Reading Ballad…was like reading American Psyco, the internal monologue of a narcissistic murderer with a supremacy kink. I did like the movie, but wished Smow’s characterization was darker. Jason Schwartzman however, was pitch perfect.
There was a moment in the trailer where Lucy Grey calls Snow a rebel and his eye twitches but it wasn't in the movie!!! I wish there was more moments like that
I just came out of the movie, and I turned to my sister and said, “I enjoyed the movie but I just need to say that Jason Schwartzman and Peter Dinklage ate that up.”
I am honestly obsessed with viola davis red and white outfit. Like, her dress being blood red from the head on down, because she clearly only thinks and only knows violence; and wearing red gloves to show she will sully her hands. White shoes to cover red socks? Fantastic. Even the fact that the symbolism is so 'in your face' fits her so so well.
As someone who has never read the book, I had no issue understanding Snow’s dissent into heartlessness. He always has a note of opportunism in every action he takes from the beginning, such as the small smirk on his face after Lucy sings for the first time. He knows she can put on a good show and boost ratings. Later on when he says “you can trust me too” to Lucy, it seems so calculated and like neither of them actually believe they can trust the other fully. His hunger was apparent to me until the games began and I took his not eating when he had chances to, such as when he arrives at the school, as him trying to keep the image of wealth. Why would he need to eat, he has plenty of food at home. To me that showed he is willing to put up with pain in order to keep his image and his family’s image pristine. From the way you described the book, it seems like Snow’s paranoia and distrust is at a level 10 from the beginning. If this is true, I think the small bits of real trust and optimism he shows in the beginning makes his dissent more compelling and human. I also think he has the capacity for evil the whole time. When Lucy said “all people are born with a natural goodness,” I thought that Snow serves as a foil to her and that belief. He is someone who has a natural evil/hatred inside of them that is very apparent when he kills the tribute and then continues to brutalize him.
In the book, he doesn’t eat much or go to the food right away in the beginning because he’s trying not to seem like he’s starving but yeah, he’s constantly pacing himself and acting like they’re still on top. I thought the movie was great too. I was concerned how they’d portray his thoughts on screen because that’s always the issue. The changes made to make the story flow better and show his true character was well done.
Exactly, his motivations were clear from the beggining and even Tigress having to keep reminding him to be good and human showed its something hes struggled to do since a very young age.
Respectfully, since you haven’t read the book, I don’t think you realize the DEPTH of the sociopathy this man is characterized by. I’m not saying there aren’t parts of the film that portray it well, or that your observations aren’t totally correct. But I believe the fact remains that this film was missing such a crucial piece of the puzzle when the director decided not to go as far with the darkness of his characterization. In my opinion, it is a MASSIVE commentary on white supremacy, patriarchy and the insidious nature of oppression. I think by not letting us into his internal monologue, the film did not hit the mark in that regard.
exactlyyyyy, his actions never felt truly selfless in the film..they felt opportunistic. Even highbottom points this out when he says snow's obsession with helping lucy gray was beneficial for himself because it would have brought him closer to the plinth prize. So Snow complete heartlessness at the end of the film never felt rushed/shocking to me.
I think the lack of HUNGER was the worsy thing for me. Excluding some scenes, there was no show of starvation. These tributes were dying of hunger at points. They went over a week without being fed properly and THEN they went in the games. Food was used as currency and leverage from mentors (to get tributes to do what they want ie: Arachne) but also from tributes (Marcus' refusal to eat Seajanus' food + the bartering in the arena). The contrast of this games where at times they were utterly weak from hunger and basically starved to death, to Katniss' games where she could basically gorge herself up until the games statted would have been really interesting to see. Like what is less morally repugnant? Starving them or feeding them like pigs to slaughter?
I haven’t watched the movie yet but I am a huge fan of the books (read all four multiple times) and now that you mention this, it’s a great point and adds to the philosophical/ethical tones of the series. I’m gonna be thinking about this for a while.
Couldn't agree more. I enjoyed the heck out of the movie but this is the bit I really missed. Not only physical hunger but Snow's hunger to reinvigorate his family name. Saw a bit of both, but I really wanted more.
To be fair in the OG movie there isn't a big focus on hunger either. Outside of the scene where Katniss gets the bread from Peeta for the rest of the movie they seem to be ok. Even Foxface who in the book was described as starved when she ate the berries looked in good shape when she died in the film.
For me, reading the book made this movie such a smoother experience to watch. I think that's why i loved it so much, because i fully knew the inner dialogue and just how bad coriolanus is within his conscience. Considering how difficult this book was to adapt, I don't really have any issues with the third act (I think it’s rushed in the book too) except that it honestly could have been darker. Also, there was a whole other hour they had to go back and cut. the directors cut is 3 hr 40 minutes, and that extra hour probably would've really helped it. I hope that version is released soon
I'm honestly really annoyed Western movies refusal to make long length movies. 3 hours would be the perfect length to contextualize this movie, but so many movie makers seem to think people don't want to watch more than 2 hours
I actually agree that the third act in the book is all rushed. It funny after reading the book I felt like it could’ve been longer and I felt the same way leaving the movie-that I wish it was longer.
@@StormNothingsince the og director cut was almost four hours, I think it definitely shows Hollywood's refusal to have films hit the three hour mark. The movie is definitely pretty long, but for the story it's trying to tell, it should've spent more time on certain details
I feel the same about reading the book and knowing his nasty inner monologue before watching the movie😂i think, Tom Blyth did a great job portraying Snow's character and real intentions with subtle hints in his facial expression. And i also hope they release the uncut version, i don't mind if it's 4 hours, i'll watch it.
i actually thought the capitol outfits were toned down enough to distinguish it from the future. like especially the make up, this felt like a natural this is how it would've been a few years after the rebellion, before it became excessive. and also we spent so much time on the more corporate side, at the academy and such, that there weren't many occasions to show the capitol. and i liked how we could see the skyline and how they were still rebuilding 10 years later, it wasn't done
yes i agree, i also think that maybe after the 10th game the fashion became more extravagant due to Lucy's influence with her dresses unique colourful look
@@mintyrainx4962 yeah, and also,tigris is a designer and she becomes the main reason the capitol dresses the way they do, and you can see the beginning of that in the film, like she has early capitol vibes
I agree. Although I wasn’t fan that because of it was the past it had to be inspired by last fashion (50s and 70s). It’s still all set in the future, this just less than the Hunge Games films. I would have made people have more in common with current fashion but in different colors and materials, and have them more attempts at ancient fashion. The Capitol is clearly obsessed with Rome, as can be seen in nearly everyone’s name.
I think the movie did a pretty good job showing Snows descent into evil considering it would be pretty much impossible to show his internal dialogue like in the book. At the beginning Snow's initial motivation to help Lucy was the money he would receive. His family's wealth is dissipating and he cannot afford university. He immediately took interest in her though, when she sang a righteous song after she was declared district 12 tribute. He snuck her food and gave her advantages even after he was told there would be no reward for him. When she saved him during the bombing, he began to love her. I believe it was the second he had to kill someone to defend himself in the arena, he became morally conflicted. He starts to spiral for the worse ethically, and long story short, it was in the Forrest fleeing North where Lucy caught him in a lie and she became suspicious, then the second he found the murder weapon she realized he was going to make the choice to destroy it and move back to the capital. Leaving her behind and clearing himself of any evidence, unless he happened see her as another loose end. She made this connection and immediately fled. Then the end is where we really see him lose all humanity and become the villain.
You must gravely lack imagination if you think it would be impossible to translate his inner dialogue in the book through actions in the movie. That’s what a good adaptation should strive for - not to merely reenact the events of the book and leave out what's hard to fathom outside of the page, but to tastefully translate such elements through the use of cinematic language. A film which very successfully shows us the inner world of a character with often no dialogue is 2022’s Pearl (though it’s helped by how over-the-top and camp it is).
Honestly, I don't know if "descent into evil" are the right words for what happened to Snow because he was pretty despicable from the beginning in the book. His internal monologue towards people from the district was very degrading and he was very judgmental of Sejanus's family. Even when he fell in love with Lucy Gray he was very possessive of her and thought of her as something to own. The book does show he has the potential for good but he nevers really fulfills that potential because almost every time he does something good he has ulterior motives. To me, he was a bad guy who became an even worse guy, he was never really good.
@@braingirl9112i feel like he was bordering on becoming good, like there are the roots for it but he just needed to change, which is where the “descent into evil” descriptions come from. Ofc, he never followed through on those roots. anyway no matter how much i imagine adding his inner dialogue like the person above is saying, i just can’t see how it would work without being so campy even i’m a bit put off. this is a hollywood movie. they just wouldn’t. the only way i could see it working is if they keep giving closeups on the coryo’s face and the actor acts the fuck outta it so that you get the point across that he’s thinking past what is just shown on screen. issue is that would extend the runtime as shots would be longer or completely added and the movie is already 2 1/2 hrs long. i don’t think it would extend it to 3hrs, at most imo it would extend it to closer to 2 hrs 45 mins, but still they already squeezed so much into the movie. i dont think they could fit anything more with how fast paced it is. barely got any time to breathe until act 3 imo.
@@20000dino "you must gravely lack imagination" well the studio didn't do it, and unless you yourself can execute it perfectly, shut up. As a person who didn't read the prequel (will do it now after watching the movie), it was a very weird feeling rooting for Snow because you wanted him succeed to help Lucy. We know who Snow turns out to be eventually, but not knowing exactly his despicable thoughts made it more tragic.
tom blyth is so fine i had to remind myself multiple times of evil donald sutherland snow... like he had NO RIGHT to look that good with every hairstyle (and in that white t-shirt??? the lake scene???)
The academy uniforms actually kinda reminds me of heather Chandler's look in heathers I think that's really cool and I love how it makes the students bigger than they actually are to show the capitol 's ego and them thinking of themselves as better
I found it funny that Arachne Crane made fun of Lucy Gray's dress calling her "a clown", when in the future the people from the Capitol look more like clowns themselves.
4:23 This bit of ambiguity really bothered me 😕 in the book we find out Clemensia survived but suffered from skin mutation where her skin became colourful scales like the rainbow snakes before eventually recovering with some scarring. I know it was done probably to save time & create suspense but I just think her fate in the book added to just how sinister Dr Gaul was.
They also could have shown Snow getting his hair buzzed a few times between shots of grueling labor. To show the passing of time through how many hair cuts he needed
I thought it was pretty clear how much time passed just knowing any about the military. He would have been in training for long time before he could get time off from barracks.
Even without reading the book, I thought it was pretty clear that every action he took throughout the movie was ultimately self-serving and that he’s fundamentally a bad person.
It is really interesting to read his thoughts vs what he actually says. I never really understood why Lucy Gray loved him in the first place maybe she just felt vulnerable and reached out to the first bright light she saw.
@@gnomie3908 I thjnk when you are starved, being sent to your death, and someone comes and tries to really help your odd (and they are attractive) I can see why she did, also she was literally cheated on before she left the district. She was in a very vulnerable state and couldn’t think clearly nor logically
* Spoilers* I think something I really like though is that with Snow's character, you can see how Lucy Gray actually loved him; he was charming and seemed very genuine with his actions. I think the movie and the book are stronger together, because the former provides an image of what Snow comes off as to everyone else, and the latter is who he truly is. A good example of this is here: In the book, Snow wasn't good friends with Sejanus, and in fact thought that he was stupid, but he was always mistaken as his good friend, and they considered each other 'brothers'. The movie shows his outward mannerisms and how he actually acted, which provide a reasoning as to why people think they are friends. The movie shows how Snow acts without his inner thoughts getting in the way, while the book really captures the essence of who he is to himself, and the justifications he makes for his actions, trying to paint himself as a good person when he finally concludes that he isn't. I think the movie and the book should be analyzed together rather than separately, because it gives two perspectives on a very complex character; I think it would be a great disservice to an individual to only view one form of the story lol. Also, I watched the movie before I read the book; it contextualizes the scenes (that are necessary, because otherwise the songs come off cringe lol). I feel like it helped to bring a more in depth viewing of an already complex character, so I recommend watching the movie before reading the book, something I don't usually recommend btw.
im also thinking of reading the book after watching the movie. for me, also, it helped that i ended up getting a lot of tiktoks diving into parts/smbolism/connections of THG troligy and TBOSAS (particularly knowing the extent of the desperation his family is in (tigris having to prostitute herself as the breadwinner)). i think that knowing what snow becomes helps a lot in trying to figure out what hes really thinking.
