The Hunger Games Ballad of SongBirds and Snakes: The Games Return
Go back to spring break of 2012. One of the most talked-about books is now a movie. And it made everyone talk. And not just a little. The whole world was talking about the first Hunger Games movie. And it has stayed that way for years. Now, come back to today. Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel about how Coriolanus Snow rose to power during and after the tenth annual Hunger Games. And every scene takes the originals up a notch. What did I think? Well, let’s get into it:
First, I want to talk about the cinematography. It is incredible. Mockingjay Part 2 has been around for eight years now, and I mention this because this was the last time Francis Lawrence made a high-budget film aside from his 2018 film Red Sparrow. Looking at both Mockingjay Part 2 and Ballad side by side, the camera work has a massive difference. Take the games themselves, for example. At first, it looked like it was a one-shot take. The camera continues for 40 seconds or more before switching over. And I love that. A good friend of mine is in the camera area of the film industry, and she mentioned that it can be challenging. Especially when there is so much happening around that the camera might not catch it. And I agree. Even though the camera should focus on our main character, a lot is happening behind the camera. That's where I love the audio design of this movie. Yes, we can’t see them fight. But we sure can hear them. Overall, Francis kicked it up a notch with his camera work. And it pulled off.
Watching this movie by myself for the first time was fantastic. I got to take in the sights and sounds of this movie. Then, I got flashbacks, back to 2012. I was petrified, on the edge of my seat, and my nerves were to the roof. And that’s how I was back then. And I loved that feeling. Our main character, Lucy Gray, competes in the 10th annual Hunger Games. At this time, none of the tributes received any special treatment or training whatsoever. And that’s a little scary if you ask me. It felt more real to me. And that’s scary. They were fighting for survival. And the fact that they had no training is twice as wild to me. They were killing to stay alive. And I hate to say it, but it was brutal, like a cave dweller or Viking fight.
Let’s talk about the stars of the show. Tom Blyth plays the future president that we all hate, Snow. First, calling him the movie's protagonist was weird, but trust me, we all were rooting for him. Tom took his role and ran with it. He did fantastically playing a good guy turned bad. He played Snow so well, showing the audience his excellent side for most of the movie and then turning the switch on very quickly and smoothly to his more, well, the side we all know. I would be lying if I didn’t say Tom's acting made sense for this role. Every detail about Snow accurately describes Tom. And that’s why I enjoyed him as Snow. Now, the big question in this movie is Rachel Zegler. And my answer is she did well. Rachel plays Lucy Gray, and I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy her performance. Rachel brought her acting expertise and voice to elevate this movie. Yes, there were moments when this screamed a Broadway movie to me. But she is a singer who wants to sing a few songs from the book. Another thing is that Rachel proves she can have a fun side and a more serious tone. Take the games themselves. She is earnest about finding a way to survive. Then, she was more energetic after the games were over. Her “Swinging” days returned to her, and you can tell she just wanted to sing and have fun dancing and singing. It was lovely to watch how the famous song, “The Hanging Tree,” was created. She gave it a more sinister or haunting interpretation. The rest of the cast is terrific. But it’s these two who got my attention from beginning to end.
Could James Newton Howard make a better soundtrack than the first four films? The short answer is yes. There are no words to describe this music. It’s wild, with new sounds here and there and nostalgic themes as well. Nothing could have made this soundtrack better. The Capital’s Anthem, Victory, and a quick, barely noticeable reference to the Catching Fire games all play a role here. Like I said, the music is crazy. One of my favorite pieces is Happy Hunger Games, played at the beginning of the games—big, heavy drums and rapid, scary strings. In the background, you can hear some rising anxiety strings that made me get on the edge of my seat. The music playing with this one-take shot is fantastic. When these strings stop, we are treated with some horns, but not for long. This song is one of many that I enjoyed in this film. And James Howard had no reason yet, every reason, to be as intense as he was. As I said, it was a fantastic score for this one.
I could not have asked for a better movie. Everything just seemed right. It all seemed well done, from the characters to the action, music, and more. I only discussed the first half of the movie. Because after the games, things get even more intense. But I know I enjoyed the second half as much as the first. Yes, the pacing of the second half is languid. But it kept me engaged. Enough to tell us who the Songbird and the snake are.