The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes REACTION!! First Time Watching | Movie Review

[@NikkiStevenReact]

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[@FongLin100]

In the books it is explained Snow was hoping that Dr Gaul would send the recording to Sejanus’ parents in the hopes that they would bribe or negotiate Sejanus out of any punishment. If Snow just wanted Sejanus dead, he would have just brought the jabberjay to the base commander instead of sending it to Gaul.

[@vincenzo_loves_boba_tea]

Rachel Zegler who played lucy gray mentioned on social media that Lucy gray’s character is a performer forced to fight while katniss is a fighter forced to perform

[@musicbox6144]

I think you got the name mixed . Isn’t Lucy the one to perform ?

[@vincenzo_loves_boba_tea]

@@musicbox6144 no I’m right. Lucy is a performer who was forced to fight. Katniss was not a performer. She was a fighter forced to perform

[@matheus10b]

@@musicbox6144 because in the early hunger games, it was just a punishment, but after Snow's ideas, it became a sort of entertainment, and the tributes had to perform in order to gain people's attention.

[@martmcfly]

@DorisDay-lw4xsThis is one of the worst takes anyone can have lol. She have an amazing voice?

[@minnies_boot]

@@martmcfly exactly! No matter how much people dislike her, she acted and sang very well.

[@alti2b]

I know some people thought Snow's transition from "good" to evil was too quick, but as someone who has read the book, he was always a narcissist, he always thought of himself as "Panem's finest" while he saw everyone else as inferior. The nice guy was always just a facade. Him snapping towards the end was just his true self being revealed rather than created. The fact that people fell for the Mr Nice Guy act really just proves two things, 1 being that narcissists tend to have a charming exterior masking their true selves, and 2 that Tom Blyth bodied that role.

[@Ohmygatos35]

I wish I could like this comment more. It’s exactly what I thought about him.

[@ChivyD]

Have not read the book .In the movie you see it it slowly progessingn least for me .I heard in the books you see his internal dialogue . maybe thats why people found his progression so fast.

[@researchBuilding7]

It's not that deep. People who have not read the book got to perceive him only through the screen. And the art of movie-making is very different from writing books. The narrative-control is a powerful tool that if you're not careful who would end up loving evil and hating good. That's why in the movie he is still very likable mainly because the viewers don't get to know all of his twisted thinkings the way the readers get from the pages. That's it!

[@TheSoundonly12]

That's not how I see it at all. As the song goes, "everyone's born as clean as a whistle", and then society happens. He wasn't "evil" in the book. He was a kid who had lived in a survival mode ever since he was three, he was raised on a paradigm that dehumanized District citizens (and his generation actually survived the blockade, so it's no wonder challenging that paradigm wasn't a popular outlook). He also clearly had a mental disorder (maybe NPD like you said, but most likely a combination of several disorders) that made it hard for him to experience empathy and connect to other human beings. Those disorders are very real and don't make people "evil", neither are they a choice. People like Coryo aren't inherently "bad" and can be socialized differently. Doctor Goul's "a thin layer of civilization masking a bloodthirsty beast" theory is wrong, but very popular in our world too; however, in reality people tend to behave the way people around them behave. Violence begets violence. The way out of Hell lies in changing the whole system. I feel like HG shows it pretty well.

[@alti2b]

@@TheSoundonly12 I agree partially. You’re right with that Coryo was shaped to be the way he is, probably having NPD or something similar, or a combination of disorders. When I said he was ”always” a narcissist, I should have specified I meant during the course of the story. At the start of TBOSAS he already was one, and he did not become the way he was during the main story. He did become that way as a result of his environment though, as you said. I mostly also agree with the idea that people are born clean as I believe the vast majority of people are. However, ”everyone” is not. A lot of psychopaths specifically are born that way, with a lot of studies indicating it may be genetic. They are born that way. I would personally define ”evil” as being willing to screw over and kill anyone in your way to achieve your goals, and just generally a horrible person. Evil is also defined by your actions and behavior, and having empathy. Many of those kinds of disorders, like NPD (to a degree) and especially ASPD, compromises or eliminates your ability to feel empathy. No, the disorders themselves don’t inherently make you evil, but they make it extremely likely (in the case of ASPD) that you do evil actions, which does make you evil. It is not their choice to have those disorders, but that does not in any way excuse their actions. Coryo having a personality disorder, whatever it may be, does NOT excuse him throwing kids into the Hunger Games. Nothing excuses that.

[@thedarkside4610]

Snow's story started with a girl from District 12 and it ended with a girl from District 12

[@northwind2538]

The Hunger Games also began with a Snow and ended with one.

[@MaddyPerez128]

@@northwind2538wdym

[@preciousotoakhia9789]

​@@northwind2538don't forget snow

[@sheischic77]

Yes !!!!

[@DarthKay093]

When you put into a perspective that Mags the old lady in Catching Fire won the 11th Hunger games you can imagine how old Lucy would have been..

[@that.ll_do_pig]

Oh dang, I didn't even think about that

[@Taewills]

And Mags was the 1st district mentor. And the first to live in the Victor’s Village- another of Snow’s implementations

[@DarthKay093]

@@Taewills even tho it wasn't Lucys intentions but she in a way made the HG worse then it already was...

[@04nbod]

A lot of those ideas in his essay were pioneered by Lucy Gray. In the book she's even the first to count who is alive at the end of the day, prefiguring the canons and projections in Katniss' time. But she's district, Snow gets all the credit and Lucy Gray gets forgotten. Its sort of like Crassus stealing Highbottom's ideas or Clemensia trying to steal Coryo's. @@DarthKay093

[@Taewills]

@@DarthKay093 hmmm 🤔 I’ll blame Snow. Lucy was exploited. All the tributes were- Lucy coincidentally had talent/ charm…. And Snow’s brief devotion.

[@KurtAnderson812]

Viola Davis absolutely ate the scenery in every single frame of film she appears in and I was living for it

[@heygoodbyee]

When she said something like “do you have a problem with my games?” Lmao

[@ngin98]

imagine if she was around when katniss came up, she would’ve given the rebels hell 😂😭

[@sonnet890]

She was so intimidating

[@IamNinjaOfNinja]

a bit unnecessary tho

[@natl5692]

Not gonna lie... I feel like she did too much and made this movie cheaper...

[@vincenzo_loves_boba_tea]

I love how we never know what happened to Lucy gray. Snow is forever haunted by the thought that she will come back and take him down! This is and catching fire and my favorites of the whole series

[@Mohler41]

I think snow killed her

[@kairubynini]

@@Mohler41he didn’t

[@Brannas86]

@Mohler41 it's left very much open ended in the book.

[@yansiimad]

@@Mohler41 Same!!!

[@crairdin]

It's left ambiguous in the book because it's ambiguous in the Wordsworth poem from which Lucy Gray gets her name. The thing with Suzanne Collins is that her work has been shortsightedly categorized as "Young Adult" when it's closer to classic literature. The character names are references to historical characters both factual and fictional. You can spend a lot of time digging into the roots of her work and it won't be wasted.

[@neoculttexh]

“i can’t have killed them all for nothing” that was honestly so sad for me bc you can tell that she’s not a bad person but she leaned into the “evil” in order to survive. her coming to the realization that all the killing, all the innocent lives she took were basically for nothing cause she didn’t survive in the end

[@heemenuh]

right. i watch others react and they’re always so mean to her i SOBBED for her 🥲😭😭. & we dont have enough lamina love aaaghh

[@Roguefem76]

@@heemenuh Coral was the one who said that line, not Lamina. Lamina was the poor girl she murdered.