@@aarushisingh7635 Yes! And also the fact that even though it is not explicitly stated in the movie or book, there is clear indication of what Tigris did in order to help her family. It is not touched on in the movie as much, but through book Snow's relationship with Tigris, we can already see the person he would be later, as he comments on how Tigris selling herself would be detrimental to the family name of Snow, rather than on her sacrifice. This shows us that from the beginning, he wasn't a good person, and only truly cared about himself. You truly need to read/listen to the book in addition to the movie, because it truly reveals how twisted he is, but also there were some things that were left out of the movie for time purposes (including scenes I loved but that's too much more, you'll have to read it yourself!) :)
the thing that stood out to me like a sore thumb is the homework snake tank scene. It only works if Clemencia has literally 12 brain cells and no fear response.
i agree with u but i also kinda think gaul would've killed her either way and she prob knew that maybe? or wasn't sure if she was bluffing? tbh idk lmk if I'm wrong
Idk if you read the book, but originally dr Gaul made Snow go first and nothing happened, and only told them about the snakes after clemencia already had her hand fully in the tank. It was really interesting in the book, I’m kind of disappointed that the whole storyline with the snake mutts was watered down
@@roanalexander3839YES and the part where snow was connecting the avox muts with clamencia's scales really makes you understand just how dispicable things in the capital are
I watched this with my boyfriend and the first thing he said when the movie ended was why were there so many characters with names that ended in ‘anus’? 😭😅
I have to disagree with your opinion on the tributes fashion. I thought it was absolutely brilliant the way they were all dressed as their clothing all have nods towards their districts industry and the wealth difference was clearly shown. I'll go over each of the fashion of the tributes just to name a few. District 1: Wore completely white outfits that were matching and similar towards uniforms. Possibly a school uniform, they stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the shags of other tributes, the wealth difference was definitely there. District 2: Wore more bland outfits as they aren't in the great wealth just yet they are in modern day. They're slowly rebuilding from the war and haven't been given the luxuries they have yet as the Capitol hasn't fully recovered to do so. District 3: Wore green factory bodysuits which were matching and showed the work labor that even kids were forced into. District 4: My favorite, they were sailor-esque outfits with ocean/aquatic related embroideries in their clothing. They looked nicer and even had vest and layers towards their outfits, a far difference to say District 8. District 5: Wore more plain outfits but Sol, the district 5 female even wore a fancy outfit with a vest and button up, a show of more resources compared to 9-10. District 6: We never really saw, but in behind the scenes they wore more hard materials like leather, a reference to the original trilogy and 60s-50s Jet-wear. District 7: Treech wore more old style lumber fashion with reference towards the 1900s while Lamina wore more traditional Lumberjack fashion with the prints. District 8: Great outfits as they looked the most worn-down but hand-made as their outfits were entirely made out of spare-supplies and scraps. District 9: Wore more plain outfits but had touches of yellow and overalls that gave reference to the farm-life many of them lived. District 10: Lot's of animal-related fabrics like leather and references to cowboy fashion with the many layers. As well as touching on the style in the area the District is placed - Texas and Mexico. District 11: Outfits had prints in reference towards the industry and wore brighter colors to match. District 12: The star, I loved Lucy's outfit as it looked very crafty.
@pinkstrawberrymagic Alps it’s better to me that covey isn’t directly shown to be some specific ethnicity that now exists (like the Mexican example in the video). They must be, since the 10th Hunger Games are set only 220 years into the figure from today. But lot still happened and some ethnicities could have merged and used different inspirations to create more unique culture.
EXACTLY I agree with everything you said I think her opinion on the tributes fashion was a little too harsh sure I would have loved for more girls to wear dresses but the fashion was still really good and the actors looked great in it . Another detail I liked is that there are implied class differences between district partners for example the district 9 tributes, sheaf was wearing overalls and a black shirt a more practical clothes for farming meanwhile panlo was well dressed with a vest and button up even with his shoes he seemed more fancy then sheaf but still wore the same shade of yellow as her and the shade they choose for them really reminds me of fields of wheat Sol like you said was also dressed more fancy then Hy's in fact Hy clothes give me some industrial revolution vibes also Sol wearing blue and the way her Neck scarf was wrapped similar to a sailors uniform hints at district 5 specialization in hydroelectricity lamina had prints and vibrant colors in her clothes and even wore earings and her clothes fit her nicely while treech 's were plain and simple and his jacket too big for him It give hints at how district 12 isn't the only district with a poorer and wealther sections and the districts fashion and props for the costume designer for creating a ocean insperd look for district 4 without putting them in beach wear also mizzen has a starfish on one side of his pants while coral has a starfish on one side of her jacket and I find this matching detail to be really cute Also book lamina was literally wearing a flour sack and was bare feet her clothes in the movie are so much better Also I heard that the covey were based off of Romani people not Spanish
as someone who didn’t read the book before watching the movie, my initial interpretation was that snow is someone who constantly needs to be in control, whether it’s control of his situation, what people think of him, or his relationships. in the beginning of the movie, this need for control seemed more innocent because he wanted to be in control of the outcome of the games for the sake of his future, his family, and for lucy, but further into the movie it gets warped as his need for control is shown to be increasingly stronger and more selfish, and he’s willing to do worse and worse things in service of this need. This descent was a bit choppy, and the movie could’ve done a better job showing a more gradual progression if this was the route they were going for in snow’s movie character arc. but I feel like it was a pretty interesting take, showing how this sort of trait can seem admirable when cast in a softer light, but is poisonous at its core. it also serves as a commentary on how our society rewards people with these traits, and in return, these people uphold the structure of the society, particularly all of its inequities and evils which make up its bones.
an ‘American Psycho’ style inner monologue here & there could hypothetically have really helped - if the actor could pull it off (& it looks like he did a good job considering the challenge of portraying all that without one !) it would have really added to the story
It was an excellent movie! I think my only "big" gripe was how produced the music sounded. Like when she was singing Hanging Tree with her back to Snow, I think having it sounds more real--like she was just sitting there with her guitar, no background music added or vocal editing--would have been really nice. Not for every music scene, but I think a few of them would have benefitted! Great video!
While your points are making sense, I really believe they did the best with the limited time they had. The audiobook recording lasts for 16 hours, while the movie only has about 3 hours to encapsulate all of it. While some of the details might've got lost on the way, I think they managed to do a great job with keeping as much as possible of the book in the film
I didn't read the thg books, but I knew overall about how this one goes and Snow's inner monologue and went in with that in mind. I thought Tom Blyth did a great job because everytime he did or said something as Snow, I could see there was a veneer of, for lack of a better word, performance, and that everything he was doing was for his own interests. The most chilling thing to me was him recording Sejanus without his knowledge, sending the recording to Gaul, then acting like he didn't know what the consequences would be. To me, Snow crying over Sejanus' belongings was him shattering the very last shred of empathy and compassion he might've had. Coryo is dead, President Snow is born. I also loved the symbolism of Lucy Gray leaving the shack on the pretense of looking for "katniss", then 50 or so years later here comes Katniss Everdeen and the rebellion rises anew to the tune of The Hanging Tree. Again I haven't read the books, so I might be way off.
Ah it’s so weird to me that people seem to regard Tom Blythe as the only reason for people having any sympathy for Snow at the beginning of the novel. While we are explicitly told that success is Coriolanus’s only real chance at a normal life, like there is not much of a middle class in Panem that he can join. It’s a horrible system to begin with, that is further undermined by a post-war economic collapse. His anger at Sejanus seems very logical to me. Sejanus does a lot of very stupid crap, and sort of drags Snow into it, while only he has the father to bail him out and mother to comfort him. I really think that you do not need to be a psychopath to view life similarly to him in his circumstances. I feel that it’s one of those situations where people overestimate their ability to stay righteous.
I agree; He's surrounded by superficiality and snobbishness with everyone putting on masks to maintain their public image (our society is rather similar in alot of ways). The movie in particular throws him in situations that can come back and bite him if he doesn't take action, and even if he doesn't - the stain of the possibility of having known what Sejanus was doing would forever damn his reputation. While Snow isn't a psychopath, he's definitely a contender for the sociopathic title however.
No I totally agree. Also I feel like he started to have some character growth too, because at first he views the districts as beneath him and thought they were all evil but then he grows and starts realizing they're not bad and that they're people too which in my opinion makes his story feel so much more interesting. The fact that he genuinely cared about some people from the districts made the fact that he did what he did so much more cruel later on. Also, the fact that he, at one point (referring to when he was younger), actually deserved sympathy, in my opinion, made his cruelty and lack of sympathy / empathy as president that much worse.
I'm so glad someone else said this. My parents kicked me out when I was a teen and I had to at points make some hard choices that didn't nesscarily align with my moral compass - when I watched the movie I empathized with and related to Snow so deeply, and it honestly made me concerned I was a horrible person or something. But I think his choices in the first 3 quarters of the movie are understandable, and I think that while Sejanus had the right intentions at heart, his actual actions were quite selfish/reckless and constantly putting others in danger.
The recording that plays in the hanging cuts off before you can hear snows voice, or I least that’s what I remember, I distinctively remember snow getting more anxious as recording gets closer to the part with his voice and then it cuts off and he relaxes and think that was the case
Pretty sure you could hear both of them, but that doesn't prove he was the one that recorded the conversation. That's my guess as to why lucy didn't immediatly react/figure it out
i think its an enjoyable movie for people who loved the hunger games, but you should definitely read the books if you wanna understand snow as a character.
I loved the book and the movie does well on covering it. The reason why the second half fees rushed is because they were scared of separating it into 2 movies because of what happened with Mockingjay. I think maybe the directors cut with the extra hour could solve a lot of these issues, I hope they release it
Yes I’d love to see the directors cut! So ironic that making mockingjay into two movies and getting flack for it resulted in this movie feeling too short and like it should have been two parts. I actually feel they could have made 3 short movies out of each of the sections and it would feel fine pacing wise. It wouldn’t be hard to deep dive in each section with material from the book and it would feel more fully fleshed out. I’ve gotten so used to tv series watching that movies always feel kinda rushed to me.
I'm actually kind of glad I've come to a halt with listening to the audiobook. I'm just about to get to the bit where they go to the lake. It's just kind of dragging on.
@user-ov9ti2ju5g I feel old since I was already an adult when they came out and I followed box office and reviews. There wasn’t a blacklash really. The movies just didn’t make quite as much money as hoped and people thought they probably should have been better as one film. You can read reviews. But there was nothing like the mess with Divergent (last film was never even made!).
For me, it is a great adaptation that streamlined the plot of the book. Yeah, there were things that couldn’t be included, but I felt it dragged on in the novel and I was glad they didn’t appear. And also, I do believe we see Coriolanus descent into evil very well, because we’re always shown his reaction, his face when people suffer, instead of the victims’, as if he was the center of the world
Rachel Zegler was incredible as Lucy Gray Baird. Her voice was so beautiful and her acting and expressions throughout the film really brought book Lucy Gray to life. However, I really wish there were two parts - I feel like there was so much they left out ! I cant't wait to rewatch this film again though - I really do think it was exceptional, didn't even feel 3 hours long.
As someone who has never read the books, the selfishness of Snow was clear as sky since the beginning. And the fact that he never knew if he can truly trust Lucy Gray was also very clear. It was started from Snow’s grandma telling him she’s using him then he started doubting. The “betrayal” was pretty clear to me… is it because the movie didn’t spell it out? Thought a lot of the criticism was actually shown in the movie (who has never read the book and only watched the movie once)
Hard disagree, I felt like I never really understood why he was doing what he did. They spell it out sure, but they don't show it, he does not struggle, we don't get why he loves her, what loving her means to him, what his punishment ans loss feels like.
I kind of appreciate the depiction of Snow in the film because he starts off as morally grey, and as the film goes on you see how his choices, how his self-preservation and need to be above people overtook his morality. His breakdown over Sej's death read so raw to me from the film, and then to have him STILL make the choice to put himself first over that and Lose Lucy Gray over it right after he lost someone else close to him made me appreciate his decent into president Snow even more. It made me feel like anyone can be President Snow if they're selfish enough and there's nothing you can do about it. Like a cautionary tale rather than one to garner sympathy for him, because I don't feel sympathetic for him knowing what he later becomes.
After some thought and watching the video through, I think this film would have benefited from the MockingJay Treatment where it's a 2 parter. There was just so much stuff to include, and the film is already 2 plus hours long. I would have been hype for a 2 part and the first part is the hungergames, the latter part is the aftermath of it. The world would have had room to breathe.
This film had so much ground to cover in so little time. I agree with all of these weaknesses, but I find many of the changes and cuts created a sound adaptation given the limitations of the film.
I just watched tbosas today so perfect timing! I really loved the costume design in this movie, specifically Tom and Rachel’s. Props to the costume designer for actually paying attention to the costumes of a major male character.
I think Coriolanus doesn’t come off quite as conniving or conceited in the movie as he does in the books. But as someone who has never read the books, I did come away from the movie thinking most of his actions were more calculated than they seemed at the surface level and that his primary goal was regaining his family’s status. He doesn’t seem narcissistic in the movie, but certainly self-preserving. I did think his friendship with Sejanus read as genuine in some scenes, but I disagree that recording their conversation ever came off as reasonable. It always seemed like a selfish act. Edit: Grammar
Ngl I feel people missed a lot of both the obvious and also subtle moments and acting from Blyth that showed Snow was NOT a good guy right from the jump. I’m glad the movie didn’t spell it out for us, it made it a lot more interesting.
