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From the Page to the Screen – The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a 2020 dystopian novel by Suzanne Collins. It is a prequel to the original Hunger Games trilogy and it serves as solid fan service as well as a legitimately strong story on its own. It was eventually adapted into a feature film by Lionsgate.

THE FILM ADAPTATION

The film was released in 2023. It was directed by Francis Lawrence and it starred Tom Blyth among many others. It did not get the strongest box office or reviews, but it is an underrated gem and one of the best movies in this franchise.

PLOT

I would have to say that the movie is just as good as the book in terms of its storytelling. Almost everything was faithfully adapted, leading to a satisfactory viewing experience. The third act being different structurally fitted with how that section in the book felt while the overall tone was just right.

WINNER – TIE

CHARACTERIZATION

Every single performer delivered here with Jason Schwartzman and Viola Davis being the standouts in their deliciously over-the-top turns. Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler were also excellent. Almost every character got their moment to shine and they were depicted just as I’d imagined them while reading the novel.

WINNER – TIE

EMOTION

In terms of emotional investment, both the book and the film moved me. The romance is well depicted in the film while the character study felt intimate and complex. The ending was rousing and spectacular while the songs were quite touching.

WINNER – TIE

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THEMES

The book explored the themes of power, authority and human nature mostly well, the last one being particularly striking. The movie also dealt with these themes, but because the story was so rich and ambitious, they didn’t quite have the time to fully delve into those themes.

WINNER – BOOK

TECHNICAL ASPECTS

Suzanne Collins wrote the novel very well with her attention to detail in world building being particularly strong. However, she did somewhat rush the character study for Coriolanus and she couldn’t quite deliver on the psychological complexities of his character. The movie also felt chaotic to a degree, but it was such an audio-visual spectacle that also featured superb sets, costumes and action scenes, so it takes this one for me.

WINNER – FILM

BOOK 4: FILM 4

The book is a more thematically resonant story while the movie is more streamlined, but at the end of the day The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a great story regardless of the format. It is one of the rare cases where the film is just as good as the source material. The book is still strong too, so this will remain a tie for me.