[@GerryDavid-f1f]

I disagree. You can't just lean into something like that, if you don't have some of that sentiment inside you. When you look at some of her actions, she even looks like she's relishing it. Just like Snow, she flipped to her dark side, and if she had survived, that would have been something she fully embraced, not something she just LEANED INTO. So, good riddance !!!

[@neoculttexh]

@@GerryDavid-f1f you can disagree but it doesn’t change the facts. you clearly haven’t been in a situation where you were so desperate, you had to do something out of character. if you multiply that feeling and apply it to a life or death situation, you’d be surprised what people can do. and i don’t think she was “relishing” anything. her state of mind was very clearly impaired and killing people messes with your mind, so obviously she’s gonna be sporadic. and to say good riddance as if all of these people aren’t victims theirselves is so incredibly ignorant and heartless. and to compare her to snow is crazy seeing as she was forced to do what she did and snow chose to do what he did. media literacy is an important skill that you lack and hopefully you can work to improve it!!

[@GerryDavid-f1f]

@@neoculttexh Facts?..what facts???? You're basing your argument on your belief that sh'e's not a bad person, because of one comment that she made, and completely ignoring all of the other comments. I think it's you who needs a literacy education because there are no facts here, just opinions. So, let's look at the comments, She said "I can't have killed them all for nothing". Your opinion is that she said that because she's feeling remorse, in that she knows she's done some things that are very wrong to achieve a goal, and that now that goal is unobtainable, she wishes that she hadn't done them. My opinion is that she said that because she's feeling that her fate is too cruel, because, although her tally of kills should have given her a chance of survival, she was powerless against the snakes. i.e. there were no feelings of remorse for any of the people she killed here, just feelings of being defeated in spite of deserving to stay alive. However, what makes a difference is the WAY that she behaved in the Arena. As I mentioned, there is no "leaning into" a situation like this. YOU clearly don't know Jack about life-or-death situations, because when you're faced with one, you just do what's necessary to avoid death and be smart and clinical about it. If you're acting the way that she did, then you are actually taking pleasure in what you're doing. This is not too different to what happened in the 1st Hunger Games film, where some of the people in the group, below the tree that Katniss had climbed, were mocking the girl that they had just killed, saying "oh, please don't kill me" and laughing. Are you trying to tell me that kind of behaviour is acceptable? Sure, everyone in that Arena has to do what they must to survive, and it really puts people into unnatural situations where they might act out of character, but nobody is forcing them to enjoy it,, like she was.

[@vincenzo_loves_boba_tea]

In the book, it was the little girl wovey from district 8 that drank the poisoned water instead of the girl from 11 with tuberculosis. It was much sadder because wovey reminded Lucy gray of her little cousin Maude ivory whom is rumored to be katniss’s grandmother

[@paulafitzhenry1036]

there is also a rumor that Lucy Gray is Katniss's grandmother

[@Xela07727]

⁠​⁠@@paulafitzhenry1036It was debunked. They said Lucy Gray “might be” greasy sae and maude ivory is Katniss grandmother who taught her the “hanging tree” song.

[@mo_munir3474]

​@paulafitzhenry1036 Its way more likely to be Maude ivory.

[@paulafitzhenry1036]

@@mo_munir3474 there is also a chance that Maude Ivory is Coin's grandmother which would make Lucy Katniss's grandmother.

[@CarolineForest]

@@paulafitzhenry1036 no? Lucy grey is not related to katniss directly, Maude Ivory might be Katniss's father's mom. How would Maude get to 13? Coin is not related to the Covey at all. Names mean ALOT to Collins and she would have given us a hint in Coin's name if she was. She would have been named after a ballad and a colour just like the rest of the Covey. Maude Ivory likely stayed in 12, had Kat's father. Lucy vanished and she did not go to 13. It was still radioactive by then. And even if Coin is Maude's grandchild. Lucy would not be Katniss's grandma. Lucy never returned to 12, why would she? It had been debunked! There is suspicions that the goat man is Couvey though, the one that sold Katniss their family goat. And Greasy Sae is also belived she might be Covey. Performance was banned in 12, so that means that they would also start working in the mines, but if goat man is couvey that means that atleast the remeaning ones did fulfill their dream of atleast owning goats

[@jdbarber13]

Lucy performed the Hanging tree ONCE in public and it was banned by the head peacekeeper immediately afterwards. Luckily Maude Ivory (the one that sings first at the reaping) can memorize a song after one listening. The lake is also a covey secret. For Katniss's father to know them both implies he's very close to the covey. A theory is that Maude Ivory is Katniss's paternal grandmother. In the book you know Snows inner thoughts. Much earlier in the movie you see how paranoid and possessive he is (he thinks Lucy is"his"). He also makes every decision based on self preservation. Snow honestly believes that he would get in trouble just for knowing Sejanus, just like Lil got in trouble at the hanging tree for being associated with Arlo. Another self preservation moment.

[@AmeliaWardle-rf9gf]

See the theory I always saw was that maude ivory was her paternal grandmother, not maternal

[@jdbarber13]

@@AmeliaWardle-rf9gf thats what I meant to write. Definitely her father's side. Either auto correct or more likely my brain accidentally switched it.

[@EmmarainePink]

Tbh, Snow probably WOULD have been hanged just for knowing Sejanus if he didn't betray him. The dude was good, but was also very naive.

[@darrahtilton]

I wish we could have seen more of Tigris. It’s so sad how much she looked out for him only for him to do what he did to her. It’s what we love the most that destroys us.

[@crescentlust6113]

what did he do?

[@gember1382]

In the last hunger games movie you see Tigris being transformed to an actual tiger (the woman with the face of a tiger). She says : "Snow wanted me to channel more and more, until I wasn't pretty anymore"

[@crescentlust6113]

@@gember1382 how come she wasn’t that old?

[@MCheshire]

​​@@crescentlust6113 She was old, but they're in the capitol, they have much more things to keep looking young than in the district's. Just look how Mags is and compare to Snow

[@mathies3598]

​@@gember1382i still found her pretty. Regardless it was obviously constantly Tigress being his moral compass/check which eventually he wouldve had to get rid of to do his evil president shit without remorse

[@lukeyycobein1050]

In the books Snow cried after Sejanus's death not because he mourned him or was sorry, he simply thought he's going to be next 😭 Books have so much more intel and context why is Corio is the way he is bc it's from his pov and he's a complete narciss and an asshole to everyone in his head lmao

[@saviomutaganda1642]

Do you mean he ALSO cried for that reason? It’s hard for me to believe he was only thinking of himself in that moment because he said he was sorry… well, in the movie at least.

[@teddyj5187]

Only because the writer just wanted him to be a sociopath the whole time and not someone who grew into what he is. It's a problem of opposite genders trying to write characters like they understand a male perspective.

[@laharislost]

the book was written from snow's perspective and you can really see how he slowly descends into full on paranoia. they made lucy gray way too suspicious in the end of this movie but in the book she's really not suspicious at all (atleast i thought so) but snow's previous experiences and his hunger for power and status i would say slowly ruined his mental health more and more and he kinda just lost it for no reason. he's a narcissist so that definitely didn't help his thoughts. it's also possible that snow was hallucinating after the snake bite. lucy gray hopefully ended up getting away somewhere and lived till she got old. the reason the hanging tree song was passed on could be because of lucy gray's younger cousin, maude ivory. there's a theory that maude ivory could've been katniss everdeen's grandmother and i really hope that's true lol. im sorry about the rant im just very passionate about this series and i loved your reaction as always !!! thank you for what you guys do and im glad you enjoyed the movie ! :)

[@TheJordanK]

I disagree. She was absolutely suspicious in the end, we just read from his perspective and he didn’t catch on that she was suspicious until too late. But the movie isn’t inside his head so we have a more birdseye view and can catch on. Also we don’t have all the inner dialogue in his head walking through everything and deciding to go back. You cant do that the same way as a book, so it’s not exactly the same but I think she was just as suspicious, she was catching on when his friend got hanged. Same as the movie. IMO it’s a case of on screen adaptions having to get creative to show the audience what the book achieved through inner dialogue.