Didn't read the book so the pacing actually felt slow a lot of the time for me. Since they kept needing to set up new acts, you don't have a good sense of the motivations and stakes in the new context and wonder why the movie is still going at the beginning of the acts. And although you don't hear Snow's inner thoughts, I thought his actions alone showed his lack of integrity and it was just his charm that could throw viewers.
I vividly remember my friend telling me after watching the first huger games movie that she didn't like it was much as the book because "Katniss thinks so much in the book and that doesn't work on screen". And I fully get that viewpoint, and I felt it even more whilst watching TBOSAS. Suzanne Collins' greatest strength in writing is the internal monologue of her characters and how it translates so well into the actions of the characters. Like someone else mentions in this comment's section "reading ballad.... was like reading American psycho" whilst I might not take it all the way to casual serial killer vibes- it gives you such an insight into Snow's narcissistic mind. And I feel like that aspect is way less prominent in the movie, and makes certain actions harder to understand.
I actually found this to be one of the few cases where I preferred the movie over the book. I found the book to be a bit of slog in the latter half so I was fine with the faster pacing. I do agree that they made Snow more likable in the movie, though I'm not sure how they could have portrayed his inner dialogue in the movie without it coming off as forced.
I never read the book, but, from what you said, the movie portrail of Snow is more captivating, in my opinion. That is because everything he does seems mercyful and noble at surface level: helping his family, helping Lucy, helping Sejanus. But if you look deeper, you can see the oportunistic side of his actions, so you are left wondering what his honest intentions are until the woods scene, when he visciously turns againt Lucy, revealing his true nature.
This movie is an absolute masterpiece. Although there were a few brutal scenes, the overall quality of the film was exceptional. I'm looking forward to watching it again on Netflix or another platform.
@@mrmdaher the film was 2.5h long, but there were some parts that were cut. rumor has it that there's a 4h cut somewhere so dividing that into 3 episodes (think bbc sherlock with 1-1.5 hour long episodes but only 3 eps per season) seems pretty plausible.
I kept waiting for you to mention the academy uniform! I remember when the first promo shots of it came out and the fans I saw really didn't like it (me included), but I have to say it REALLY worked onscreen!
Speaking of act III and scrapped moments: If I remember correctly, Lucy performed The Hanging Tree once during her performances in the underground club, which ended in the club getting raided by peacekeepers (with the song later being banned I believe). She also wrote it because she was at the hanging, but I think they cut that from the film as well or at least she wasn’t noticeably there. This sort of made the song lose impact for me both at the time where the film takes place and also in relation to Katniss singing the song again in Mockingjay. I was also disappointed that Down In The Meadow was scrapped from Ballad, as it makes Rue’s death and Katniss mourning for her more poignant and - I imagine - made Snow sh* himself in recognition. As a result the connection to the original Hunger Games trilogy fell a bit flat, whereas it was more tangible in the books. I also agree with the pacing of the film being either dragged out or rushed. For some reason the film never builds up the same amount of tension as the original films did. Despite us knowing the ending every time, the original films still have me clinging to the edge of my seat. In Ballad, the only sort of tension we get is in the rushed third act, which is a shame. Overall I still enjoyed the film, but like everyone else who’s read the book, I agree that the book offers a better view into how devious and narcissistic Snow really so definitely read it! Still waiting for a book about Haymitch’s Hunger Games, may the creative odds be in Suzanne’s favour because I NEED it
I think having the tributes being less characterized is super interesting when you look at the movie as if it is through Snow's point of view. Because he doesn't really care about them, he only cares about how they can either help or destroy Lucy Gray, other than that they're all 'district' to him. I also think it's really interesting to look at what parts of the movie people are discussing, I've seen very few edits & comments about Reaper, and a lot of them on Tom Blythe being attractive. Not that that isn't valid lol, it's just interesting that in the movie Dr. Gaul cut Reaper off and that made his actions way less impactful, which I think is why it's not talked about that much. And the way Snow is portrayed in some scenes is supposed to make him look attractive, which is also the way Lucy Gray and many others saw him, because he purposefully used his looks and his charms to manipulate people and get what he wants. So basically I think a lot of the online discourse revolves around seeing the movie exactly as 'the capitol' would want us to see it. Of course some edits and comments don't encompass people's entire viewpoints and I also don't think the people talking about the actor's looks don't care about anything else, it's just that the movie industry wants us to perceive things a certain way, and the Hunger Games criticizes how everything is a performance, so of course it's difficult to make a movie that is criticizing the movie industry, if that makes sense
I also agree that it should have been a TV show. With books, there are so many details that a movie just can't capture. I feel like if it was a series we would have gotten to see more of other characters and maybe even some of Snow's inner monologue from the books. Great video!
I agree 100% with this review, the first one that reflects my frustrations. The movie was beautifully produced, with a great cast and set. But they don't really develop multifaceted characters, nor the chemistry between Lucy and Snow. I understand the inner dialogue can't be done, but they could have kept some of the original dialogue, because some of the changes didn't do anything to benefit the movie.
100% Limited TV Series instead, exactly what I thought. I have seen it twice and read it over and over. This is a REALLY intense read and deals with a lot of material that is a bit of the capstone of maturity the Collins seemed to want to finally express to her readers, knowing they have aged as well, and I think Collins was bold for finally bringing use closer to the state of nature debate and in general, I would have loved to see the demise, the confliction and then rise of Snow... and likewise, the similarities to Snow and Lucy, and how both end up enigmas but on opposites of the moral compass line in the end.
I know it's an old movie at this point but could you pleeeeeeease do a fashion breakdown/analysis of Cruella? After you dropped the fashion analysis for Barbie I immediately thought of Cruella and remembered you didn't actually do a video for that movie, if it's not too much to ask (it's okay if you don't have the time/interest) but I just thought the fashion in that movie was fantastic and I was a little surprised you didn't make a fashion breakdown for it, so pretty pretty please 🙏🏾🥺 could please please make a video for Cruella? I love that movie so much and the fashion is just incredible. Btw I love your channel, thank you so much for such fantastic content ❤
I didn’t read the book but I thought they still did a good job with snow’s character. He seemed super conniving when she wipes Lucy Grays tears and she goes in for a kiss but he pulls away. It was never really a romance thing for him, just strategic. Even going back to her in district 12. She is a survivor of the hunger games and like katniss and other survivors, she would be bound to the capital and that history. It all seems like a play for power. He never really showed sympathy for the tributes and his cousin is the only one to suggest getting to know Lucy as he didn’t initially think of it. I think he cared a little but always put his interest above all else. The clothes makes sense for me. aww if the cousin is a designer, she can repurpose any fabric that they have. If they need to keep up the act of having money, they would put a lot of effort into their clothes to not show that they are poor. I also think it would be uncharacteristic to show the blisters on his feet for the shoes not fitting because he is the type of man to not let anyone see his struggle or discomfort. I don’t think he ever thought he was really in love with Lucy gray, just an escape route. That’s why everything changed when he found the guns. Just another route he could take. I don’t really think that transition came out of nowhere as we know he is not fully invested to her. We also k ow where he is going because I’ve seen snow in the previous movies. I never went in thinking he was an amazing person. Also I think Granmam isn’t cookey. She is the one to tell Cornelius that he needs to bring wealth and power like his dad. She basically tells him that he has to fill those shoes. She also has no empathy for the tributes and tells him to use them to get the upper hand. She seems very calculated i’m the film and i feels like Cornelius would be way worse if his cousin wasn’t there to inspire kindness in him which ultimately worked out in his favor later on.
One thing I will say for the elevated styling on the Snow family is that it constantly made me evaluate the difference between Snow's perceived suffering and the more visceral suffering of the District kids. I'm not sure this was intentional by any means given that there were also attempts to show the Snow's struggles to maintain basics like food and shelter and I know that, at least in the book, the family is meant to be truly impoverished. That being said, this indicated to me that Snow's evaluation of his struggle to survive - and thus his allowance for "survival" based moral lapses - was comparative rather than absolute. His struggle was the struggle of a person who was once wealthy and who craved a return to that wealth rather than the struggle of a person coming from a generational history of poverty. For me, this did two things: First, it showed that Snow was an unreliable narrator of his own position, setting up his actions as morally transgressive because they were in pursuit of importance rather than survival. Second, it played into an existing theme of the Capitol evaluating its own suffering in the war and during rebellions as greater than the suffering of the Districts either during those conflicts or under the Capitol's authoritarian rule. A good example of this was in the contrast between Reaper's shrine (which I think was poignantly staged in the movie) and Gaul's promise of destruction at the offscreen death of a single Capitol child. Regardless of the context for these two images, the juxtaposition of these responses back to back hammered home to me how much the Capitol answers any rebellion, even symbolic, with disproportionate violence. This back and forth - Snow's belief in his own entitlement and the Capitol's belief in its own inherent superiority - is fundamental to the themes that draw me to these stories. Again, I'm not sure how much was intentional and how much was my own positionality as a capitol L Leftist watching this movie in a time of difficult world events and rising fascism. In fact, my own biggest critique of the movie is that I *don't* know how much of this messaging was intended and how much was circumstantial. Given the highly allegorical nature of this series, it's frustrating to see a certain wishy-washy-ness in exploring these characterizations. There just wasn't *enough* of the detailed story beats to sus out what we're being asked to take away from this one.
I felt the same about the movie. I went into the movie wondering if they would successfully be able to show just how bad Snow is. As you said, the inner monologue is such a big part of the development of his character. What he ends up doing outwardly is him trying to come off as a good person. So it's hard to show that his inner motivations are so different from his actions.
I remember leaving the theater utterly baffled at Snow's breakdown and Lucy's escape at the end, I actually had to google it to understand what had happened. Having not read the book I had no indication that he would have suddenly snapped and wanted to kill her after everything they'd done. Hearing your description from the books makes so much more sense.
i think they used highbottoms dialogues with snow to show some of his internal monologue,and it was clear that he only went to the arena after Dr Gaul said she would talk to the Plinths to help him get the prize,also its very obvious in the begning hes just helpint Lucy Gray for himself
A lot of people hated on Mockingjay for being divided into two parts. But I think this movie would have benefited from being 2 movies, one for the games, and one for Snows time as a peacekeeper in 12
I liked coral's (district 4 tribute) outfit. Her jacket is really cool with it's fish stamp on the sleeve, it reminded me of Gyotaku (Japanese fish prints) I saw online some people complaining that she looked 'too modern' or iphone face but I think people just like to pretend that masculine woman only started existing in 2010. I also like that her icon picture is similar to the fallen angel painting.
I have a rule when watching book-to-movie adaptations to NOT reread the books, so I can evaluate the movie on its own merits. I also found the costuming to be a but dull overall, though I was hoping your take on Lucy Gray's dress would have been more positive. I do think there was some distinction in tributes. I especially loved Coral's last line that to the effect of "this can't be it, or what was it all for?" And that she was such a ruthless killer out of survival and the only way to clear her conscious of that would be if she won. I also love the tribute from 4 giving Marcus a mercy killing, and I think despite no lines, she really stood out to me. Like you, I was disappointed that the staging for Snow's apartment. I excepted it to be bear of almost anything. When they opened the fridge and it was empty, I thought "the whole apartment needs to look like that". There's even a scene in the books where tigress is boiling food on the stove and it's basically just watered-down broth. All in all I liked it, and it's a solid entry. I think they're trying to hit a fashion market (Lucy Gray is channeling the boho chic that is coming in trend) and would have loved to see more of that from the Capital. The world design is therefore a little flavorless to me. I would pay to see it again in theaters, which to me is a positive review.
I kinda wanted to know how they would handle Lucy's Gray dress in the book... this movie one is insanely pretty and I see her (book Lucy) wearing one but it looks way too clean and lacks dust as mentioned in the novel.
Agreed, it´s a pretty dress, but the problem is it looks like something she just bought from a shop, not some dress that could´ve belonged to her mother and/or something a traveling musician would wear (But it´s Hollywood, so....). Plus, it´s not really colourful and extravagant with all the colours of rainbow like described in the book, so having someone say in the movie too "is she a clown?" seems just weird. Hollywood often makes things generic so the audience is not "annoyed" by strange clothes (like they did with Harry Potter too), but because most of her other outfits were also really generic and lacked colour, her status as a singer/performer/outsider didn´t feel as important as it was in the book. Funnily enough, the uniforms Snow and his classmates had were much more colourful compared to anything Lucy Gray was wearing.
I feel like this was the book to make two movies out of. Overall they did a great job and I loved the movie but I could tell they tried to handle too much even without reading the books. The tribute’s definitely fell flat I feel like Wovey was supposed to be a Rue or a Mags but I didn’t feel that way because the tributes were never expanded on.
As a movie watcher I really like that we didn't hear any of the inner dialogue in many ways it added a lot of depth to his character in the film, which I was able to read between the lines while watching.
