#The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes Reviews

[viinchester]

Funny TBOSAS Letterboxd Reviews 3

Hope you enjoy! Reblogs are appreciated. ^^

Part 1 || Part 2 || X || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 6

[katnissandpeetamellark]

More BOSAS Reviews Pt 3 ⭐

[fictionadventurer]

From what I can see, all the commentary on the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie thinks this story is trying to answer its philosopical questions, and completely overlooking the fact that all the answers these characters find are the wrong ones. The right answer is in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire and Mockingjay. You can tell because the main character of this story is the villain in the other ones.

[xplore-the-unknwn]

After watching the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes I really want to read about Snow’s POV in the Original Trilogy now. The thought of Snow internally screaming and fuming when Katniss arrived makes their scenes way funnier. 😂

Katniss being Snow’s Karma back to haunt him was so poetic. Did he think about Lucy Gray and his past self every time he saw Katniss? In his final moments did he know after all the erasure he did, Lucy Gray had the last laugh?

[ankle-beez]

[fandom]

What, no Stranger Things?

The first trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes dropped, and fans immediately began drawing comparisons between it and the original film series. Hoyoverse's new turn-based game, Honkai: Star Rail, is here in case you needed something other than Genshin Impact to play. Lesbian Visibility Week came and went, and with it, we saw an outpouring of support and art. Artists on Tumblr are keeping the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fandom thriving. US politics trended after it was announced that Disney is suing Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Also, Fox News fired Tucker Carlson. This is Tumblr's Week in Review.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Honkai: Star Rail

Elon Musk

Ted Lasso

Lesbian Visibility Week

Succession

The Owl House

Florida

US Politics

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir

Artists on Tumblr

Genshin Impact

Pokémon

The QSMP Minecraft Server

Tucker Carlson

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

9-1-1

Taylor Swift

Pedro Pascal

The Witcher

[cxanthos]

Snowjanus has burrowed a little hole in me that I can’t get rid of.

Full disclosure I did not ship them when I read the book despite Sejanus being my favorite character. They just never came off as anything more than platonic in my opinion during the times I read the book.

But the movie put them in a whole new perspective for me. Sejanus definitely wanted to kiss Coryo. I stand by this. And Coriolanus after Sejanus was *spoiler* hung??

Fucking shoot me, I love my angsty ass ships. I’m going to have to reread the book with Sejanus being in love with Coriolanus in mind and see if I pick up on it as well in the book or if it’s just Sejanus’s actor.

[bookguide]

“You’ve no right to starve people, to punish them for no reason. No right to take away their life and freedom. Those are things everyone is born with, and they’re not yours for the taking. Winning a war doesn’t give you that right. Having more weapons doesn’t give you that right. Being from the Capitol doesn’t give you that right. Nothing does.”

— Suzanne Collins, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

[mostofthingsmostofthetime]

My thoughts on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie

I don’t know if I liked it as much as the original films (maybe Mockingjay 1 & 2 as they are pretty emotionally draining), but I still enjoyed it.

I think where it fell a little flat for me is 1. The beginning was a bit slow (tbh I only really started getting interested when Lucy Gray stuck that snake down that girl’s dress & even then I enjoyed the story more when the setting changed from the Capitol to the district) 2. I knew Snow would survive 3. I’d already been spoiled online for a lot of stuff that happens & 4. while I know the director did his best to make Snow as “likeable” as he could for as long as possible, even before he started getting “a little too comfortable” with killing & snitching I didn’t find him as sympathetic as Katniss or Peeta (but that is probably again down to the fact that I know what he goes onto do & there’s no real way around that), this made engaging with him difficult for me.

The world is fascinating. Getting to see all the new locations we never had access to before as well as old locations now in a totally different light (for example district 12 which, while still clearly suffering, seemed like such a bustling industrial town compared to how it is in Katniss’s time). It might have a much more retro aesthetic but there's also just a more vibrant, natural, wild & lawless atmosphere to this movie compared to the others in the franchise. The whole scope of the film just felt more cinematic then I remember the others being yet also weirdly intimate. Maybe because it was one contained story & we knew the main character’s fate from the start. I also loved the title cards signifying the start of each section of the story like from the books & wished they'd done something similar for the other films. It just added a certain flair to the whole thing. Almost gave it the vibe of a tragic play.

The costuming was great. The bright red of the academy uniforms.  Flickerman’s snazzy suits. Snow’s dapper black & white outfit. Both peace keeper uniforms (despite one of them giving very ‘1930’s Germany’ vibes) looked great. Grandma might have been a bigot, but at least she was well dressed. Everything Dr Gaul wore (except the top that looked like a used tampon, lol) was exquisite. The main ladies of fashion, Tigris & Lucy Gray slayed. Our Future Capitol stylist looked like some regal yet exotic bird & Miss Survivor was giving Bohemian, country girl realness the entire time she was on screen. Even the extras were serving (like that random couple Snow walked past on his way to the reaping ceremony).