[@mrtoto4767]

As the person above me put very neatly in their comment, Lucy Gray doesn't appear (keyword) suspicious in the book because the third-person narration is infused with Snow's veiled perception on reality. She definitely planned on escaping as soon as she learned that he had killed a third person (Sejanus), Snow being too oblivious to even realize it. Hell, Lucy Gray was probably thinking she was next on the list too, something they've shown very well in the movie. Also, I do not believe he lost it "for no reason" though. Let's not forget that seeing his mother's scarf, which Lucy Gray had promised to cherish, abandoned in the woods like a piece of garbage was a huge betrayal for him. Let's not forget also about the snake hidden under it, which very well could have been lethal had it been poisonous. Finally, he also probably saw himself dying in district 12 among the trees just like his father (something they insisted on at the very beginning of the movie), which in the end participated in him breaking. "Fueled with the terror of becoming prey, see how quickly we become predator?" - Dr Gaul

[@Idontexisthihi001]

I disagree. In the book, she has this cloud of mystery, since we (through Snow's eyes) become paranoid of her, and start doubting everything she said to him, without her actually (maybe) doing anything. So she could have been anywhere from victim to manipulator. In the movie, her true thoughts and intentions are clearer. We can point out when she stops trusting him and what happenes in their last confrontation is less ambiguous. What really changed is Snow's agency. The movie makes him oblivious during their fight, and seems like he was just reacting to the attack initiated by Lucy Gray, killing her in the heat of the moment. In the book he's way more of an active player and decides to hunt her down even before he finds that snake.

[@MCheshire]

​@@mrtoto4767 I mean, the father part only applies to the film's, since is was not implied in which district his father died

[@Viewable11]

In the book, Lucy Gray ran away from Snow because she found out he lied to her about who he killed. This was identical in the film.

[@jrlombardi5251]

Coral uses a trident bc she's from district 4, just like Finnick (that was also his weapon).

[@JNDReacts]

I’ve heard that Finnick’s trident in his first games was the most expensive sponsor gift ever given in the games, and here Coral just gets one for free.

[@jrlombardi5251]

@@JNDReacts she didn't get it "for free" (like, just like that), she had to go into the bloodbath where normally half of the tributes die to get it. The best strategy is normally to get away from that while the pros and the naive ones go, but you're left with no weapon, so it's a disadvantage once you survive and it passes so the rest go to hunt the others, which is why a weapon then was useful (and super important) for Finnick.

[@JNDReacts]

@@jrlombardi5251 I mean that she didn’t need a ton of sponsorship money. I mean she got it for free the way Cato got a sword for free, as in the game makers just had one there ready to go.

[@jrlombardi5251]

@@JNDReacts I know what you meant, don't worry

[@MCheshire]

​@@JNDReacts probably his was more luxurious than Coral's one

[@yitoproductions]

“It’s the things we love most, that destroy us” They took that iconic line from Mockingjay Part 1 and expanded it here. That's the message of both the book and movie and here's why: It can be interpreted LITERALLY by the most obvious example being his “love” for Lucy Gray Baird. We know as an audience member for the book/movie that his “love” for her really wasn’t ever that real, since he was only doing it for selfish gain, but to him it was real. It was his very first love and we can all relate to just how cringy our first love experiences always are, so Lucy Gray “betraying” him in the end was the final nail in the coffin that “destroyed” him, and made him lose what little humanity he had left in him at that point, and immediately solidified his dark worldview. Along with all the other nails that were already established earlier in the story too. Then, later on in the timeline, it makes total sense as to why he chooses to brainwash Peeta and send him back to District 13 with the rebels so he could kill Katniss Everdeen. He could’ve very easily just attached a bomb and a camera on his body and then once Snow sees that he’s back in D13 and he can see Katniss from the camera, then he could’ve just detonated the bomb and killed both of them immediately but he didn’t. Why? Because he wanted Katniss to feel exactly what he felt when Lucy Gray “betrayed” him in the woods and tried to kill him. From that experience alone, Snow lost all trust for human beings after that, and that last sliver of hope he had of maybe being able to trust Lucy Gray or anybody from the districts one day was destroyed by her trying to kill him. So Snow wanted her to go through, and feel the same thing he did and have her lose trust with Peeta and the whole rebellion, and have her turn against them and to also feel just as betrayed by the “person they both loved most”, like Snow did with Lucy Gray. However, that phrase can also be interpreted METAPHORICALLY in much more subtler ways too like for example his LOVE for power is what destroyed him. The movie posters for each character also really drives home this idea too by using the phrase, “Hunger for power” for Snow’s poster to which I believe the words “hunger” and “love” can both be used interchangeably in my opinion. Snow’s LOVE for power is what ultimately destroys him too in the end when we see him take his first life when he kills that District 8 tribute in the arena. His love for power is what drove him to make that instinctive fateful decision to take Bobbin’s life. Obviously nobody else made that decision but him. He did it because he wanted to have the higher power and to be on top of that situation. Hence, the phrase Snow lands on top, so his love for power is what drove him to kill that boy. He even says to Tigris in the movie that it felt powerful. It was also clear to us that he really liked that feeling of killing that boy because it felt powerful even though he never outright admitted it to her. It was subtle enough that it can be interpreted that way. Hence, his love for power grew even more and it ultimately destroyed him in the end, since as we saw later on, his love for that power is what also drove him to take Mayfair’s life, which was much easier for him, and then betraying Sejanus when he learned he was uncontrollable, becoming a rebel, and endangering his own life by involvement. He did all of that so he can guarantee that he’ll still have a future where he can obtain the ultimate power position of becoming president of Panem one day and literally have ALL the power in the world like he always loved and wanted to have. That intense love for power destroyed him as it ultimately made him not only lose all of his humanity, but also turned him into a tyrannical leader who condones mass genocide to maintain that power over Panem. Another example of that phrase that can be interpreted metaphorically is his love for control and order. Obviously I won’t mention his assignments he had with Dr. Gaul in the book talking about the three C’s and how he’d love to have control since that’s self explanatory, but before the games began, we saw him do all sorts of things to cheat his way into making sure Lucy Gray would win so he can control the outcome and obtain that Plinth Prize. Obviously that can be interpreted as him just having feelings for her and wanting her to survive, but we all know that he only really wanted her to survive so he can also win that Plinth Prize too and then go to university and maintain his social and financial status with his classmates, so when it wasn’t going his way, and it was becoming more likely he wasn’t going to win that prize at all and be able to pay off all his expenses, hence him losing control, then this is when his love for control took over inside him and drove him to manipulate the outcome and guarantee that he’ll win that prize by cheating his way to victory, and he got what he wanted but at what cost? Cheating to get it when he can’t get it honorably? Giving Lucy Gray extra food so she could outlive her competitors by controlling who would win? Throwing in the handkerchief into the tank of snakes so that they wouldn’t kill Lucy Gray and once again control who would win the games? Giving Lucy Gray rat poison so she can use it to kill the others and once again control who wins the games? Then later on using poison to kill all his adversaries to maintain that control which he learned from doing it in the arena years prior, and did it "successfully", so that he can maintain control of the outcome? Using poison in general to kill anyone who poses the smallest threat to him due to his love for power and control and wanting to maintain it? Killing innocent people in general just so he can maintain control over the whole country? Not caring when people start calling him a tyrant, iron fisted and cruel just to ensure survival for survival’s sake and thinking humanity should thank him? Betraying Sejanus when he couldn’t maintain control over his friend's safety anymore? Then killing him in cold blood to maintain control over his own life? Choosing the Capitol lifestyle over living in the woods or in the districts forever with the “love of his life” because he views the Capitol as being a more controlled civilization than the chaotic forest life? Betraying Lucy Gray and trying to kill her by tying up all loose ends that would lead to him being involved with those crimes in District 12 just so he can maintain control over his own destiny? Choosing to hunt down Lucy Gray when he could no longer control her after she used a snake to bite him and try to kill him? Controlling Sejanus to his advantage by actually allowing him to become friends with him when he learned that he made sure he graduated from the Academy which sparked a lot of hope inside of him when he realizes he can still climb to power after all and maintain control over his life? When just moments before he was contemplating suicide because he literally just lost all control for his own life and destiny? So what would’ve happened if Sejanus didn’t save him? And what happens when the thing you love most is taken away from you? You end up committing suicide? Possibly. We saw that with Snow when he was thinking about killing himself when one of the things he loved most was just taken away from him. That thing being control. He lost complete control over his life and destiny and genuinely felt that there was no hope he could regain that control again one day. Hence why he was pondering suicide right before Sejanus came in and saved the day. Hence, it is the things we love most, that destroy us. Literally. All of these are the examples and the final nails in the coffin both literally and metaphorically speaking that destroyed Coriolanus Snow by the end of the story and turned him into the monster we know from the original trilogy, because of his love for Lucy Gray, power, and control. Since it is in fact the things we love most that destroy us.