One scene I wish they didnt cut from the books is when Lucy Gray sings the lullaby to Maude Ivory. Its a sweet moment that is a clear reminder to the main series, when Katniss sings the lullaby to Rue. When reading Ballads it made me think of what Snow's face would look like when he heard the lullaby again watching Katniss's games. Lucy Gray haunts him 76 years later.
Yes to all of this. Watching this movie with my friends was almost heartbreaking because they hadn’t read the book and it’s not like I can explain every scene that Coriolanus is thinking only of himself in every scene. Visually, I love this movie. I just wish his motivations would have come across more clearly.
ive read the book, but even if i hadn't snow's manipulation was everpresent in this movie. in every step he took he was calculating, reviewing, planning. the loss of his inner voice is not fundamental because you can still feel and see it. there was only one scene which felt jarring which was when he first got mad at sejanus in district 12.
Haven't seen a review of this movie that I've agreed so much with! I really feel like the book deserved a better adaptation because it packs such an emotional and dramatic punch that wasn't utilized. To me it felt like the scriptwriters didn't understand what makes the story and what to focus on. Even the scenes they did include like Arachne's death wasn't shot in an effective way. They should have given this moment of brutality, mockery and desperation the focus it deserved. Like you said, that Ma was overlooked, and that his own family didn't serve that great a purpose (could be used to further show who he really is). But what I hated most of all was how Coral was changed to be a one-dimensional villain which takes away from the brutality of the games themselves and how different the games were back then before the careers. I feel like they just had a list of plot points and weren't interested in larger themes, moral greyareas or emotional impact. (Then there were these small moments that irritated me like when Coryo critiques Grandma'm's singing or when he likes being called a rebel. He would never do that!)
This is so interesting ! I haven't seen this movie and I think I might wait and watch it on streaming later (I read the book though and I did enjoy it), but these are things I resonate with because that's how I felt about Mockingjay part 2. Your remark about the scriptwriters having a list of bulletpoints is exactly how I feel about MJ2. Disappointed but not surprised that it seems to be the same wirh this movie.
One thing I have to say is how her randomly singing especially in the reaping and in the arena scenes really stood out whether good or bad it gave the impression to people who haven’t watched the movie and only saw snippets on either TikTok or any other social media that “oh it’s a musical?” Which would lead to people thinking it’s suddenly a musical? And I have saw how some even gave negative reviews because of it but besides that the other scenes of her singing didn’t felt out of place
I agree with the Rainbow dress, while its still a very creative imagining of the rainbow dress, It would have felt more hand me down if it was like out Folkloric Skirts, since they are in fact, passed down, My mom passed me hers and I passed down my skirt from when I was little to my cousin
I ranted for HOURS after watching about the costuming! why was everything so clean? why was Lucy's dress a hand-me-down but looked brand new? where would she have gotten the glitter blue eyeshadow she wore in 12? literally, why were everyone's clothes so clean and new it infuriated me that Lucy was wearing freshly pressed clean white linen for the reaping ugghhh
She wears heavy makeup in the book too. There are black markets to get that type of stuff, and Snow mentioned that her rouge looked really fatty, meaning it is also possible she made the makeup herself, or it is just really really cheap.
When the first Hunger games series was first projected on screen I too young to really understood the hype around this series was until now, that I am older I finally did understand the methaphors and commentary this series aimed that. This Pre-quel re ignited the fire and potential this Series had and I’m glad it did it wasn’t a blatant cash grab
I didnt read the book, but I was squealing and kicking my feet when snow came on screen. Like the scenes he had with lucy in part 3, had me forgeting hes snow.
I agree with you hunger is not shown in the movie. It is only explained in the scene with Lucy in the zoo and Coriolanus giving her food. I feel the main food Tigris was always cooking, cabbage, should have been shown and the importance and dislike for it. With just a few scenes of that. The food could have symbolize hunger for Coriolanus.
I watched this film in Berlin and all the costume and scenery reminded me of Weimar-Third Reich Germany esp. Berlin. Like that 20s to early 30s period where Hitler took control. The District 12 gate looked like the entrance to a concentration camp. Furthermore I felt the whole thing was actually taking place in the past?! It was giving “if the Nazi’s one… but in the U.S.”
The movie was great, but nothing and I mean NOTHING will ever top the gutting feeling of reading how Snow wished Lucy Gray were still trapped at the Capitol so he would know where she was and what she was doing at all times.
Personally I thought the problems you mentioned exists in the book too, Snow is a decently likable character and the first two parts of the book are incredible, and then the end he just goes bad guy mode with minimum development into that decent, the end was abysmal felt like she wanted to write a good Hunger Games prologue and forgot she had to make Snow the villian by the end
i don’t agree. Snow feels like a bad guy from the very first page. He was selfish. He hated and despised people and at the same time was nice with them. He treated Lucy Gray like she was his trophy. He never wanted to save Arachna or Sejanus. He only helped her to look good on the cameras and saved him because he thought he could be killed. Etc.
I loved the movie, I just wish they kept the dubious ending of Lucy Gray's real suspicions, or if she had them at all. I feel like the movie decided for us how her actions should be interpreted and I wish they had kept it to the audience to decide. It would've add another layer to Snow's character because we'd know that he was willing to hunt an innocent, instead we are just told he hunted someone who was a menace to him. We know that the paranoia and distrust would haunt him for the rest of his life but it would be so interesting for the audience to interpret whether it was unfounded or not. I definitely want to watch it again and keep an eye on Tom Blyth the entire time to see if there are more instances where he shows his actual thoughts and reactions because he thinks no one is looking - I already saw a clip of him rolling his eyes at something Lucy Gray says that I didn't catch at all during the first watch. Tom Blyth did an excellent job though, I think he did as well as he could without an inner monologue being present to show us what was actually going through his mind.
I loved both the book and the movie. I think they did great in compressing such a complex storyline to fit 1 feature film and that is also rated G so everyone can enjoy it. I think that we should learn to separate books and movies and appreciate them in their own category. ☺️
I realized something was wrong when in theater, two of my friends who haven't read the book asked why Lucy Grey betrayed Snow and tried to kill him . However, if you did read the book, i think you would like this movie, and they mostly did a good job of including most of important parts even compared to original trilogy. Also, i think maybe the actor could have been more convincing.
I really appreciate the character development changed and comparisons being worked through and how that affects the overall plot narrative and how Snow's character is developed and percieved. Very interesting! I haven't read the book yet but this was still interesting; I wonder what I'll notice once I read it and watch the film.
(listening at the mo) and the notes on the fashion? Excellent! Good points honestly, eg. Lucy's dress existing in some sort of cultural void and the timeline's outfit's -- and the disparity of a rich character not showing that in their garb when it would have suited their character to do so.
I only watched the movie for this prequel but I feel like I picked up on the movie creating the context for Snow’s villainous nature. I was quite disturbed and because of his distrust for everyone, I wondered if Lucy Gray was putting on an act from the beginning and would eventually ride off into the sunset and say “no hard feelings!”. I was surprised when she continued contact and that it was genuine.
I was a high schooler when the first movies came out. Read and watched them all in my teens. Watching BSS as an adult (without having read the book) was so hard. The knowledge and understanding that comes as we age, and have our own tragic life experiences, but a whole new perspective to the plot and the concept of the hunger games themselves. It now makes me feel sick to my stomach when I think about the story. And yet, I find myself wanting to read the book and soak up as much information about the world of Panem as possible.
I usually hate it when franchises do this but I do think this story would have worked better if we split it into 2. I haven’t read the book but just by listening to you talk about it, it sounds like there was a lot of info that was never touched on in the film. Have the first part end at the end of the games and the second half start with Snow getting shipped off to 12 - this would also help with the perceived time gap before he reunites with Lucy.
I think the major issue was pacing. Now the book has so much going on and already three different acts, so it is hard to adapt into a 2 hour movie. But I wish the capitol was more fleshed out. The huge advantage of the hunger games is the world building. In the first one, it was extremely smart to show quick shots of the citizens being extremely outlandish with their behavior and fashion, seeing through the eyes of katniss. It makes it more impactful knowing there is such a start contrast. I didn’t feel that in this film. like you said there were a couple sweeping shots but the whole point of this story is to show snows time period. We are given no context of what the hunger games, it all feels very flat.
So, I read the book and feel like the first part of the movie was a bit rushed, especially with the Plinth prize. I also would have liked to see more of Sejanus' Ma's food, as Coryo himself liked it and by the book's description seemed... delicious! They totally left Arachne Crane's funeral behind to rot, along with Snow's thoughts about it, which I think were important in understanding his mind (and our chance of hearing Panem's entire anthem sang by Tom Blythe was lost). It also leaves behind how much Snow HATED Billy Taupe AND the mockingjays! In the book he literally proposes to shoot the birds to extinction. I did love the songs and the way they showed the Snow family's ruin. Viola Davis did a fantastic job in portraying a textbook crazy ass scientist. Sejanus shoots himself in the foot in the same way he does in the book and the anxiety it caused me was exactly the same
In the movie snows grandma said to snow not to trust Lucy i think that was always in the back of his mind during the film and another reason for him to suddenly turn on her
As someone who read the OG books but not this book, it moved very quickly for me. Much of Lucy’s lines made me laugh out loud because they were cringe to me, and I wish that they had showed me even more of Snow’s internal struggle somehow or more of his childhood to show his motivations. The capitol was also different from what we are used to in Katniss’s world, so the stakes somehow didn’t feel high to me (maybe because we know how it ends). It wasn’t completely terrible, but doesn’t touch the originals.
I feel like Snow’s characterization was perfect. The point is to show how easily one can accept and embrace fascism. He should be a “normal” person, because normal people with normal feelings become fascist all of the time. It’s a warning and a mirror.
okay so full disclosure that I am so biased on all fronts because of a multitude of reasons, so I'm definitely not doing any full reviews until after my second watch AT LEAST. that being said, my immediate thoughts (and letterboxd review) was just...josh andrés rivera is a star. an absolute star. I loved him as chino in west side story, sejanus was easily my favorite character (partially because he had been cast. I already had him in my mind when I started reading), and I can't wait to see what else he does.
Reading Ballad…was like reading American Psyco, the internal monologue of a narcissistic murderer with a supremacy kink. I did like the movie, but wished Smow’s characterization was darker. Jason Schwartzman however, was pitch perfect.
Jason really did a good job and you definitely buy that he is related to Ceasar.
Agreed, I wished that they'd committed to making Snow a darker character, true to the book.
There was a moment in the trailer where Lucy Grey calls Snow a rebel and his eye twitches but it wasn't in the movie!!! I wish there was more moments like that
I just came out of the movie, and I turned to my sister and said, “I enjoyed the movie but I just need to say that Jason Schwartzman and Peter Dinklage ate that up.”
I agree!
I am honestly obsessed with viola davis red and white outfit. Like, her dress being blood red from the head on down, because she clearly only thinks and only knows violence; and wearing red gloves to show she will sully her hands. White shoes to cover red socks? Fantastic. Even the fact that the symbolism is so 'in your face' fits her so so well.
They had no right making Snow this fine
I know right. Tom Blyth is ethereal. 😳💓
No right forcing me to root for snow😭
Facts. He’s become Gen Z’s Draco Malfoy.
I know I wanted him to have a redemption arc so bad and for it to turn into a full fledged rom com lol
Pretty. People. Are. Evil. Too. ✨🌹🧿
As someone who has never read the book, I had no issue understanding Snow’s dissent into heartlessness. He always has a note of opportunism in every action he takes from the beginning, such as the small smirk on his face after Lucy sings for the first time. He knows she can put on a good show and boost ratings. Later on when he says “you can trust me too” to Lucy, it seems so calculated and like neither of them actually believe they can trust the other fully. His hunger was apparent to me until the games began and I took his not eating when he had chances to, such as when he arrives at the school, as him trying to keep the image of wealth. Why would he need to eat, he has plenty of food at home. To me that showed he is willing to put up with pain in order to keep his image and his family’s image pristine. From the way you described the book, it seems like Snow’s paranoia and distrust is at a level 10 from the beginning. If this is true, I think the small bits of real trust and optimism he shows in the beginning makes his dissent more compelling and human. I also think he has the capacity for evil the whole time. When Lucy said “all people are born with a natural goodness,” I thought that Snow serves as a foil to her and that belief. He is someone who has a natural evil/hatred inside of them that is very apparent when he kills the tribute and then continues to brutalize him.
I’ve read the book but still I totally agree!
In the book, he doesn’t eat much or go to the food right away in the beginning because he’s trying not to seem like he’s starving but yeah, he’s constantly pacing himself and acting like they’re still on top. I thought the movie was great too. I was concerned how they’d portray his thoughts on screen because that’s always the issue. The changes made to make the story flow better and show his true character was well done.
Exactly, his motivations were clear from the beggining and even Tigress having to keep reminding him to be good and human showed its something hes struggled to do since a very young age.
