the tributes allows longtime fans to see the evolution of the tradition.
Watch the movie for the soundtrack alone. Although at some points during the film it was hard to watch the out-of-place singing, the soundtrack did add an important element to the storyline. Olivia Rodrigo once again showcased her lyrical creativity with her feature song “Can’t Catch Me Now.”
The new cast and original crew members did an amazing job of incorporating the world of the Hunger Games into the prequel film while also providing an introduction to the rest of the series for a whole new generation — and opening the possibility of another addition to the Hunger Games universe, like the original rebellion.
Reach Caden Proulx at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.