[@whizzardblizzard5696]

Grade: A+ Distinction.

[@AW-xc1xc]

I ain't reading allat- NO I did read it, and it was a helluva good summary of the important plot points.

[@ShinyAvalon]

Nice essay. Well done.

[@kategrimes856]

Omg

[@thatoneperson8154]

Omg yes I have always interpreted his love for control destroyed him and any chance of a good life

[@z2yn]

Small info on Snow recording Sejanus: in the book it's explained that Coriolanus thought that Sejanus would be bought out by his father like he usually was (with the stunt in the arena) or that the recording might never get heard. It's only when the commander tells them that Sejanus is gonna get executed that he knew he was wrong and caused his friends death. Edit: he does feel guilty about it, the whole execution haunts him - but he reasons with himself that Sejanus was reckless, impulsive and too good-natured to survive.

[@adrianaavila8853]

Right? He did have a bit of a breakdown I thought when going through his box and seeing their photo to together. A part of him was sad about that

[@amby8719]

tigris said all she saw in coriolanus’ father’s eyes was hate, and at the end she says you look just like your father coriolanus. i read the book and i think this was a good adaptation. tom blyth is great and he’ll definitely be in more roles. he took over tiktok lol. it’s so amazing how now we have much more material to add. like when the rebels are singing the the hanging tree in mockingjay part 1, snow says “impossible.” that always didn’t make sense to me. but reading the book ugh! so much more layers. also rachel! she sang live every take! she was great. i really hope they do more movies with young snow.

[@mj-rm6ll]

Partly the reason why Snow is “so likeable” in the movie is because we don’t hear his inner monologue! Book Snow is evil and extremely narcissistic from day dot. He’s just awful and it didn’t translate on the screen as well as it could have. With that said, we get to see his charming side like everyone else through the movie without knowing just how bad he is. Edit typo

[@DovesEyes623]

This doesn’t make sense to me when I read these comments. He’s likeable because of his attraction but he actually says things out loud in the movie that either people just don’t recognize as problematic or are blinded by his attraction which I think is the point of why charismatic characters like him can navigate thru life on those types of privileges. In the book we have to imagine his attraction and his words and thoughts are probably more pronounced. In the movie we have to see an attractive man portray him and it makes it more of a challenge to actually listen to his words, mannerisms but they are there. I credit that to the writing producing and actor for being able to bring the inner monologue out in looks, smirks, dialogue. I would not sit through a movie with a voiceover of Snow. That would be insufferable. 😅

[@mj-rm6ll]

@@DovesEyes623 agreed, his attraction is a massive part of it in the movie. the movie pales in comparison to the book, where if you’re reading the book there’s no question that he’s evil, that’s why I mention it. There’s more nuance in the film/less detail PLUS he’s attractive; underdeveloped teen brains don’t stand a chance 😂 In the movie he says questionable things and his actions are awful, but nowhere near his sinister monologue that we get while reading. There are always going to be people that look at someone hot and thirst over them despite atrocities they’ve committed. But I think if the movie did a better job showing how evil he actually is, there would be less people rooting for him or excusing his actions based off his appearance.

[@DovesEyes623]

@@mj-rm6ll and I think that is described in the book that he was attractive so the film actually nails it and proves Suzanne’s point and makes it believable of how a person can continue to do horrible things. If they are charismatic, attractive, privileged, 💅🏾 Suzanne is quite brilliant and I think the casting helps bring that to life. It, imo, doesn’t detract from the book but emphasizes it. That’s where I tend to disagree with folks. We are “fickle as humans with short memories” as Plutarch said in MJpart2. We desperately want to believe we would not be fooled by a Snow but history has taught us that we do over and over again.

[@gshadow90]

"People used to call rabies hydrophobia because it appears to cause a fear of water." That's why he sent the drone with water

[@Talitha330]

"He looks nice with short hair" I see you ... 😂😂😂

[@essentiallyinvisible3572]

I love that this links Tigris and Snow, as it adds another dimension to the story - loving cousins who turn into enemies (at least enough for Tigris, the "tiger lady" in Mockingjay 2, to smile a little when Katniss tells her she plans to kill Snow). For added context, Mags won the next Hunger Games (11th) and became the first victor to do a Victory Tour, get the prize money and move into Victors' Village. Before her, I believe the Victors would all just be returned to their District as though it never happened, but the Victory Tour and such became a way to keep The Capitol audience engaged. .. I also think it's interesting how many parallels there are with what's going on in the world today - do thousands of civilians deserve to be killed in retaliation for a horrific attack that didn't kill anywhere near as many people? Whilst the lives are equal and none deserved to die, the reaction has not been equal, with one side starving civilians of food, power, medical care, etc., like The Capitol does to the Districts. It's strange to see people support Katniss' mission, then support the opposite in real life. The Hunger Games are not just stories; they reflect so much in the real world.

[@ngin98]

rewatching & hearing corals line “I can’t have killed them all for nothing” really hits home because she didn’t want to kill anyone she was just forced to & to do all that only to not win is really tragic

[@SarahAnnJohnson]

Yes! I thought it was also a nice parallel to Cato in the first movie where he too realizes he’s a pawn in a much bigger game

[@ngin98]

I need a haymitch spinoff of his quarter quell, they doubled the amount of tributes so it was 48 instead of 24. Theres a chapter in catching fire where katniss watches his game so I think there enough to work off of there to make a film from

[@brentonmcelfresh41]

This is definitely what I’ve also been wanting

[@ketchup016]

I'd watch (or read) any of the mentors' games, like Finnick or Johanna

[@northwind2538]

I wouldn't mind a big budget tv series to show us more Hunger Games stories tbh.