Respectfully, since you haven’t read the book, I don’t think you realize the DEPTH of the sociopathy this man is characterized by. I’m not saying there aren’t parts of the film that portray it well, or that your observations aren’t totally correct. But I believe the fact remains that this film was missing such a crucial piece of the puzzle when the director decided not to go as far with the darkness of his characterization. In my opinion, it is a MASSIVE commentary on white supremacy, patriarchy and the insidious nature of oppression. I think by not letting us into his internal monologue, the film did not hit the mark in that regard.
exactlyyyyy, his actions never felt truly selfless in the film..they felt opportunistic. Even highbottom points this out when he says snow's obsession with helping lucy gray was beneficial for himself because it would have brought him closer to the plinth prize. So Snow complete heartlessness at the end of the film never felt rushed/shocking to me.
I think the lack of HUNGER was the worsy thing for me. Excluding some scenes, there was no show of starvation. These tributes were dying of hunger at points. They went over a week without being fed properly and THEN they went in the games. Food was used as currency and leverage from mentors (to get tributes to do what they want ie: Arachne) but also from tributes (Marcus' refusal to eat Seajanus' food + the bartering in the arena). The contrast of this games where at times they were utterly weak from hunger and basically starved to death, to Katniss' games where she could basically gorge herself up until the games statted would have been really interesting to see. Like what is less morally repugnant? Starving them or feeding them like pigs to slaughter?
I haven’t watched the movie yet but I am a huge fan of the books (read all four multiple times) and now that you mention this, it’s a great point and adds to the philosophical/ethical tones of the series. I’m gonna be thinking about this for a while.
Couldn't agree more. I enjoyed the heck out of the movie but this is the bit I really missed.
Not only physical hunger but Snow's hunger to reinvigorate his family name. Saw a bit of both, but I really wanted more.
M on
To be fair in the OG movie there isn't a big focus on hunger either. Outside of the scene where Katniss gets the bread from Peeta for the rest of the movie they seem to be ok. Even Foxface who in the book was described as starved when she ate the berries looked in good shape when she died in the film.
For me, reading the book made this movie such a smoother experience to watch. I think that's why i loved it so much, because i fully knew the inner dialogue and just how bad coriolanus is within his conscience. Considering how difficult this book was to adapt, I don't really have any issues with the third act (I think it’s rushed in the book too) except that it honestly could have been darker. Also, there was a whole other hour they had to go back and cut. the directors cut is 3 hr 40 minutes, and that extra hour probably would've really helped it. I hope that version is released soon
I'm honestly really annoyed Western movies refusal to make long length movies. 3 hours would be the perfect length to contextualize this movie, but so many movie makers seem to think people don't want to watch more than 2 hours
@@adeleaslan8182 this movie was 2 hours 45 minutes long. But I agree it could’ve been longer honestly
I actually agree that the third act in the book is all rushed. It funny after reading the book I felt like it could’ve been longer and I felt the same way leaving the movie-that I wish it was longer.
@@StormNothingsince the og director cut was almost four hours, I think it definitely shows Hollywood's refusal to have films hit the three hour mark. The movie is definitely pretty long, but for the story it's trying to tell, it should've spent more time on certain details
I feel the same about reading the book and knowing his nasty inner monologue before watching the movie😂i think, Tom Blyth did a great job portraying Snow's character and real intentions with subtle hints in his facial expression. And i also hope they release the uncut version, i don't mind if it's 4 hours, i'll watch it.
i actually thought the capitol outfits were toned down enough to distinguish it from the future. like especially the make up, this felt like a natural this is how it would've been a few years after the rebellion, before it became excessive. and also we spent so much time on the more corporate side, at the academy and such, that there weren't many occasions to show the capitol. and i liked how we could see the skyline and how they were still rebuilding 10 years later, it wasn't done
yes i agree, i also think that maybe after the 10th game the fashion became more extravagant due to Lucy's influence with her dresses unique colourful look
@@mintyrainx4962 yeah, and also,tigris is a designer and she becomes the main reason the capitol dresses the way they do, and you can see the beginning of that in the film, like she has early capitol vibes
I agree. Although I wasn’t fan that because of it was the past it had to be inspired by last fashion (50s and 70s). It’s still all set in the future, this just less than the Hunge Games films. I would have made people have more in common with current fashion but in different colors and materials, and have them more attempts at ancient fashion. The Capitol is clearly obsessed with Rome, as can be seen in nearly everyone’s name.
I think the movie did a pretty good job showing Snows descent into evil considering it would be pretty much impossible to show his internal dialogue like in the book. At the beginning Snow's initial motivation to help Lucy was the money he would receive. His family's wealth is dissipating and he cannot afford university. He immediately took interest in her though, when she sang a righteous song after she was declared district 12 tribute. He snuck her food and gave her advantages even after he was told there would be no reward for him.
When she saved him during the bombing, he began to love her. I believe it was the second he had to kill someone to defend himself in the arena, he became morally conflicted. He starts to spiral for the worse ethically, and long story short, it was in the Forrest fleeing North where Lucy caught him in a lie and she became suspicious, then the second he found the murder weapon she realized he was going to make the choice to destroy it and move back to the capital. Leaving her behind and clearing himself of any evidence, unless he happened see her as another loose end. She made this connection and immediately fled. Then the end is where we really see him lose all humanity and become the villain.
You must gravely lack imagination if you think it would be impossible to translate his inner dialogue in the book through actions in the movie. That’s what a good adaptation should strive for - not to merely reenact the events of the book and leave out what's hard to fathom outside of the page, but to tastefully translate such elements through the use of cinematic language. A film which very successfully shows us the inner world of a character with often no dialogue is 2022’s Pearl (though it’s helped by how over-the-top and camp it is).
Honestly, I don't know if "descent into evil" are the right words for what happened to Snow because he was pretty despicable from the beginning in the book. His internal monologue towards people from the district was very degrading and he was very judgmental of Sejanus's family. Even when he fell in love with Lucy Gray he was very possessive of her and thought of her as something to own. The book does show he has the potential for good but he nevers really fulfills that potential because almost every time he does something good he has ulterior motives. To me, he was a bad guy who became an even worse guy, he was never really good.
Snow never descended into evil though. He is a sociopath from the first page. This is why this film felt incomplete to me.
@@braingirl9112i feel like he was bordering on becoming good, like there are the roots for it but he just needed to change, which is where the “descent into evil” descriptions come from. Ofc, he never followed through on those roots.
anyway no matter how much i imagine adding his inner dialogue like the person above is saying, i just can’t see how it would work without being so campy even i’m a bit put off. this is a hollywood movie. they just wouldn’t. the only way i could see it working is if they keep giving closeups on the coryo’s face and the actor acts the fuck outta it so that you get the point across that he’s thinking past what is just shown on screen.
issue is that would extend the runtime as shots would be longer or completely added and the movie is already 2 1/2 hrs long. i don’t think it would extend it to 3hrs, at most imo it would extend it to closer to 2 hrs 45 mins, but still they already squeezed so much into the movie. i dont think they could fit anything more with how fast paced it is. barely got any time to breathe until act 3 imo.
@@20000dino "you must gravely lack imagination" well the studio didn't do it, and unless you yourself can execute it perfectly, shut up. As a person who didn't read the prequel (will do it now after watching the movie), it was a very weird feeling rooting for Snow because you wanted him succeed to help Lucy. We know who Snow turns out to be eventually, but not knowing exactly his despicable thoughts made it more tragic.
The actor who played Snow was so fine I was getting concerned for myself throughout the movie...💀
FRR
tom blyth is so fine i had to remind myself multiple times of evil donald sutherland snow... like he had NO RIGHT to look that good with every hairstyle (and in that white t-shirt??? the lake scene???)
@leeh4669 you girls are disgusting. Men are creepy and predatory and woman are forgiving and excusing of creepy men as long as they're attractive.
I thought I was fine and didn’t succumb to his looks until the very end when he has money 😂 The hairstyle and suit, I damn near fainted lol
Tom was so fine that even though I knew the ending I was still somehow hoping he wouldn't end up being President Snow for some reason 😭💀
i feel like the costume i liked the most was def the academy uniform, i thought the androgynous and boxy kinda look was really fun
Fr I loved it so much
The academy uniforms actually kinda reminds me of heather Chandler's look in heathers I think that's really cool and I love how it makes the students bigger than they actually are to show the capitol 's ego and them thinking of themselves as better
I found it funny that Arachne Crane made fun of Lucy Gray's dress calling her "a clown", when in the future the people from the Capitol look more like clowns themselves.
4:23 This bit of ambiguity really bothered me 😕 in the book we find out Clemensia survived but suffered from skin mutation where her skin became colourful scales like the rainbow snakes before eventually recovering with some scarring. I know it was done probably to save time & create suspense but I just think her fate in the book added to just how sinister Dr Gaul was.
They also could have shown Snow getting his hair buzzed a few times between shots of grueling labor. To show the passing of time through how many hair cuts he needed
I thought it was pretty clear how much time passed just knowing any about the military. He would have been in training for long time before he could get time off from barracks.
@@sarasamaletdin4574 well you might know that but I haven’t any clue about the army protocol, and I’m sure I’m not the only one
Even without reading the book, I thought it was pretty clear that every action he took throughout the movie was ultimately self-serving and that he’s fundamentally a bad person.
It is really interesting to read his thoughts vs what he actually says. I never really understood why Lucy Gray loved him in the first place maybe she just felt vulnerable and reached out to the first bright light she saw.
@@gnomie3908 I thjnk when you are starved, being sent to your death, and someone comes and tries to really help your odd (and they are attractive) I can see why she did, also she was literally cheated on before she left the district. She was in a very vulnerable state and couldn’t think clearly nor logically
* Spoilers*
I think something I really like though is that with Snow's character, you can see how Lucy Gray actually loved him; he was charming and seemed very genuine with his actions. I think the movie and the book are stronger together, because the former provides an image of what Snow comes off as to everyone else, and the latter is who he truly is. A good example of this is here: In the book, Snow wasn't good friends with Sejanus, and in fact thought that he was stupid, but he was always mistaken as his good friend, and they considered each other 'brothers'. The movie shows his outward mannerisms and how he actually acted, which provide a reasoning as to why people think they are friends. The movie shows how Snow acts without his inner thoughts getting in the way, while the book really captures the essence of who he is to himself, and the justifications he makes for his actions, trying to paint himself as a good person when he finally concludes that he isn't. I think the movie and the book should be analyzed together rather than separately, because it gives two perspectives on a very complex character; I think it would be a great disservice to an individual to only view one form of the story lol.
Also, I watched the movie before I read the book; it contextualizes the scenes (that are necessary, because otherwise the songs come off cringe lol). I feel like it helped to bring a more in depth viewing of an already complex character, so I recommend watching the movie before reading the book, something I don't usually recommend btw.
i love this take!!
im also thinking of reading the book after watching the movie. for me, also, it helped that i ended up getting a lot of tiktoks diving into parts/smbolism/connections of THG troligy and TBOSAS (particularly knowing the extent of the desperation his family is in (tigris having to prostitute herself as the breadwinner)). i think that knowing what snow becomes helps a lot in trying to figure out what hes really thinking.
@@aarushisingh7635 Yes! And also the fact that even though it is not explicitly stated in the movie or book, there is clear indication of what Tigris did in order to help her family. It is not touched on in the movie as much, but through book Snow's relationship with Tigris, we can already see the person he would be later, as he comments on how Tigris selling herself would be detrimental to the family name of Snow, rather than on her sacrifice. This shows us that from the beginning, he wasn't a good person, and only truly cared about himself. You truly need to read/listen to the book in addition to the movie, because it truly reveals how twisted he is, but also there were some things that were left out of the movie for time purposes (including scenes I loved but that's too much more, you'll have to read it yourself!) :)
the thing that stood out to me like a sore thumb is the homework snake tank scene. It only works if Clemencia has literally 12 brain cells and no fear response.
i agree with u but i also kinda think gaul would've killed her either way and she prob knew that maybe? or wasn't sure if she was bluffing? tbh idk lmk if I'm wrong
Idk if you read the book, but originally dr Gaul made Snow go first and nothing happened, and only told them about the snakes after clemencia already had her hand fully in the tank. It was really interesting in the book, I’m kind of disappointed that the whole storyline with the snake mutts was watered down
Yes!! When I realized they changed it and clemencia went first I was like uhhh… how do u make that make sense lol
@@roanalexander3839yes, I don’t get why they changed that scene. It made no sense for dr Gaul to explain it to clemencia up front…
@@roanalexander3839YES and the part where snow was connecting the avox muts with clamencia's scales really makes you understand just how dispicable things in the capital are
I watched this with my boyfriend and the first thing he said when the movie ended was why were there so many characters with names that ended in ‘anus’? 😭😅
lmao he’s so real for that
"Well Julie, I just wrote anus"
They're actually historical Roman names
Fun fact: In Danish if you seperate Sejanus to Sej anus you get chewy anus or cool anus. Funnily enough cool anus sounds close to Coriolanus 😊
😅
I have to disagree with your opinion on the tributes fashion. I thought it was absolutely brilliant the way they were all dressed as their clothing all have nods towards their districts industry and the wealth difference was clearly shown. I'll go over each of the fashion of the tributes just to name a few.
