The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was (and still kind of is) my hyper fixation for the month of November. If anything tells you how much I loved the movie, I’ve now seen it three times. The first time I saw it was with some coworkers and my Muncie movie bestie, Annika. At this point, I had started the book, but I only read up to Part II. The second time I saw the movie was three days later with a friend from home, and I had read up to Part III. By the time I went to the theater a third time, I finished the book in its entirety. I absolutely loved it from the first page to the last and I think they adapted the movie beautifully. Any changes they made from the book to the movie I felt was pretty justified too.
Off the top of my head, here are the differences I could remember from the book to movie…spoilers ahead, obviously.
- When Clemensia lied about writing the proposal with Coryo, she still stuck her hand in the pile of snakes and got bit, but she didn’t die in the book. She actually came back with snake scales, which could’ve been a pretty cool side effect to explore if they had more time in the movie.
- Lucy Gray and Coryo flirt SO MUCH in the books, and I hate to say it, but I wish there was a little more of that in the movie…sue me. Yes, I know it would’ve romanticized them even more, so I get it, but it was some top tier content from the book. I loved it when he was filling out her questionnaire and asked her “Are you married?” and she responded with “Why? Are you asking for me? Because I think this could really work.” The banter was so good. They also kiss before she even goes into the arena.
- This one is kind of a small detail, but in the book, Snow couldn’t really see Lucy Gray in the arena. There were no cameras where she was hiding with Jessup. I’m sure they changed this because what fun would that be to not see the main girl in the movie?
- The tributes REALLY put up a fight when Snow had to save Sejanus in the arena. He was left injured in the movie for sure, but I think in the book his injuries are so noticeable to a point that he has to tell everyone he was in a bike accident.
- The Hunger Games ended pretty differently between the movie and the book. In the book, Dr. Gaul does send her snakes into the arena as a punishment for the rebel bombing indirectly killing Felix Ravinstill, but unlike the movie, that’s not where it ends. There’s still a few tributes left after the snakes are let loose and they calm down after hearing Lucy Gray sing. The games end when Lucy Gray poisons and runs Reaper to death.
- I feel like the way the games ended in the game was significantly more powerful. It made sense to end with the snakes because of how pissed and revenge-ridden Dr. Gaul was over the death of one of their own. I loved that entire scene with the audience genuinely not knowing if Dr. Gaul was going to let there be a victor. I wouldn’t put it past her either, she’s ruthless! I loved everyone chanting to let Lucy Gray out and the panic you see in Coryo’s face, even though his motives were probably more about the Plinth prize than the girl, even if he was a little smitten with her (in his own way).
- In the book, there were three items Snow used to help Lucy Gray cheat. There was the compact and handkerchief, but there was also a napkin he gave her for food that she used to close Jessup’s eyes when he died in the games.
- I don’t think Coryo had to pay his way out of District 8 to be a Peacekeeper in District 12 like he did in the movie. There could be multiple reasons they changed this, but I think it showed in the movie how he’s still not above bribery and manipulation of power to get what he wants, even after he was punished for cheating.
- When Snow and The Covey go to the lake, Coryo is the one who acknowledges that maybe “this could be his life” instead of in the movie where Lucy Gray asks him that question. I thought this was an interesting change, not that he “enjoys” nature in the book, really.
- Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t remember him ever telling her about being reassigned to District 2 in the book…not that he really gets the chance.
- When Lucy Gray performs “Pure As The Driven Snow” it’s actually after Sejanus is hung in the book and Coriolanus is so moved to tears that he can’t even speak. In the movie, he walks away. I saw a comment on Tik Tok a few days ago that said they probably made this choice for the movie to show the viewer that his love of power and his dedication to the capitol is something he values over any love he has for her.
More General Differences
- There was overall just more backstory with Crassus Snow and Dean Highbottom, but I don’t think it took away anything from the movie. They translated why he hated Coriolanus so much and how a lot of that resentment comes from beef he had with his father.
- There’s lots of inner monologue differences that portray his possessiveness and jealousy with Lucy Gray, how much he doesn’t understand or like most of the songs the Covey sings (due to jealousy of either her taking the spotlight from him or because most of her songs except for one are about Billy Taupe), how much he hates Mockingjays and Sejanus, his hatred for the districts, and his better connection with Lucy Gray (I kind of touched on this earlier).
- He also is just overall pretty hellbent on proving to himself that Lucy Gray is the exception because she’s “not district” even though she sure as heck isn’t Capitol.
- You also get to meet more of Snow and Sejanus’s bunkmates in the book! They’re pretty cool.
- I loved little lines in the movie like “I’m just sending water” and pretty much anything Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman had to say (Jason Schwartzman was perfect casting).
My memory could be fuzzy, and I didn’t mention everything, but those were all the big things I immediately noticed. One of my favorite parts of the movie was the ending of the games and the chanting to let Lucy Gray out and Snow’s point of “who will watch the games if there’s no victor.” I also loved the final confrontation Snow had with Dean Highbottom and his last confrontation with Dr. Gaul. Both of those interactions are bone-chilling and really solidify what a phenomenal actor Tom Blyth is. Not to mention Hunter Schafer KILLED it as Tigris in this film. I love her last line too when she says that he looks just like his father, addressing Coriolanus by his full name for the first time, and not with a hint of pride in her voice.
But the best part of this movie is undeniably Rachel Zegler’s voice and the light she breathed into Lucy Gray Baird. I was in tears the first time I saw this movie because her voice is simply just…angelic. I felt like a different sentient being when I saw this film, and I credit a lot of that to the acting, the singing, the score/soundtrack, and just the nostalgic feeling I got from watching/reading The Hunger Games when I was little. I knew this movie was going to be a smash when I could feel how evil Snow was even without the inner monologue. Yes, it was toned down for sure just because we aren’t getting any of the “unreliable narrator” bits or inner monologue from the books, but Tom Blyth had small tells of rolling his eyes or smirking, or just delivering a line so snide that I wasn’t ever quite able to forget how evil this character is to his core.
I didn’t feel that the movie was too long or too short, and the score was just, like I said earlier, so good. Specifically, whatever songs were playing when he met her at night and asked “Is this real?” and the song at the very end when Coriolanus is looking up at the statue in the capitol.
The ending was perfect in my opinion, Lucy Gray Baird is and will always be a mystery. In my head, she didn’t die…but the question that keeps me up at night is about love. Snow said once that “it’s the things we love most that will destroy us”, but how much did he really love Lucy Gray?
I think the cast answers this question beautifully in this interview: https://youtu.be/w3NRJDBJImU?si=NH-Ew_U9Gad-EERe
I think on both ends, it’s a yes, but there’s something in the way on both of their ends. In the book, Lucy makes a point to say she trusts him, says “you’re the only boy in my heart” before the games even begin, says “you’re mine and I’m your…it’s written in the stars” and “you’re my life now” before they run off. While he’s calling her the love of his life and actually ponders on what his life could be like with just her and nature at one point. Snow does show concern and love, but it’s ALWAYS with strings and usually concern for himself first. He loves her, but he loves power more, in fact I think his love might even be fascination with her because she provided him with power. I also think a part of her loved him as well, but I’m not sure if she ever fully trusted him, because she was pretty quick to trust her gut in the end of it all…and boy does he lose his cool fast (in both the book and the movie).
Overall, this movie is absolutely 5/5, 10/10, certified fresh for me. Snow lands on top, and so does this movie.
Go see The Hunger Games: TBOSAS while it’s still in theaters! And follow me on Letterboxd @tbstaytay to see more of my shorter movie reviews.