[@ngin98]

@@northwind2538 if anything should’ve been a series it should’ve been this film the book is so long 😂 although I loved it I know they cut a lot out of the 3rd part

[@corinneeaglebridge]

Honestly I feel like, unless Suzanne Collins writes another book on it, they shouldn’t. The whole point is how the games are horrific and you shouldn’t want to watch them, and yet we’re screaming for more movies? Why? To see more kids die? Suzanne Collins, similarly to how Lucy Gray only sings when she has something to say, only writes when she has something to say. Unless she writes another book, I don’t think we’re getting another movie, and I think that’s good.

[@myasuniverse1327]

So as Lucy Gray says for herself, Suzanne Collins (Author of the series) She only writes when she has something to say. This is why this prequel works so well, it is written for a purpose, it wasn't just created for money or cause the fans asked for it but because just like when she wrote the original series, it was because she had a message. It is also so interesting to see how much the games with Snow's influence, he did not create the games, but he made them what we saw in the future. With the escorts, the prizes for victors, the tours, and mentorship. Also, how beautiful is it that one of the last things Lucy Gray says to Snow is "I'm going to dig up some Katniss" and in the books it's even better because she says "I think I'll dig up some Katniss since we got the fire going."

[@duckman9327]

@@orphanedhanyouWell of course money is involved in some way, but I doubt that’s the whole point. The connections between Katniss and Lucy are very clearly purposeful for Snow’s character, so I don’t think it can just be reduced to simple fan-service. Yes, it’s fan-servicey, but it really does play an important part of the story and its characters, so it’s unlike how fan-service usually goes.

[@funkogalleries8342]

*When Snow talks to Lucy about the song she was singing about a girl she was named after. He says "What happened to her? The footprints?" She says "Maybe she flew away. It's a mystery."*

[@adrianaavila8853]

There’s so many small cool tidbits like that. It’s all connected and matters

[@ocluver412]

I love that the final quote from future Snow can be two fold. “The things we love most” destroying us could be describing Lucy. His feelings for her (whatever they might’ve been) making him lose focus off of what was his ultimate goal. And, what he perceived to be her trying to kill him at the end. If it wasn’t love, it was the closest he ever got to it. In the book, he made a conscious decision afterward to never again feel that way for another person. He wanted nothing and no one to hinder him. Essentially, he decided to retire his heart for good. But also, at the end of the day, what Snow loved more than anything was power. Status. Rising to the top. And that love of all things Capitol destroyed who he could’ve been as a person and turned him into someone truly evil.

[@04nbod]

Its many more fold: - Lucy Gray loved Snow and he destroyed her - Snow loved Lucy Gray and she will destroy him. They cut that key line 'Lucy Gray and her mockingjays couldn't harm him anymore' - The music is exactly the same as Mockingjay part 1. Its Victory but at what cost? Peeta has gone nuts, just like Snow has. - The Rainbow over the statue makes Lucy Gray's skirt. Lucy Gray, The Rainbow Girl. Girl in the Rainbow dress. His rainbow of destruction

[@jgsalinas9296]

After the book, now i know for sure that when Snow saw Coin died he was thinking "Snow lands on top"

[@matias250]

45:49 Snow was hoping Sejanus would be taken home and his father would pay them off

[@rachael8078]

Maybe had he actually blackmail them or said your son is doing A and it’s going to get me in trouble and imma have to do B, come get him and pay me off and we will forget the whole thing.

[@mellowenglishgal]

I think the worst parts for me are Reaper, ironically the only one who didn’t kill anyone, gathering all the tributes in a makeshift graveyard and his calm acceptance of his death, and little Wovey asking “Is it over?” Justice for Sejanus!

[@UNITED-STATES-OF-MURICA140]

Snow also creates the idea of the Victor's villiage and he also came up with the idea of giving the Victor's money.

[@thomasnieswandt8805]

Yes, he would have it ready for the next, the 11th games. Old Mags from "Catching fire" would win the next game and be the first person to "have a life of a victor"

[@mckenzie.latham91]

The purpose of that was to incentivize being part of the games which is why district 1 and 2 soon become more professional as career districts the victor village was also a away to alienate the victors from the others in their districts, especially in poorer districts where the victor lives in a lap of luxury that the rest do not, that way the victors are kept alienated and away from the others, which harms any attempt to use their status to incite rebellion Haymitch is looked down on by district 12 for example, because he spends all his time drinking and living in the victors village, while the rest of them barely get enough to eat which was Snow’s intention.

[@thomasnieswandt8805]

@@mckenzie.latham91 Yes, but the reason Haymitch is drinking and beeing alone is because, after his trick with the arena forcefield, Snow executed his whole family. Snow wanted to brak him and show that even victors can be punished

[@tashaglam4824]

“Who will watch if there is no victor?” That’s the line that encapsulates all of the Hunger Games following the 10th games. During the first 10 games, the gamemakers didn’t care or not if there was a victor or not in the games so long as they got their show. The games were far shorter and typically ranged anywhere between a few minutes to a few days because of the extremely volatile nature of it. Tributes often died before entering the arena due to starvation, dehydration, illness, or exhaustion. Then came Snow as a head game maker and he made ALL changes he could to somewhat “accommodate” the tributes. The following year after Mags won the 11th edition of the games, Victors Village and Victor Tours were implemented to “award” the victor for their victory. Betting systems were put in place, tribute headquarters was established to cater to the tributes in the weeks leading up to the game, and no matter what, ALL tributes were spoiled with luxuries while training not only to motivate them to participate in the games, but to also deter any potential for rebellion. During the 74th Hunger Games, Thresh was noted as being a favorite because of his physical strength. Mind you, he only started feeling strong and healthy because he was eating so much in the Capitol compared to home. Snow made it a rule that no matter what, each game WILL have its victor. That’s why when Katniss and Peeta threatened to commit suicide, Snow put a stop to it and was forced to declare them both as winners. He couldn’t let his game end without a victor that he could use as a puppet to undermine rebellion.

[@lilly1389]

Actually Snow didn't put a stop to Katniss and Peeta with the berries. It was the gamemaker

[@jrlombardi5251]

The host of this games is Ceaser's dad (some think grandfather but for the years mentioned in the books, father makes more sense, and he intentionally mentions he has a kid here)

[@04nbod]

The director said it was his grandad on a talk show. The kid mentioned in the High Chair would be about 65-68 by Katniss' games. Stanley Tucci was in his 50s.

[@jrlombardi5251]

@@04nbod 1. Many times directors have contradicted the canon, that's why the definition of canon counts only what the author says and no one else. 2. It is said in the books that Ceaser has been hosting for 40 years and he obviously didn't start as a kid, so he can easily be 60 or even a little more, the thing with capitol people is that they're so advanced that they have stuff that can make them look younger, so the actor's age doesn't prove anything. Like, look at how Tigris looks in Mockingjay, the character is confirmed more than 80 by that book, the actress is way way younger tho.

[@chaoticdemise4494]

We need 2 more stories . Mags for the 11th hunger games, and Haymith for the 2nd quarter quell. Plus we need to see Snow rise to full power from hos University years

[@anonomas6126]

The 25 when they had the first quarter quell would have been interesting

[@kpoplea6170]

The book has Snow's inner dialogue and it is seriously messed up from chapter 1. they really downplayed how intense, mean and manipulative he truly is. The distain he has for everyone, even his own family, is quite impressive.

[@RaraAviss]

Snow’s true love was power. That’s what destroyed him.

[@adrianaavila8853]

Tom Blyth did amazing in the movie as did Viola Davis! Such fantastic performances 👏🏽 👏🏽

[@jrlombardi5251]

It's funny how they hear Snow's classmates being classist and hate on them, but hear Snow being the same and even contributing to the games continuing but just say he's super likeable. Like, I get the sympathy for him wanting to win the prize for his family economic situation, and hating on people like Arachne more, but if you hate on someone everytime you hear the classmates say a classist comment then I would expect you to do the same with him as they all have that mindset for the same reason, but when he does they pass through it and then just say he's super likeable.