District 1: Wore completely white outfits that were matching and similar towards uniforms. Possibly a school uniform, they stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the shags of other tributes, the wealth difference was definitely there.
District 2: Wore more bland outfits as they aren't in the great wealth just yet they are in modern day. They're slowly rebuilding from the war and haven't been given the luxuries they have yet as the Capitol hasn't fully recovered to do so.
District 3: Wore green factory bodysuits which were matching and showed the work labor that even kids were forced into.
District 4: My favorite, they were sailor-esque outfits with ocean/aquatic related embroideries in their clothing. They looked nicer and even had vest and layers towards their outfits, a far difference to say District 8.
District 5: Wore more plain outfits but Sol, the district 5 female even wore a fancy outfit with a vest and button up, a show of more resources compared to 9-10.
District 6: We never really saw, but in behind the scenes they wore more hard materials like leather, a reference to the original trilogy and 60s-50s Jet-wear.
District 7: Treech wore more old style lumber fashion with reference towards the 1900s while Lamina wore more traditional Lumberjack fashion with the prints.
District 8: Great outfits as they looked the most worn-down but hand-made as their outfits were entirely made out of spare-supplies and scraps.
District 9: Wore more plain outfits but had touches of yellow and overalls that gave reference to the farm-life many of them lived.
District 10: Lot's of animal-related fabrics like leather and references to cowboy fashion with the many layers. As well as touching on the style in the area the District is placed - Texas and Mexico.
District 11: Outfits had prints in reference towards the industry and wore brighter colors to match.
District 12: The star, I loved Lucy's outfit as it looked very crafty.
Agreed the fashion was a highlight for me
not only that, but Lucy’s outfit isn’t meant to represent district 12, they show that she’s covey
the D1 tributes were dressed as cricket players, which was a brilliant touch.
@pinkstrawberrymagic
Alps it’s better to me that covey isn’t directly shown to be some specific ethnicity that now exists (like the Mexican example in the video). They must be, since the 10th Hunger Games are set only 220 years into the figure from today. But lot still happened and some ethnicities could have merged and used different inspirations to create more unique culture.
EXACTLY I agree with everything you said I think her opinion on the tributes fashion was a little too harsh sure I would have loved for more girls to wear dresses but the fashion was still really good and the actors looked great in it . Another detail I liked is that there are implied class differences between district partners for example the district 9 tributes, sheaf was wearing overalls and a black shirt a more practical clothes for farming meanwhile panlo was well dressed with a vest and button up even with his shoes he seemed more fancy then sheaf but still wore the same shade of yellow as her and the shade they choose for them really reminds me of fields of wheat
Sol like you said was also dressed more fancy then Hy's in fact Hy clothes give me some industrial revolution vibes also Sol wearing blue and the way her Neck scarf was wrapped similar to a sailors uniform hints at district 5 specialization in hydroelectricity
lamina had prints and vibrant colors in her clothes and even wore earings and her clothes fit her nicely while treech 's were plain and simple and his jacket too big for him
It give hints at how district 12 isn't the only district with a poorer and wealther sections and the districts fashion and props for the costume designer for creating a ocean insperd look for district 4 without putting them in beach wear also mizzen has a starfish on one side of his pants while coral has a starfish on one side of her jacket and I find this matching detail to be really cute
Also book lamina was literally wearing a flour sack and was bare feet her clothes in the movie are so much better
Also I heard that the covey were based off of Romani people not Spanish
as someone who didn’t read the book before watching the movie, my initial interpretation was that snow is someone who constantly needs to be in control, whether it’s control of his situation, what people think of him, or his relationships. in the beginning of the movie, this need for control seemed more innocent because he wanted to be in control of the outcome of the games for the sake of his future, his family, and for lucy, but further into the movie it gets warped as his need for control is shown to be increasingly stronger and more selfish, and he’s willing to do worse and worse things in service of this need. This descent was a bit choppy, and the movie could’ve done a better job showing a more gradual progression if this was the route they were going for in snow’s movie character arc. but I feel like it was a pretty interesting take, showing how this sort of trait can seem admirable when cast in a softer light, but is poisonous at its core. it also serves as a commentary on how our society rewards people with these traits, and in return, these people uphold the structure of the society, particularly all of its inequities and evils which make up its bones.
an ‘American Psycho’ style inner monologue here & there could hypothetically have really helped - if the actor could pull it off (& it looks like he did a good job considering the challenge of portraying all that without one !) it would have really added to the story
yes, i think that wouldve worked sooo well
Would love to see it!
It was an excellent movie! I think my only "big" gripe was how produced the music sounded. Like when she was singing Hanging Tree with her back to Snow, I think having it sounds more real--like she was just sitting there with her guitar, no background music added or vocal editing--would have been really nice. Not for every music scene, but I think a few of them would have benefitted!
Great video!
It’s interesting because I believe that Rachel said she sang every song live
@@chileanyways196 Which I believe! But my main issue is with the editing--adding background music and vocal toning afterwards :)
@@Andressadantas1208 your face is cringe but here we are
While your points are making sense, I really believe they did the best with the limited time they had. The audiobook recording lasts for 16 hours, while the movie only has about 3 hours to encapsulate all of it.
While some of the details might've got lost on the way, I think they managed to do a great job with keeping as much as possible of the book in the film
I didn't read the thg books, but I knew overall about how this one goes and Snow's inner monologue and went in with that in mind. I thought Tom Blyth did a great job because everytime he did or said something as Snow, I could see there was a veneer of, for lack of a better word, performance, and that everything he was doing was for his own interests. The most chilling thing to me was him recording Sejanus without his knowledge, sending the recording to Gaul, then acting like he didn't know what the consequences would be. To me, Snow crying over Sejanus' belongings was him shattering the very last shred of empathy and compassion he might've had. Coryo is dead, President Snow is born.
I also loved the symbolism of Lucy Gray leaving the shack on the pretense of looking for "katniss", then 50 or so years later here comes Katniss Everdeen and the rebellion rises anew to the tune of The Hanging Tree.
Again I haven't read the books, so I might be way off.
I’ve read the books and you’re totally NOT way off! 😂
The way he said "I take care of you" with that weird curl of his lips is such a good indicator of that!
It's worth going just to hear Rachel sing. Especially The Ballad of Lucy Grey Baird
right thats literally the best song
Ikr! I'm in love with rachel voice🥺❤she's a perfect cast for lucy gray.
@@onlysorayak
My favorite was pure as the driven snow and I feel so guilty for liking it because he definitely does not deserve it 😭
The singing was the most annoying part
Ah it’s so weird to me that people seem to regard Tom Blythe as the only reason for people having any sympathy for Snow at the beginning of the novel. While we are explicitly told that success is Coriolanus’s only real chance at a normal life, like there is not much of a middle class in Panem that he can join. It’s a horrible system to begin with, that is further undermined by a post-war economic collapse. His anger at Sejanus seems very logical to me. Sejanus does a lot of very stupid crap, and sort of drags Snow into it, while only he has the father to bail him out and mother to comfort him. I really think that you do not need to be a psychopath to view life similarly to him in his circumstances. I feel that it’s one of those situations where people overestimate their ability to stay righteous.
I agree; He's surrounded by superficiality and snobbishness with everyone putting on masks to maintain their public image (our society is rather similar in alot of ways). The movie in particular throws him in situations that can come back and bite him if he doesn't take action, and even if he doesn't - the stain of the possibility of having known what Sejanus was doing would forever damn his reputation. While Snow isn't a psychopath, he's definitely a contender for the sociopathic title however.
Same before the movie even existed I read the book and sympathized with him almost all the way through (before the very end)
No I totally agree. Also I feel like he started to have some character growth too, because at first he views the districts as beneath him and thought they were all evil but then he grows and starts realizing they're not bad and that they're people too which in my opinion makes his story feel so much more interesting. The fact that he genuinely cared about some people from the districts made the fact that he did what he did so much more cruel later on. Also, the fact that he, at one point (referring to when he was younger), actually deserved sympathy, in my opinion, made his cruelty and lack of sympathy / empathy as president that much worse.
I'm so glad someone else said this. My parents kicked me out when I was a teen and I had to at points make some hard choices that didn't nesscarily align with my moral compass - when I watched the movie I empathized with and related to Snow so deeply, and it honestly made me concerned I was a horrible person or something. But I think his choices in the first 3 quarters of the movie are understandable, and I think that while Sejanus had the right intentions at heart, his actual actions were quite selfish/reckless and constantly putting others in danger.
@@annieroberts2148 I’m really sorry that happened to you. Hope you’re doing well!
The recording that plays in the hanging cuts off before you can hear snows voice, or I least that’s what I remember, I distinctively remember snow getting more anxious as recording gets closer to the part with his voice and then it cuts off and he relaxes and think that was the case
You can't hear his voice but Sejanus says Snow's name in the recording so everyone would know he was talking to him.
@@aliciabergman1252i thought he called out for snow to help him though ? like how he called for his mom
Pretty sure you could hear both of them, but that doesn't prove he was the one that recorded the conversation. That's my guess as to why lucy didn't immediatly react/figure it out
i think its an enjoyable movie for people who loved the hunger games, but you should definitely read the books if you wanna understand snow as a character.
I loved the book and the movie does well on covering it. The reason why the second half fees rushed is because they were scared of separating it into 2 movies because of what happened with Mockingjay. I think maybe the directors cut with the extra hour could solve a lot of these issues, I hope they release it
Yes I’d love to see the directors cut! So ironic that making mockingjay into two movies and getting flack for it resulted in this movie feeling too short and like it should have been two parts. I actually feel they could have made 3 short movies out of each of the sections and it would feel fine pacing wise. It wouldn’t be hard to deep dive in each section with material from the book and it would feel more fully fleshed out. I’ve gotten so used to tv series watching that movies always feel kinda rushed to me.
what exactly happened with mockingjay? i was like 12 when the movies came out so i don't really know about any backlash
I'm actually kind of glad I've come to a halt with listening to the audiobook. I'm just about to get to the bit where they go to the lake. It's just kind of dragging on.
@user-ov9ti2ju5g
I feel old since I was already an adult when they came out and I followed box office and reviews. There wasn’t a blacklash really. The movies just didn’t make quite as much money as hoped and people thought they probably should have been better as one film. You can read reviews. But there was nothing like the mess with Divergent (last film was never even made!).
For me, it is a great adaptation that streamlined the plot of the book. Yeah, there were things that couldn’t be included, but I felt it dragged on in the novel and I was glad they didn’t appear. And also, I do believe we see Coriolanus descent into evil very well, because we’re always shown his reaction, his face when people suffer, instead of the victims’, as if he was the center of the world
Rachel Zegler was incredible as Lucy Gray Baird. Her voice was so beautiful and her acting and expressions throughout the film really brought book Lucy Gray to life. However, I really wish there were two parts - I feel like there was so much they left out ! I cant't wait to rewatch this film again though - I really do think it was exceptional, didn't even feel 3 hours long.
her accent was what took me out of it. as someone who grew up in the south the way that it would change n leave n come back was so distracting
@@lalalola. yhh i defo get that but as British person it wasn't that noticeable for me haha
@@lalalola. im esl and i cant really tell with accents i thought it was believeable FDSJkfdsl
As someone who has never read the books, the selfishness of Snow was clear as sky since the beginning. And the fact that he never knew if he can truly trust Lucy Gray was also very clear. It was started from Snow’s grandma telling him she’s using him then he started doubting. The “betrayal” was pretty clear to me… is it because the movie didn’t spell it out? Thought a lot of the criticism was actually shown in the movie (who has never read the book and only watched the movie once)
Hard disagree, I felt like I never really understood why he was doing what he did. They spell it out sure, but they don't show it, he does not struggle, we don't get why he loves her, what loving her means to him, what his punishment ans loss feels like.
I kind of appreciate the depiction of Snow in the film because he starts off as morally grey, and as the film goes on you see how his choices, how his self-preservation and need to be above people overtook his morality. His breakdown over Sej's death read so raw to me from the film, and then to have him STILL make the choice to put himself first over that and Lose Lucy Gray over it right after he lost someone else close to him made me appreciate his decent into president Snow even more. It made me feel like anyone can be President Snow if they're selfish enough and there's nothing you can do about it. Like a cautionary tale rather than one to garner sympathy for him, because I don't feel sympathetic for him knowing what he later becomes.
After some thought and watching the video through, I think this film would have benefited from the MockingJay Treatment where it's a 2 parter. There was just so much stuff to include, and the film is already 2 plus hours long. I would have been hype for a 2 part and the first part is the hungergames, the latter part is the aftermath of it. The world would have had room to breathe.
This film had so much ground to cover in so little time. I agree with all of these weaknesses, but I find many of the changes and cuts created a sound adaptation given the limitations of the film.
