Disclaimer: Spoilers Ahead!
The Hunger Games franchise is based on a dystopian future where kids aged 12-18 are forced to fight for their lives in an arena for the entertainment of others. This world is divided into separate districts each representing a certain resource, and the center of all these districts is the Capitol which holds the most power in the system. While three out of four books are written from the perspective of the character Katniss Everdeen, this article will be diving deeper into the prequel, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” The prequel is told from the perspective of the character Coriolanus Snow, who is played by Tom Blythe in the novel’s adaptation. Due to this film being a prequel, Snow’s character is meant to be much younger than his character seen throughout the four additional sequel films, played by Donald Sutherland. In short, Snow is described as a power-hungry man capable of ruthless acts. However, the prequel shifts the perspective of young Snow to be a more complex character with somewhat “redeeming” qualities. Despite being the same character, the differing physical appearances of the two actors prompt varying treatments in the narrative. This article will explore the impact of these portrayals, acknowledging that while other factors such as age may contribute, there is a level of “pretty privilege” that serves to benefit Snow’s character, despite his cruel actions.
Before the film had even been released, edits of Tom Blythe’s rendition of young Snow were already circulating despite the audience’s prior awareness of the character’s cruelty. Coriolanus is meant to be charming, and Blythe’s conventional attractiveness draws viewers in. Consequently, the film prompts audiences to grapple with justifying Snow’s actions. In many analyses, viewers of the film have been seen blaming others for his wrongful actions, debating whether or not Snow could have turned out better under different circumstances. For example, many have pushed the majority of the blame on Dean Highbottom, one of the creators of the games, since they believed he should have mentored Snow instead of outcasting him. They also held him responsible for not intervening with Dr. Gaul, the Game Maker, who was eager to gain more attention for the games. However, throughout the film, it is seen that Highbottom is desperately trying to end the games, and he would’ve been successful if Snow hadn’t interfered.
Furthermore, many were seen to be skeptical of Lucy Gray Baird, who is the love interest of young Snow. People were a bit sympathetic towards Snow when they realized how much he sacrificed in order to save her during the games, and his attempts to be with her afterwards. In fact, many described Lucy Gray as manipulative, whittling down her character as someone who only “loved” Snow in order to survive. Because the prequel is told through Snow’s perspective, the audience is not able to know Lucy Gray’s true intentions, thus furthering people’s understanding of his character. Although the audience can see the spiraling of Snow’s character towards the end, there is a certain understanding of his paranoia due to Lucy Gray’s vague disappearance.
Another interesting aspect that came out of the film was the audience’s hatred towards the character Coral, who was one of the tributes fighting in the games. Although Coral should theoretically be a more sympathetic character, as she is just a child who is a victim like many others, fighting brutally to survive, many viewers found her irritating and were even apathetic when she died. Perhaps the dislike towards her could be attributed to her arrogant attitude, but many have compared her to Cato, who was another tribute who participated in a later game. While Coral and Cato have many similarities, Cato has more fans. What could possibly be the difference? Although it is hard to say for certain that this could be an example of pretty privilege, the disparity in fan favoritism raises questions worth exploring.
However, as someone who has only watched the film and has not read the book, my analysis may be seen as a bit biased. Readers of the book have noted how the lack of Snow’s inner monologue in the film has changed the perception of the character, meaning that those who read may have a more nuanced judgment. But from my knowledge, Tom Blythe’s face played a major role in the character’s “justifiability” (although I do not think anyone truly believes he’s a good person).
While many claim to be joking while defending Snow’s character, it is interesting to see how different this film would have been if the character was played by someone less conventionally attractive. Would any of his actions be justifiable in any sense? Would he even be considered a character with a potential? However, what I do know is that if another actor played Coriolanus, there would be a lot fewer fan edits.