The music was amazing. Every song that played was fantastic (shout out to Olivia for her end credit contribution). The lyrics & instrumentation were beautiful & my god does Rachel Zegler have pipes! Anyone who says the singing scenes are cringy is just stupid like I’m sorry you can’t appreciate art. Also, the words ‘ballad’ & ‘songbirds’ are literally in the title. Plus, Lucy Gray is from the poorest district, so what exactly do those people want her to do in her free time? She can’t exactly hop on an X-box for a few hours. Not too mention that (as the offspring of someone who’s musically inclined) I can tell you, it’s completely realistic for a musician to use their craft to help them deal with trauma & Lucy Gray clearly had more than her fair share of that.

The Grandma'am helped to paint a sadly very realistic background for Snow. As who among us hasn’t met at least one delusional old person who thinks that their/their group’s suffering (regardless of the severity of it or the reason behind their former/newer status in society) means that no one else are deserving of even the tiniest shred of humanity & there are some people who are unlucky enough to not only be related to these people but be raised by them.

Hunter schafer as Tigris is clearly the superior Snow when it comes to things like empathy & overall mental stability but I do kind of wish they’d been more for her to do. Credit where credit is due though her & Tom did actually look like they could be related & I did buy their familial bond (which makes her appearance in Mockingjay so much sadder in hindsight).

Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom was a bit of a mix for me just due to his purpose as a character & the limit of film as a form of media. Like sure the audience know that Snow’s going to become an irredeemable monster in the end but without a window into his mind it really does just seem like the Dean is just out to get him & even when we find out why it seems kind of unfair. Like sure his dad sucked but haven’t the Games shown that blaming children for violence caused by others is unjust (& like ok he hates Coriolanus & probably the grandma but Tigris hadn’t done anything to deserve living in poverty, as she can’t control who she’s related to)? Plus, it felt like he could have at least tried taking Snow under his wing at some point to try to hinder Dr Gual’s influence. Saying all of that, though, Peter Dinklage is great at playing an addict with depression & the idea that some drunken rambling could lead to such long-lasting suffering is terrifying. Also its pretty realistic that living with that kind of guilt & in such a cruel environment for that long would make most people jaded & bitter, even if they did have good intentions.

Omg we finally get a Mayor family on screen & they’re assholes! Madge would be so disappointed 😭. It was interesting to see how harsh & overall “boot licky” the mayor & his family seemed compared to decades later, which makes sense as the war wasn’t that long ago for them so the dad probably felt more incentive to align himself with the Capitol as well as not feeling very connected to the district people as 12’s decline probably didn’t fully set in until they really started running low on coal & Snow became president (oh I just know he wanted to blow that district off the map 😆). I also wouldn’t put it past Billy to come up with some sob story of how he really does love Mayfair but wicked Lucy Gray is somehow preventing them from being together. Still no excuse to try to send her to her death twice in one week, though. Definitely not a girl’s girl.

Ok, so a liar. Cheat. Drunk & someone who hits women. Is there anything good about Billy Taupe? Also, trying to get your ex back, while your current girlfriend is literally standing right next to you? Dude, have some god damn back bone! You made a choice, now stick to it. Also, fumbling Lucy Gray, for a girl like that? What’s it like having no brains or taste? Well, too bad, coz you’re stuck with her forever now, lol.

Viola Davies, the actress that you are. What else is there to say? Dr Gaul is almost comic book levels of insane. Like she is how the Right see women in STEM, on crack! I don’t know what she did to get into character, but whatever it was, it worked.

Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius Flickerman is a very interesting addition to the story despite playing such a small & seemingly insignificant role. He is strange in how unthreatening he is while also extremely blasé about the abhorrent violence he witnesses that it’s as funny as it is disturbing. Making him come across as  more human yet harsher than his son, who at least pretends to care about the tributes (in a very Capitol way, obviously but still). There’s also a polish & confidence to Tucci’s performance that I think Schwartzman did a great job of avoiding copying (despite knowing what audiences were probably expecting) because not only are their characters in entirely different stages of their careers but the whole ethos of the Hunger Games is different in Snow’s youth than it is in Katniss’s. Caesar is a well established presenter & during his time, the games have always been a success (minus the year with the tundra) that the entire Capitol is invested in & seemingly in support of. On the other hand Lucretius had the unique task of not only coming into a job like this with zero experience (I mean imagine going from announcing the weather to presenting the fucking hunger games) but also there were no vibes to try to emulate let alone guidelines to follow because he truly was the first person to do this. On top of that, the "event" his presenting has been panned for years as both boring & unethical. Schwartzman brought a slightly awkward, experimental, yet try hard vibe (like a comedian who's desperate to get a laugh) that I think worked wonderfully for the character.