I just watched tbosas today so perfect timing! I really loved the costume design in this movie, specifically Tom and Rachel’s. Props to the costume designer for actually paying attention to the costumes of a major male character.
Tom Blyth is so dreamy looking in this movie
I think Coriolanus doesn’t come off quite as conniving or conceited in the movie as he does in the books. But as someone who has never read the books, I did come away from the movie thinking most of his actions were more calculated than they seemed at the surface level and that his primary goal was regaining his family’s status. He doesn’t seem narcissistic in the movie, but certainly self-preserving.
I did think his friendship with Sejanus read as genuine in some scenes, but I disagree that recording their conversation ever came off as reasonable. It always seemed like a selfish act.
Edit: Grammar
Ngl I feel people missed a lot of both the obvious and also subtle moments and acting from Blyth that showed Snow was NOT a good guy right from the jump. I’m glad the movie didn’t spell it out for us, it made it a lot more interesting.
Didn't read the book so the pacing actually felt slow a lot of the time for me. Since they kept needing to set up new acts, you don't have a good sense of the motivations and stakes in the new context and wonder why the movie is still going at the beginning of the acts. And although you don't hear Snow's inner thoughts, I thought his actions alone showed his lack of integrity and it was just his charm that could throw viewers.
I vividly remember my friend telling me after watching the first huger games movie that she didn't like it was much as the book because "Katniss thinks so much in the book and that doesn't work on screen". And I fully get that viewpoint, and I felt it even more whilst watching TBOSAS. Suzanne Collins' greatest strength in writing is the internal monologue of her characters and how it translates so well into the actions of the characters. Like someone else mentions in this comment's section "reading ballad.... was like reading American psycho" whilst I might not take it all the way to casual serial killer vibes- it gives you such an insight into Snow's narcissistic mind. And I feel like that aspect is way less prominent in the movie, and makes certain actions harder to understand.
I actually found this to be one of the few cases where I preferred the movie over the book. I found the book to be a bit of slog in the latter half so I was fine with the faster pacing. I do agree that they made Snow more likable in the movie, though I'm not sure how they could have portrayed his inner dialogue in the movie without it coming off as forced.
I never read the book, but, from what you said, the movie portrail of Snow is more captivating, in my opinion. That is because everything he does seems mercyful and noble at surface level: helping his family, helping Lucy, helping Sejanus. But if you look deeper, you can see the oportunistic side of his actions, so you are left wondering what his honest intentions are until the woods scene, when he visciously turns againt Lucy, revealing his true nature.
This movie is an absolute masterpiece. Although there were a few brutal scenes, the overall quality of the film was exceptional. I'm looking forward to watching it again on Netflix or another platform.
OMG my first thought was that this should've been a high budget limited series
that would have been awesome
Yeah and there would be three episodes for each section of the book
@@abigailbartlett6084the film is 3h long, so one episode would be 2?
@@mrmdaher Sounds good to me
@@mrmdaher the film was 2.5h long, but there were some parts that were cut. rumor has it that there's a 4h cut somewhere so dividing that into 3 episodes (think bbc sherlock with 1-1.5 hour long episodes but only 3 eps per season) seems pretty plausible.
I kept waiting for you to mention the academy uniform! I remember when the first promo shots of it came out and the fans I saw really didn't like it (me included), but I have to say it REALLY worked onscreen!
Speaking of act III and scrapped moments: If I remember correctly, Lucy performed The Hanging Tree once during her performances in the underground club, which ended in the club getting raided by peacekeepers (with the song later being banned I believe). She also wrote it because she was at the hanging, but I think they cut that from the film as well or at least she wasn’t noticeably there. This sort of made the song lose impact for me both at the time where the film takes place and also in relation to Katniss singing the song again in Mockingjay. I was also disappointed that Down In The Meadow was scrapped from Ballad, as it makes Rue’s death and Katniss mourning for her more poignant and - I imagine - made Snow sh* himself in recognition.
As a result the connection to the original Hunger Games trilogy fell a bit flat, whereas it was more tangible in the books. I also agree with the pacing of the film being either dragged out or rushed. For some reason the film never builds up the same amount of tension as the original films did. Despite us knowing the ending every time, the original films still have me clinging to the edge of my seat. In Ballad, the only sort of tension we get is in the rushed third act, which is a shame.
Overall I still enjoyed the film, but like everyone else who’s read the book, I agree that the book offers a better view into how devious and narcissistic Snow really so definitely read it!
Still waiting for a book about Haymitch’s Hunger Games, may the creative odds be in Suzanne’s favour because I NEED it
I think having the tributes being less characterized is super interesting when you look at the movie as if it is through Snow's point of view. Because he doesn't really care about them, he only cares about how they can either help or destroy Lucy Gray, other than that they're all 'district' to him. I also think it's really interesting to look at what parts of the movie people are discussing, I've seen very few edits & comments about Reaper, and a lot of them on Tom Blythe being attractive. Not that that isn't valid lol, it's just interesting that in the movie Dr. Gaul cut Reaper off and that made his actions way less impactful, which I think is why it's not talked about that much. And the way Snow is portrayed in some scenes is supposed to make him look attractive, which is also the way Lucy Gray and many others saw him, because he purposefully used his looks and his charms to manipulate people and get what he wants. So basically I think a lot of the online discourse revolves around seeing the movie exactly as 'the capitol' would want us to see it. Of course some edits and comments don't encompass people's entire viewpoints and I also don't think the people talking about the actor's looks don't care about anything else, it's just that the movie industry wants us to perceive things a certain way, and the Hunger Games criticizes how everything is a performance, so of course it's difficult to make a movie that is criticizing the movie industry, if that makes sense
It's so fucking concerning when she said she couldn't bring herself to care!!!! Like wtf these children are dying because they are being forced to!!
I also agree that it should have been a TV show. With books, there are so many details that a movie just can't capture. I feel like if it was a series we would have gotten to see more of other characters and maybe even some of Snow's inner monologue from the books. Great video!
I agree 100% with this review, the first one that reflects my frustrations. The movie was beautifully produced, with a great cast and set. But they don't really develop multifaceted characters, nor the chemistry between Lucy and Snow. I understand the inner dialogue can't be done, but they could have kept some of the original dialogue, because some of the changes didn't do anything to benefit the movie.
coriolanus is such a mouthful of a name. i even had to shorten it when i read the book
100% Limited TV Series instead, exactly what I thought. I have seen it twice and read it over and over. This is a REALLY intense read and deals with a lot of material that is a bit of the capstone of maturity the Collins seemed to want to finally express to her readers, knowing they have aged as well, and I think Collins was bold for finally bringing use closer to the state of nature debate and in general, I would have loved to see the demise, the confliction and then rise of Snow... and likewise, the similarities to Snow and Lucy, and how both end up enigmas but on opposites of the moral compass line in the end.
I know it's an old movie at this point but could you pleeeeeeease do a fashion breakdown/analysis of Cruella? After you dropped the fashion analysis for Barbie I immediately thought of Cruella and remembered you didn't actually do a video for that movie, if it's not too much to ask (it's okay if you don't have the time/interest) but I just thought the fashion in that movie was fantastic and I was a little surprised you didn't make a fashion breakdown for it, so pretty pretty please 🙏🏾🥺 could please please make a video for Cruella? I love that movie so much and the fashion is just incredible. Btw I love your channel, thank you so much for such fantastic content ❤
Mina Le made a great Curella analysis, I’d definitely recommend it!
@@gwengrasso1887 I'll check it out, thank you! ❤️
I didn’t read the book but I thought they still did a good job with snow’s character. He seemed super conniving when she wipes Lucy Grays tears and she goes in for a kiss but he pulls away. It was never really a romance thing for him, just strategic. Even going back to her in district 12. She is a survivor of the hunger games and like katniss and other survivors, she would be bound to the capital and that history. It all seems like a play for power. He never really showed sympathy for the tributes and his cousin is the only one to suggest getting to know Lucy as he didn’t initially think of it. I think he cared a little but always put his interest above all else.
The clothes makes sense for me. aww if the cousin is a designer, she can repurpose any fabric that they have. If they need to keep up the act of having money, they would put a lot of effort into their clothes to not show that they are poor. I also think it would be uncharacteristic to show the blisters on his feet for the shoes not fitting because he is the type of man to not let anyone see his struggle or discomfort.
I don’t think he ever thought he was really in love with Lucy gray, just an escape route. That’s why everything changed when he found the guns. Just another route he could take. I don’t really think that transition came out of nowhere as we know he is not fully invested to her. We also k ow where he is going because I’ve seen snow in the previous movies. I never went in thinking he was an amazing person.
Also I think Granmam isn’t cookey. She is the one to tell Cornelius that he needs to bring wealth and power like his dad. She basically tells him that he has to fill those shoes. She also has no empathy for the tributes and tells him to use them to get the upper hand. She seems very calculated i’m the film and i feels like Cornelius would be way worse if his cousin wasn’t there to inspire kindness in him which ultimately worked out in his favor later on.
Honestly surprised is the worst reviewed hunger games movie . It’s easily better than both mockingjay movie
i loved this movie as well but just curious what makes u prefer them over the Mockingjay movies? i really loved those!
One thing I will say for the elevated styling on the Snow family is that it constantly made me evaluate the difference between Snow's perceived suffering and the more visceral suffering of the District kids. I'm not sure this was intentional by any means given that there were also attempts to show the Snow's struggles to maintain basics like food and shelter and I know that, at least in the book, the family is meant to be truly impoverished. That being said, this indicated to me that Snow's evaluation of his struggle to survive - and thus his allowance for "survival" based moral lapses - was comparative rather than absolute. His struggle was the struggle of a person who was once wealthy and who craved a return to that wealth rather than the struggle of a person coming from a generational history of poverty.
For me, this did two things: First, it showed that Snow was an unreliable narrator of his own position, setting up his actions as morally transgressive because they were in pursuit of importance rather than survival. Second, it played into an existing theme of the Capitol evaluating its own suffering in the war and during rebellions as greater than the suffering of the Districts either during those conflicts or under the Capitol's authoritarian rule. A good example of this was in the contrast between Reaper's shrine (which I think was poignantly staged in the movie) and Gaul's promise of destruction at the offscreen death of a single Capitol child. Regardless of the context for these two images, the juxtaposition of these responses back to back hammered home to me how much the Capitol answers any rebellion, even symbolic, with disproportionate violence.
This back and forth - Snow's belief in his own entitlement and the Capitol's belief in its own inherent superiority - is fundamental to the themes that draw me to these stories. Again, I'm not sure how much was intentional and how much was my own positionality as a capitol L Leftist watching this movie in a time of difficult world events and rising fascism. In fact, my own biggest critique of the movie is that I *don't* know how much of this messaging was intended and how much was circumstantial. Given the highly allegorical nature of this series, it's frustrating to see a certain wishy-washy-ness in exploring these characterizations. There just wasn't *enough* of the detailed story beats to sus out what we're being asked to take away from this one.
I felt the same about the movie. I went into the movie wondering if they would successfully be able to show just how bad Snow is. As you said, the inner monologue is such a big part of the development of his character. What he ends up doing outwardly is him trying to come off as a good person. So it's hard to show that his inner motivations are so different from his actions.
I remember leaving the theater utterly baffled at Snow's breakdown and Lucy's escape at the end, I actually had to google it to understand what had happened. Having not read the book I had no indication that he would have suddenly snapped and wanted to kill her after everything they'd done. Hearing your description from the books makes so much more sense.
i think they used highbottoms dialogues with snow to show some of his internal monologue,and it was clear that he only went to the arena after Dr Gaul said she would talk to the Plinths to help him get the prize,also its very obvious in the begning hes just helpint Lucy Gray for himself
I feel like Lucy Grays dress and style of the covey was inspired by Romani culture. Personally I don't really see much mexican /Latin inspo.
its because the actress is Latina that's why people think that.
A lot of people hated on Mockingjay for being divided into two parts. But I think this movie would have benefited from being 2 movies, one for the games, and one for Snows time as a peacekeeper in 12
I liked coral's (district 4 tribute) outfit. Her jacket is really cool with it's fish stamp on the sleeve, it reminded me of Gyotaku (Japanese fish prints)
I saw online some people complaining that she looked 'too modern' or iphone face but I think people just like to pretend that masculine woman only started existing in 2010.
I also like that her icon picture is similar to the fallen angel painting.
I’m rereading the hunger games rn because of the new movie!
I have a rule when watching book-to-movie adaptations to NOT reread the books, so I can evaluate the movie on its own merits.
I also found the costuming to be a but dull overall, though I was hoping your take on Lucy Gray's dress would have been more positive.
I do think there was some distinction in tributes. I especially loved Coral's last line that to the effect of "this can't be it, or what was it all for?" And that she was such a ruthless killer out of survival and the only way to clear her conscious of that would be if she won.
I also love the tribute from 4 giving Marcus a mercy killing, and I think despite no lines, she really stood out to me.
