Sophia Bird | Writer & Arantza Villarroel | Writer
November 29, 2023
This review contains spoilers from certain scenes in the movie
Only a few days ago on November 17, 2023, The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes debuted, exciting the old fans that grew up with the books and submerging them into this fantasy world once again. Francis Lawrence received the pleasure of directing the movie, and it debuted Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow. The movie follows their complicated relationship from the start, as a mentor and his tribute in the 10th annual Hunger Games, to the end, a tragic love story with a mind-blowing twist.
The cinematography had a multitude of vibrant colors and a constant reappearance of gold in shots in the Capitol, demonstrating their wealth. Contrary to this, the shots in the Districts and the arena were tinted gray, illustrating the bleakness of these areas.
Lawrence also accomplished the so-called five C’s: camera angles, continuity, cutting, close-ups, and composition.
There is a great variety of ranges in every shot, letting the viewers process the surroundings, such as the scenes of the arena from an upper view, and the frontal view of Snow finally destroying the evidence.
Lawrence also uses a multitude of close-up shots to accurately illustrate emotions, such as the profile view of Snow and Lucy Gray’s face in the zoo, where he reassures her that everything will eventually turn out alright. The proximity between both characters creates tension, and opens up the ideas of a possible romantic interest.
The continuity and composition of the story is not left behind, with clear and intentional movements, even though the details transmitted in the movie are fairly different from the ones in the book. Snow’s lack of inner monologue forces the reader to assume his actual intentions through his actions, rather than understanding his character right away.
On the other hand, “the actors did a really good job portraying the characters as I envisioned when I read the books,” exclaimed junior Ana Benito about the accuracy of the casting. She followed up by stating that “all of the actors were successful at showing the emotions and complicated relationships without the need of an external narrator or internal dialogue.”
Finally, the music is a feature loved by all due to the accurate representation of the accent and style of Appalachian culture, from which it drew inspiration. The music “adds so much depth and emotion to the movie,” junior Izzy Mccan commented. Ana Benito added that “It is fitted to the time period and place.”
Zegler, specifically, did an amazing job clearly demonstrating her feelings to the viewers by just using her guitar and amazing vocals. She has become a beloved actor, and the perfect image for the admired character Lucy Gray.
Fans have waited years for The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to finally come out, and it is now causing revolt throughout social media, resurrecting the nostalgia that the books evoke for all the young kids reading and connecting with them. Go watch the new movie at the local theater here in San Clemente, and enjoy 2 hours and 38 minutes of constant action and emotional acting!
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