Tom Blyth's performance was great & he was visually perfect for a young Snow (the power of a good wig! Who knew lol). Even having the cool, analytical stare of Donald Sutherland, down pat. While his appearance was very Eminem during his peacekeeping days, his realisation in the cabin and subsequent breakdown in the woods were crazy. There was so much tension between him & Rachel in that scene that for a second, it literally felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. I could almost hear the record scratch for both of them, & all that building paranoia finally coming to a sudden crescendo in the way that it did? Pure cinema!

Josh Rivera, as Sejanus, was honestly a mix for me. Obviously, I agree with his morals, but his way of going about it did seem a little dumb. However I do think it’s pretty realistic that a teenager, especially a rich one, would be rather naive. Also I’ve heard that he’s smarter in the book & I think at times my frustration with him is more just down to the fact that I’m seeing him from Snow’s point of view. Meaning scenes that would be portrayed as noble in any other film instead come across as almost painfully inconvenient because the focus is always on how they affect Snow rather than the actual victims of the situation. Lastly, sorry, Snowjanus shippers, I just don’t see it (especially on Snow’s end), but whatever floats your boat.

Rachel Zegler played Lucy Gray with the perfect mix of natural charm & emotional vulnerability with clear pride in her culture & a refusal to let the world around her change who she is. Yet there was also an air of mystery & a subtle resilience to her that makes her potentially surviving out in the woods for years without being detected actually believable (though I don’t buy the theory that she went on to become president Coin). Definitely the highlight of the movie for me.

PS. I'd love to know what you think of my review in the comments/tags & am open to criticism (as long as it's respectful) just remember that I'm only talking about the movie so please don't reference anything spersific to the book.

[viinchester]

Funny TBOSAS Letterboxd Reviews 2

Since quite a few people enjoyed the last one, I decided to make this a series for now.

Part 1 || X || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 6

[katnissandpeetamellark]

Pt 6

[fictionadventurer]

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes reviews I've seen fixate on the story's discussion of whether humans are inherently good or inherently evil as if one side or the other is the correct answer. Meanwhile the story itself is showing that individual choice in every action--choosing to act out of either love or self-interest--is what truly matters in shaping society. A free and stable society requires that people be taught to make selfless choices rather than act out of fear. Instead of oppressing people into fearful order, citizens need to have the freedom to choose the good, and be educated with the values that teach them what good is.

[starrynightsxo]

THE HUNGER GAMES READING UPDATE.

I wish peeta mellark was real.

that's it. that's the post. 😔

[iwatchedyougoinghomeeveryday]

I have seen The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I am a changed person. Here are some thoughts. (Gonna try not to be too spoilery but there might be some.)

First... Tom Blyth, you LEGEND. He was perfect as young Snow. In fact, out of all of the cast members in this franchise (new and old), I think he is the actor who embodied the book character the best. His performance felt straight from the page, with even more nuance. INCREDIBLE.

Rachel is a STAR. She captured Lucy Gray's complexity, which I was always worried about because Lucy Gray has more depth than people give her credit for. Some people will just say she is a nice, noble character. (Lol, the snake in the dress?!) Some say she is totally manipulative. The truth is somewhere in-between and I got that from Rachel's performance. Also the songs, GOOD LORD. They sounded way better than what I imagined. And Rachel's raw emotion while singing them... geesh. Her "KISS MY ASS" has haunted my brain.

Josh as Sejanus broke my heart, as expected. THAT'S MY BOY RIGHT THERE. I do wish that we got to see more scenes with his parents, especially his Ma. I needed that impact not just for *that* scene, but for when Snow basically leeches off of them and uses their wealth to gain power. MORE MA

I think I have my initial book thoughts typed up on here, but my book ranking has always been Part 3 > Part 1 > Part 2. I think the movie's version of the Games was a lot better. I felt like I understood the tributes better. REAPER BROKE ME.

I went into the movie knowing that people thought Part 3 was rushed, but honestly, I do not think it was more rushed than any other part of the movie. The whole movie somehow felt rushed, which has positive and negative points. I appreciate that they included all of the important moments from the book, but it did feel like we were quickly moving from one event to the next without room to breathe. (Like going from Clemensia's snake bite straight to the arena bombing.) I cannot fault the movie too much, since they had a lot to include, but that was an issue I had with the whole movie, not just Part 3.

Mostly I just think this was one of the closest book-to-movie adaptations that I have ever seen. (It helps that I just finished rereading the book.) The world-building and overall vibe was spot-on. Again, my favorite part about the movie was the cast. Us fans are so lucky to continue to have a wonderfully talented cast who blow us away with their performances. I am in awe of them.

I do not think I can pick a favorite scene yet, but The Old Therebefore was stunning.

[saraharchivee]

these comments are becoming more and more epic and wild

[cardinalbats]

the ballad of songbirds and snakes (2023) letterboxd review headers! ✨

i made both black and white versions, please like or reblog if you use!