Like you, I was disappointed that the staging for Snow's apartment. I excepted it to be bear of almost anything. When they opened the fridge and it was empty, I thought "the whole apartment needs to look like that". There's even a scene in the books where tigress is boiling food on the stove and it's basically just watered-down broth.
All in all I liked it, and it's a solid entry. I think they're trying to hit a fashion market (Lucy Gray is channeling the boho chic that is coming in trend) and would have loved to see more of that from the Capital. The world design is therefore a little flavorless to me.
I would pay to see it again in theaters, which to me is a positive review.
I kinda wanted to know how they would handle Lucy's Gray dress in the book... this movie one is insanely pretty and I see her (book Lucy) wearing one but it looks way too clean and lacks dust as mentioned in the novel.
Agreed, it´s a pretty dress, but the problem is it looks like something she just bought from a shop, not some dress that could´ve belonged to her mother and/or something a traveling musician would wear (But it´s Hollywood, so....). Plus, it´s not really colourful and extravagant with all the colours of rainbow like described in the book, so having someone say in the movie too "is she a clown?" seems just weird. Hollywood often makes things generic so the audience is not "annoyed" by strange clothes (like they did with Harry Potter too), but because most of her other outfits were also really generic and lacked colour, her status as a singer/performer/outsider didn´t feel as important as it was in the book. Funnily enough, the uniforms Snow and his classmates had were much more colourful compared to anything Lucy Gray was wearing.
I feel like this was the book to make two movies out of. Overall they did a great job and I loved the movie but I could tell they tried to handle too much even without reading the books. The tribute’s definitely fell flat I feel like Wovey was supposed to be a Rue or a Mags but I didn’t feel that way because the tributes were never expanded on.
It feels like the movie watchers were manipulated by Corio, while the readers went 'noooooooo' in the background
As a movie watcher I really like that we didn't hear any of the inner dialogue in many ways it added a lot of depth to his character in the film, which I was able to read between the lines while watching.
One scene I wish they didnt cut from the books is when Lucy Gray sings the lullaby to Maude Ivory. Its a sweet moment that is a clear reminder to the main series, when Katniss sings the lullaby to Rue. When reading Ballads it made me think of what Snow's face would look like when he heard the lullaby again watching Katniss's games. Lucy Gray haunts him 76 years later.
Yes to all of this. Watching this movie with my friends was almost heartbreaking because they hadn’t read the book and it’s not like I can explain every scene that Coriolanus is thinking only of himself in every scene. Visually, I love this movie. I just wish his motivations would have come across more clearly.
ive read the book, but even if i hadn't snow's manipulation was everpresent in this movie. in every step he took he was calculating, reviewing, planning. the loss of his inner voice is not fundamental because you can still feel and see it. there was only one scene which felt jarring which was when he first got mad at sejanus in district 12.
For me, idk why Teslee and Circ weren’t in it. Instead, they were replaced with Panlo and Sheaf, who died in the cornucopia.
Haven't seen a review of this movie that I've agreed so much with! I really feel like the book deserved a better adaptation because it packs such an emotional and dramatic punch that wasn't utilized. To me it felt like the scriptwriters didn't understand what makes the story and what to focus on. Even the scenes they did include like Arachne's death wasn't shot in an effective way. They should have given this moment of brutality, mockery and desperation the focus it deserved. Like you said, that Ma was overlooked, and that his own family didn't serve that great a purpose (could be used to further show who he really is). But what I hated most of all was how Coral was changed to be a one-dimensional villain which takes away from the brutality of the games themselves and how different the games were back then before the careers. I feel like they just had a list of plot points and weren't interested in larger themes, moral greyareas or emotional impact.
(Then there were these small moments that irritated me like when Coryo critiques Grandma'm's singing or when he likes being called a rebel. He would never do that!)
This is so interesting ! I haven't seen this movie and I think I might wait and watch it on streaming later (I read the book though and I did enjoy it), but these are things I resonate with because that's how I felt about Mockingjay part 2. Your remark about the scriptwriters having a list of bulletpoints is exactly how I feel about MJ2. Disappointed but not surprised that it seems to be the same wirh this movie.
One thing I have to say is how her randomly singing especially in the reaping and in the arena scenes really stood out whether good or bad it gave the impression to people who haven’t watched the movie and only saw snippets on either TikTok or any other social media that “oh it’s a musical?” Which would lead to people thinking it’s suddenly a musical? And I have saw how some even gave negative reviews because of it but besides that the other scenes of her singing didn’t felt out of place
I agree with the Rainbow dress, while its still a very creative imagining of the rainbow dress, It would have felt more hand me down if it was like out Folkloric Skirts, since they are in fact, passed down, My mom passed me hers and I passed down my skirt from when I was little to my cousin
I ranted for HOURS after watching about the costuming! why was everything so clean? why was Lucy's dress a hand-me-down but looked brand new? where would she have gotten the glitter blue eyeshadow she wore in 12? literally, why were everyone's clothes so clean and new it infuriated me that Lucy was wearing freshly pressed clean white linen for the reaping ugghhh
She wears heavy makeup in the book too. There are black markets to get that type of stuff, and Snow mentioned that her rouge looked really fatty, meaning it is also possible she made the makeup herself, or it is just really really cheap.
The movie portrayal of snow is exactly how snow would like to be portrait. It’s like he was able to manipulate the filmmakers.
When the first Hunger games series was first projected on screen I too young to really understood the hype around this series was until now, that I am older I finally did understand the methaphors and commentary this series aimed that. This Pre-quel re ignited the fire and potential this Series had and I’m glad it did it wasn’t a blatant cash grab
My favorite outfit is the one Snow wears when he finds out he has to be a mentor. Tom Blyth looked so handsome.
I didnt read the book, but I was squealing and kicking my feet when snow came on screen. Like the scenes he had with lucy in part 3, had me forgeting hes snow.
I agree with you hunger is not shown in the movie. It is only explained in the scene with Lucy in the zoo and Coriolanus giving her food. I feel the main food Tigris was always cooking, cabbage, should have been shown and the importance and dislike for it. With just a few scenes of that. The food could have symbolize hunger for Coriolanus.
I really enjoyed the movie and hearing the things they left in the book really makes me want to read to book too
I watched this film in Berlin and all the costume and scenery reminded me of Weimar-Third Reich Germany esp. Berlin. Like that 20s to early 30s period where Hitler took control. The District 12 gate looked like the entrance to a concentration camp. Furthermore I felt the whole thing was actually taking place in the past?! It was giving “if the Nazi’s one… but in the U.S.”
The movie was great, but nothing and I mean NOTHING will ever top the gutting feeling of reading how Snow wished Lucy Gray were still trapped at the Capitol so he would know where she was and what she was doing at all times.
Personally I thought the problems you mentioned exists in the book too, Snow is a decently likable character and the first two parts of the book are incredible, and then the end he just goes bad guy mode with minimum development into that decent, the end was abysmal felt like she wanted to write a good Hunger Games prologue and forgot she had to make Snow the villian by the end
I definitely didn't read Snow as loveable even from the start. His thoughts doesn't match his actions. He's a sociopath from the get go.
@@Bryan_Dizzexactly, snow is a sociopath since his internal thoughts are very self serving but he presents himself as compassionate to serve his image
i don’t agree. Snow feels like a bad guy from the very first page. He was selfish. He hated and despised people and at the same time was nice with them. He treated Lucy Gray like she was his trophy. He never wanted to save Arachna or Sejanus. He only helped her to look good on the cameras and saved him because he thought he could be killed. Etc.
That's what I thought. I guess his convincing somehow worked on me instead
I loved the movie, I just wish they kept the dubious ending of Lucy Gray's real suspicions, or if she had them at all. I feel like the movie decided for us how her actions should be interpreted and I wish they had kept it to the audience to decide. It would've add another layer to Snow's character because we'd know that he was willing to hunt an innocent, instead we are just told he hunted someone who was a menace to him. We know that the paranoia and distrust would haunt him for the rest of his life but it would be so interesting for the audience to interpret whether it was unfounded or not. I definitely want to watch it again and keep an eye on Tom Blyth the entire time to see if there are more instances where he shows his actual thoughts and reactions because he thinks no one is looking - I already saw a clip of him rolling his eyes at something Lucy Gray says that I didn't catch at all during the first watch. Tom Blyth did an excellent job though, I think he did as well as he could without an inner monologue being present to show us what was actually going through his mind.
I loved both the book and the movie. I think they did great in compressing such a complex storyline to fit 1 feature film and that is also rated G so everyone can enjoy it. I think that we should learn to separate books and movies and appreciate them in their own category. ☺️
I realized something was wrong when in theater, two of my friends who haven't read the book asked why Lucy Grey betrayed Snow and tried to kill him . However, if you did read the book, i think you would like this movie, and they mostly did a good job of including most of important parts even compared to original trilogy. Also, i think maybe the actor could have been more convincing.
I really appreciate the character development changed and comparisons being worked through and how that affects the overall plot narrative and how Snow's character is developed and percieved. Very interesting! I haven't read the book yet but this was still interesting; I wonder what I'll notice once I read it and watch the film.
(listening at the mo) and the notes on the fashion? Excellent! Good points honestly, eg. Lucy's dress existing in some sort of cultural void and the timeline's outfit's -- and the disparity of a rich character not showing that in their garb when it would have suited their character to do so.
I only watched the movie for this prequel but I feel like I picked up on the movie creating the context for Snow’s villainous nature. I was quite disturbed and because of his distrust for everyone, I wondered if Lucy Gray was putting on an act from the beginning and would eventually ride off into the sunset and say “no hard feelings!”. I was surprised when she continued contact and that it was genuine.
I was a high schooler when the first movies came out. Read and watched them all in my teens. Watching BSS as an adult (without having read the book) was so hard. The knowledge and understanding that comes as we age, and have our own tragic life experiences, but a whole new perspective to the plot and the concept of the hunger games themselves. It now makes me feel sick to my stomach when I think about the story. And yet, I find myself wanting to read the book and soak up as much information about the world of Panem as possible.
This should've been a two parter movie the pacing was so fast
I usually hate it when franchises do this but I do think this story would have worked better if we split it into 2. I haven’t read the book but just by listening to you talk about it, it sounds like there was a lot of info that was never touched on in the film. Have the first part end at the end of the games and the second half start with Snow getting shipped off to 12 - this would also help with the perceived time gap before he reunites with Lucy.
I think the major issue was pacing. Now the book has so much going on and already three different acts, so it is hard to adapt into a 2 hour movie. But I wish the capitol was more fleshed out. The huge advantage of the hunger games is the world building. In the first one, it was extremely smart to show quick shots of the citizens being extremely outlandish with their behavior and fashion, seeing through the eyes of katniss. It makes it more impactful knowing there is such a start contrast. I didn’t feel that in this film. like you said there were a couple sweeping shots but the whole point of this story is to show snows time period. We are given no context of what the hunger games, it all feels very flat.
13:32 I pretty much said “are the Snows poor or rich?” watching the movie.
So, I read the book and feel like the first part of the movie was a bit rushed, especially with the Plinth prize.
I also would have liked to see more of Sejanus' Ma's food, as Coryo himself liked it and by the book's description seemed... delicious!
They totally left Arachne Crane's funeral behind to rot, along with Snow's thoughts about it, which I think were important in understanding his mind (and our chance of hearing Panem's entire anthem sang by Tom Blythe was lost).
It also leaves behind how much Snow HATED Billy Taupe AND the mockingjays! In the book he literally proposes to shoot the birds to extinction.
I did love the songs and the way they showed the Snow family's ruin. Viola Davis did a fantastic job in portraying a textbook crazy ass scientist. Sejanus shoots himself in the foot in the same way he does in the book and the anxiety it caused me was exactly the same
I only read about half of the book, but i LOVED the movie. I want to study snow under a microscope.
In the movie snows grandma said to snow not to trust Lucy i think that was always in the back of his mind during the film and another reason for him to suddenly turn on her
As someone who read the OG books but not this book, it moved very quickly for me. Much of Lucy’s lines made me laugh out loud because they were cringe to me, and I wish that they had showed me even more of Snow’s internal struggle somehow or more of his childhood to show his motivations. The capitol was also different from what we are used to in Katniss’s world, so the stakes somehow didn’t feel high to me (maybe because we know how it ends). It wasn’t completely terrible, but doesn’t touch the originals.
Definitely agree. This one fell flat
I feel like Snow’s characterization was perfect. The point is to show how easily one can accept and embrace fascism. He should be a “normal” person, because normal people with normal feelings become fascist all of the time. It’s a warning and a mirror.
okay so full disclosure that I am so biased on all fronts because of a multitude of reasons, so I'm definitely not doing any full reviews until after my second watch AT LEAST.
that being said, my immediate thoughts (and letterboxd review) was just...josh andrés rivera is a star. an absolute star. I loved him as chino in west side story, sejanus was easily my favorite character (partially because he had been cast. I already had him in my mind when I started reading), and I can't wait to see what else he does.
Loved the book, loved the movie! Susan Collins is a superb writer. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