[@mightheal]

The difference is they meant what they were saying but with Snow he was putting up a front for appearances to blend in.

[@jrlombardi5251]

@@mightheal Snow often says classist and mean stuff he does mean and isn't pretending at all, and even those times were he puts a front to look better than he actually is, he still says some stuff that shows he's classist and arrogant from time to time, even so every time he does they just ignore it, it's probably a main character effect he has on them. In any case, if they believed the only reason why Snow says some things he says are to fit in and not bc he means them, they would have pointed that out, but they don't, they just hear it, understand it and keep going, as they know that's a part of his character but simply don't care, while they perceive the rest as just haters bc that's what they have from them.

[@mightheal]

@@jrlombardi5251 Every time he says it he's around people who are judging him. He only makes the turn to meaning it when he comes back from District 12.

[@jrlombardi5251]

@@mightheal that's not true at all, the absolute confirmation is in the book but it's visible in the movie too. Him not actually meaning it would just be an interpretation if it wasn't for the fact that there's a confirmation that that's just not how it is, which makes the "interpretation" of him meaning it, a fact, and not an interpretation anymore, just a fact. Also, one of the most terrible things he says in the entire thing (murder makes him feel powerful), which describes his dark side, is in his most vulnerable and honest moment, and that happens before of him even going to 12.

[@mightheal]

@@jrlombardi5251 I'm just going by the movie and what they've shown is not what you're saying.

[@nikitarayy]

I was so glad that Wovey went quickly. She was so innocent.

[@Sephiroth766]

Lucy Gray is why Snow is obssessed with Katniss. She rteminds me of her so much.

[@04nbod]

I'm shocked that they cut the 2 most important song connections between Lucy Gray, Snow and Katniss. Lucy Gray sings Deep in the Meadow to Maude Ivory. That is the song Katniss sings to Rue and starts a riot in District 11. Lucy Gray sings The Valley Song to Coryo when she sees him in district 12, that is the song Katniss sung as a child that made Peeta fall in love with her. Then there is the Hanging Tree which is very well done. The only way Snow and Lucy Gray can be together and free is in death. 'Meet me at the Hanging Tree', its going to take a while.

[@davidfairweather3301]

It’s actually not. It’s one of many factors. If Lucy Gray Baird was the sole reason then the original trilogy would be very flawed and Katniss would just be some girl who reminds snow of his ex girlfriend 😂 If you exclude Lucy Gray Baird from the story, Snows obsession with Kathiss is still justified. She was a nobody from the joke district who captivated the Capitol and the districts with her skill, compassion and a subtle rebellious streak. As soon as Katniss pulled out the berries she called the capitols bluff and forced them to honour their word in letting them both live. The books make it clear that’s what set everything off in terms of the rebellion. Katniss inspired people to stand up for themselves and proved to everyone in the districts that the Capitol can be beat at their own game, and to everyone in the Capitol, she was a brave young girl who wanted to save the love of her life. She was getting love from capitol and district for separate reasons and Snow had no way of stopping it.

[@mo_munir3474]

Apart from the singing and the same district, Lucy and katniss have very few similarities. And it's unrealistic to assume snows obsession with her is due to a fling he had as a teenager. Yes he was likely unsettled seeing katniss sing the hanging tree but that's is not the reason he is fixated on her. I think he actually sees more of his own younger self in katniss, how she is introverted, struggling to survive despite the odds being stacked against her. Also the whole love facade that katniss didn't want a part in initially. Snow was indifferent towards Lucy, his love was conditional. He has never experienced true love. When he realised katniss was in fact in love with peeta, he was probably frustrated and maybe jealous hence why he turned peeta into a weapon to destroy her.

[@04nbod]

In the book Katniss looks a lot more like Lucy Gray and Peeta looks a lot more like a young Snow than the original cast of the films. Katniss is probably related to Lucy gray through Lucy Gray's cousin Maude Ivory. Lucy Gray sings Deep in the Meadow to Maude who theoretically then sings it to her son. Who sings it to his daughter. Who sings it to Rue in the meadow and starts a riot. @@mo_munir3474 Snow is not indifferent to Lucy Gray. In fact, he has the same reaction to her singing The Valley Song that Peeta does when he hears Katniss sing it. He sees himself in Peeta, he thinks Lucy Gray used him and he loved her genuinely. When Katniss proves that she loves Peeta its like she's convinced him Lucy Gray loved him too. Which is why he subjects her to Lucy Gray's fate. Driving the boy she loves mad to kill her. There is a line in the book about Jessup that is really meant to pre-cursor Snow's own madness. 'They created a strange tableau: rabid boy, trapped girl, bombed-out building. It suggested a tale that could only end in tragedy. Star-crossed lovers meeting their fate. A revenge story turned in on itself. A war saga that took no prisoners.'

[@mathies3598]

Did you notice that this was the ORIGIN of the hanging tree song? It's the exact story of the first guy that they hung after Snow came there. Lucy gray mustve written it herself afterwards

[@anonomas6126]

Her cousin has an eidetic memory for music. Her cousin is also suspected to be Katniss’s grandmother (father’s mother)

[@amarachiukabiala2847]

one thing youve got to remember is that the snows are extremely poor right now but snow is doing his best to hide it and to survive under the law. He is at a point where he would do anything to survive, thats y he sent the recording of Sejanus, Sejanus was not exactly his friend i presume, he only tolerates him (i mean thats wat he said in d beginning). d commander told them anyone even associated with rebels or will be killed. he was scared for his life because ppl knew him as Sejanus's friend and sejanus kept associating himself with rebels ...snow knew that if anything happens he could be killed for being a friend with rebels while sejanus's father would easily buy his way out for his son.

[@adrianaavila8853]

Yes exactly. That’s what Snow’s thought process was- Sejanus’ dad would protect him. But he didn’t. So instead he was killed and right then and there Snow can’t say anything while dressed as a Peacekeeper. At the end though, Dr. Gaul says Snow passed all of her test. She knows he’s the only one who knows about the jabber jays and them being recording devices so she wanted to see if he would let Sejanus die… and the fact that he did tells her that he would be a good successor. I think she could never have kids or children of her own so she went crazy and started creating her own little “babies” out of mutated animals and hybrids of sick people - I.e the crazy mutts and lizard things in the trilogy. In the book it says she used to be a gyno doctor or something but it wasn’t for her. I really wonder how she died and would love to see another film of Haymitch’s 50th 2nd quarter quell with double the tributes.

[@xXsoullessabominationXx]

The fact that so many were praying on this movie’s downfall and saying it was going to be crap. So satisfying to see all of them eating their words 😂

[@beyo5]

The author, Susan Collins, studied philosophers, Hobbes, Kant, Locke, and others referring to human nature and the relationship with evil and dominance, as a basis for this. Summarized by Amanda the Jedi - Interesting and relevant.

[@davidbarky1046]

I loved seeing Snows origin story, I hope we get more. Also, please can we have more Viola Davis playing villians, she was so powerful on screen, amazing performance.

[@JH-jw7pu]

Another REALLY IMPORTANT part that was left out of this film was Snow’s hatred for Mockingjays. A Jabberjay and Mockingbird mated together to create the Mockingjay and snow thought of them as ABOMINATIONS. He hated them with a passion and even tried to convince the “peacekeepers” to kill all of the Mockingjays in District 12. Then decades later, Katniss became the Mockingjay and a symbol of the rebellion. I think you can guess how Snow felt then.

[@gen1130]

He was never trying to stop the games. He just wanted Lucy Grey to win. He had no moral objections againt the games.

[@Ian-xx1xb]

The dark side is strong in this one . Wasn't the singing fantastic in this movie btw so good

[@minnies_boot]

Agreed! The singing was really well done I even teared up lol

[@daniel_sannguyen]

Imagine how much Snow shit himself in his final years: -Katniss, an underdog district 12 female victor -The Hanging Tree song, sung by Lucy Gray taunting him, now sung by Katniss and District 5 dam workers blowing it up -the mockingjays, symbol of Snow’s deceit and how Lucy Gray deceived him in return -even the name Katniss, literally made up by Lucy Gray

[@mitchelholbrook9691]

If Snow would've died in the arena, maybe it would've saved alot of trouble later on for everyone.

[@joshuacoldwater]

5:59 - What people don’t realize about this scene, that they also don’t touch on in the film is this- Lucy’s name wasn’t on that slip of paper, that girl had her father say “Lucy” regardless of the name.

[@ice_bead]

They do touch on it on the film a bit. Lucy Gray says it to Snow when she’s explaining about the song iirc and obviously Mayfair implicates herself when she says “how’d you enjoy the Capitol” but yeah they didn’t make it super clear.

[@giuliac9735]

I loved snow's "transformation"! We can see both sides of him at the beginning (super cruel but caring of his loved ones) but in the end his selfishness, hunger for power and overall negative view on the world lead him to become who he ends up as... He liked Lucy when she was dependent on him, the moment she could start making her own choices, we can see they don't align with his... And the fact he sees her running as a betrayal and tries to kill her, instead of her being scared of him, says it all...

[@agenttheater5]

There's fascination in Snows eyes as he looks at Lucy Gray, he's entranced by her, he's captivated by her.......but there's hunger in his eyes as well. It's like she's a rare bird that he's found, that he wants to catch and keep in a cage, made all the more fascinating by how much she'll fight because that makes her a better prize and a sweeter victory when he catches her, either shooting her down or calming her with soothing words. Even in the book he reflected that he preferred her being in the cage in the capitol where they put the victors - because then he knew where she was and who she was with. She's "his girl" you see - his victor and now his lover....it's not so much that he's incapable of love....it's that he's very controlling and possessive over those he loves.....

[@iceastone]

francis lawrence directed catching fire, mockingjay films and songbirds & snakes. so, definitely some consistency w/the films, which i like.

[@peterpumpkin7745]

38:10 I just realized this is the part of the hanging tree song where she says “Are you, are you comin' to the tree Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free?” 😮

[@wompwomp1015]

on a real note your reactions to the original series is one of my comfort playlists. As someone who read the books & watched the series in my early teens, the blind reacts are everything

[@missawndr3395]

Rachel Zegler, what a powerhouse. "The Old Therebefore" scene has been stuck in my mind for months!

[@TheRational1inTheRoom]

Its a nice touch how even though Lucy dissappeared, and they pretty much nixed most records of the 10th games, "Hanging tree", The defiant curtsy, the mockingjay, etc. All followed its way to modern district 12, and by extension Katniss, most likely through folklore. The only thing I wished they did was hold the reveal of "Hanging tree" until AFTER Lucy finds out Snow killed 3 people. It would have made it much more ominent.

[@Big8SirCash]

Did you notice that snow’s sister is the one that housed Catnis and them when they were making their way to the Capital in the last Hunger Game’s movie…She just tatted up now to look like a tiger.

[@headcaptainyamamoto7015]

Cousin*

[@JNDReacts]

16:32 So the book is written entirely from his perspective, and because of that we see pretty quickly that his mindset was already pretty similar to Gaul’s. She just helped push him farther along, but she didn’t have to change very much.

[@crairdin]

You missed Lucy Gray's bow at the reaping. Rachel Zegler is a big fan of THG and ad libbed the bow to presage Katniss' bow to the judges in the first movie.

[@vanjapavic683]

I read somewhere that they believe the snake that bit him in the end is actually poisonous, but not deadly. That's why in the original Hunger Games Snow is sick, has sores in his mouth and coughs up blood sometimes, he fights the illness his whole life. Anyway, the story and the universe is written so well, I applaud the writer for having such imagination to create all this, connect all the dots, have things in set for future books and movies. I salute you.

[@adrianaavila8853]

😮😮😮 🤯 what? His whole life he’s dealing with this bite? My mouth dropped to the floor. Cool crazy cool thanks for sharing. I love the series too. This is such a crazy good world building. Hopefully Collins has another book in her to add 50th Haymitch games origin story.

[@palomaoliveira4709]

No, the snake was not poisonous. The wounds were from the poison he used to kill his enemies and also drank so they wouldn't find out.

[@maggie4028]

I literally screamed when I saw this reaction was posted! The Hunger Games is one of my all time favorite series! Your reactions to the original series are some of my favorite videos of yours so I was so excited to see you guys were reacting to the prequel as well! Yay!

[@minski76]

It has three prongs. It is by definition, indeed, a trident.

[@erikperhs_]

The fashion in this movie is impeccable, specially Dr. Gaul, Coriolanus and Tigris.

[@cassiecansick8277]

my theory is that Lucy Grey left before snow could get her and that snake that bit him made him hallucinate seeing her and shooting her!!!

[@barbara832001]

The Snow you see in the movie is his public persona, you never hear his internal thoughts which often directly contradict how he behaves. He's very much keeping up appearances and manipulatives situations to his advantage if possible. He is outwardly charming but has a lot of contempt for most people, and is confident about his own superiority. I'd highly recommend the audiobooks for the original trilogy with Tatiana Maslany narrating, especially if you want more in this universe. The movies are good adaptations, but they leave stuff out, and they are very quick reads. The prequel read by Santino Fortuna is also good, but it drives me crazy that he doesn't sing any of the songs, especially when he sings so well.

[@olivierlechapeau3089]

Yes ! I couldn't wait to see your reaction ! I loved this film when it was released in theaters (having devoured the book when it first came out and adored the character of Lucy Gray since) and I think it's the best of the Hunger Games movies ! The snakes scene is amazing !

[@amarachiukabiala2847]

the song hanging tree i believe references the hanging at the tree, wen snow arrived they "hung a man saying he murdered three people", "he called for his lover to flee"-while they were hanging him, "if we met at midnight in the hanging tree" snow and lucy planned to meet at midnight in d tree when they wanted to run away from 12 after sejanus's death. the cool thing is lUCY sang this sing only to Snow, so apart from SNOW and the mockingjay no one lese knows d song. so maybe lucy died and maude ivory her cousin in d book we were told that she never forgets a tune/note so maybe she picked d song from d birdsand taught other coveys over time or lucy herself taught her if she wasnt dead. and the lake house was d house Katniss's father takes them to, Katniss grew up visiting there a lot with her dad. even after his death she went to the lake house a lot of times even with Gale, it was her and her fathers special place, held special memory for her. so there is a theory that Katniss's dad was a covey and a descendant from Lucy gray, maybe or maude ivory's. i wonder though if the current condition of district 12 (by hunger games and catching fire) was a reflection of snows hatred for that district cause of 12.

[@The-archaologist]

Coral the final girl before Lucy was from district 4. So like Finnick she would have handled a trident all her life. D4 was always one of the better district in the winning pool after 1 and 2. And she was very "lucky" this year that the tributes from 1 and 2 died during the explosion before the games. Mags (the old woman from cathing fire) won next year games

[@toniwhiteman5791]

A lot of the names used were taken from Shakespeare plays 😊😊

[@neesonnaidoo4745]

What this movie did incredibly well is that it showed why Snow is the way he is without making us feel too sad for him in the process. And the thing I found most impressive was Tom Blyth keeping the same mannerisms and cadences of Donald Sutherland's President Snow

[@adrianaavila8853]

Utterly amazing performance. I really hope he’s nominated for something. He did outstanding

[@heygoodbyee]

13:23 he actually improvised the grabbing and that’s her real reaction!

[@vanrod_]

I agree with you guys completely! I need more, more and more. I need a movie on each district, the war, more Snow, the fall/survival of district 13…I just want more 😂

[@Cinna316]

There's a rumour that Suzanne Collins is writing a sequel to this Snow's story. I'm hoping it's true

[@Marukanitel]

But why???? 😮‍💨

[@Cinna316]

@@Marukanitel Because it's a great character and there's still a lot to cover from the end of Ballad to Katniss' story???

[@Marukanitel]

@@Cinna316 Somethings are better off left to the imagination

[@Cinna316]

@@Marukanitel Cool, imagine your own canon then, I'm more than happy to learn more from Suzanne Collins' world

[@justbeyondmythoughts]

@@Marukaniteland the millions of us in the fandom want the movie/book so we don’t care what you think

[@Tragedygirls]

The thing I love about this movie is that the game ends so early and the rest is snow's backstory bc that is what it is about

[@Taewills]

So many people can’t tell the difference between love and infatuation. Especially when you’re a teenager & it’s a new experience. Add trauma bonding to it and you’ll get a very confusing experience. I think Snow wanted (to possess) her but it wasn’t love; he doesn’t know how to love. He was too busy trying to obtain everything he wanted at once. She def would’ve suffered had they stuck together….

[@04nbod]

I think we need to stop acting like bad guys can't love. Even the author has said the story is about a person who needs absolute control having to deal with something they can't control, love. Love doesn't make someone good.

[@Taewills]

@@04nbod What Snow exhibited wasn’t real love though. He wouldn’t have been able to shoot her if it was actual love. Lucy Grey became expendable. This is a very dangerous concept many DV victims fall into. A detrimental mindset. Collins stating its love doesn’t mean that’s what was depicted- if that’s what she was attempting to portray, then she failed. Not all romantic connection is love. She showed admiration, infatuation, adrenaline/ trauma response, possessiveness, impulsivity and passion but not love.

[@04nbod]

@@Taewills I think you are going too far in trying to link it to domestic violence. Snow has a choice to make, love or power and he chooses power. That has got nothing to do with abusive relationships. He is able to shoot her after having a mental breakdown and convincing himself she is out to kill him. Not all love is good and pure and sweet. Bad love does exist

[@Taewills]

@@04nbod there’s no such thing as bad love. It’s either love or it’s an emotion I mentioned above. And you don’t get to tell me what is considered too far when I’ve lived through it. It may seem degrees apart but it always starts out small and there are always excuses.

[@fizzychizzy]

I personally think that the director made a conscious decision to play up the romance in this movie because he wanted the audience to think that Snow was in love in order to lure the audience into thinking he can be good though the audience knows that will not be the case. It makes his quick downward spiral brutal for the audience.

[@alpix8217]

Btw Tigris(snow's cousin) was in Mockingjay part 2 ( the lady hides Katniss at the basement after finnick died) .

[@ChrisTheDuck20]

The girl on top of the pillars really put up a good fight huh

[@anonomas6126]

She’s from 6 the lumber district

[@tonieja8814]

in Europe Cornelius is a normal name (a bit old-fashioned) derived from Latin, there was a pope and many Roman politicians and military men in the Roman empire had such a name, there was even an entire family of Cornelius. So President Snow's name Coriolanus is heavily inspired by the name Cornelius

[@Cucumberstopickles]

I think Snow had feeling for Lucy but I’m not sure I believe it was a deep love. She started to doubt him when he allowed his “best” friend to be hung. That was when he lied to her about who the 3rd death he was responsible for was. When they were under the tree she asked him if he would go back to the capital and he said yes, it’s where I belong at least it’s civilized there. He gave her many opportunities to doubt him and I think that she realized that he lied to her and turned his friend in when they were leaving together.

[@tylerbrown7246]

I think they should make a movie/book about the first Quarter Quell where the people in each district voted for who would be selected as the tributes. The second one had double the number of tributes and that’s the one Haymitch won but there’s already a KZbin movie made of it. Seeing that Snow is the reason that the games have expanded so much from what they originally were it would be interesting to see that evolution and possibly around the time he ascends to the presidency

[@04nbod]

Haymitch's games is a very interesting one because Maysilee, one of the female tributes from 12, wears a Mockingjay pin. She also has a pet Canary, a songbird. And then is suspiciously killed by colourful birds in the arena. Like Snow has been watching for more mockingjays of Lucy Gray the entire time.

[@nicolovespanda]

@@04nbodholy shit your mind i never noticed that. just goes to show you how rigged the games are and who the victor is is arbitrary in the end

[@JNDReacts]

19:37 So I saw the movie before I read the book, but even then I didn’t find him to be genuinely likable (except in that very first scene because he was just a baby). I found him charming and charismatic, but I was never able to tell how genuine any of his kinder moments were, if any were at all. And now that I have read the book I know none of them were. Any of his seeming affection for Lucy Gray comes from a desire to possess and control her. He’s basically Joe from You.

[@ladrac198]

I want a Haymitch prequel so bad!! He won the 50th games where there were 48 tributes (2 girls and 2 boys from each district) instead of 24.

[@adrianaavila8853]

Yes an in-between this and the original 74th hunger games.

[@charmainen8475]

unfortunately for us fans the author Suzanne is very much like Lucy Gray, she’s not going to write more because people want her to, she’s only going to write more if she has something to say and the director is only going to work on more movies only if Suzanne writes more books

[@suikatasai8330]

If you liked this version, I highly recommend reading the Songbirds and Snakes book because it is actually so much better. The casting for this movie was great, but the insights that the book provides for Snow's overall state of mind throughout the story is top notch.

[@madshell7809]

If you ever have the opportunity to read the books I highly recommend them! Especially Ballad of songbirds and snakes if you are interested in Snows character and those character conflicts we see a bit of in this film. I think you get an entirely new perspective of Snow by reading the book.

[@notyourfathersdm]

The soundtrack for this movie includes expanded versions of all of Lucy Gray's songs, which, together with Olivia Rodrigo's "Can't Catch Me Now", add so much additional context to Lucy's character. Snow is very narcissistic, and since the movie follows his perspective, when his attention shifts away from the songs, so does the audience's. In the hospital, while everyone else is enraptured by Lucy's song, he's just looking around to see how they're reacting and how he can use it. If the movie is Snow's story, then the soundtrack is undoubtedly Lucy's response.

[@adrianaavila8853]

Wow! Good way to look at it

[@adrianaavila8853]

He’s the snake and she’s the songbird right? 😏

[@LS13.]

SAME man- I need another one because Snow is a PHENOMENAL character. I need more of his down fall and I’m lowkey rooting for a villain this movie somehow 😆 the actor KILLED it. Snow uses poison often (aka we know this per the original hunger games) Snow lands on Top 👌🏼he was hallucinating after the bite. Which made him think she wanted him dead. After seeing all the references we can now only assume what he thought when he heard Katniss from 12 singing the hanging tree- him using peeta…. Just AMAZING. I need a second movie with this actor playing Snow

[@obsessedmess3591]

It's much harder to tell in the movie, but due to the internal dialogue in the book it's much easier to tell how Snow thinks and why he does what he does. Throughout most of the early action, the only thing he is thinking about is how he'll appear for the cameras or what the risk is to him. He is also making a note of what tatics in the games work, like making Lucy Grey appeal to people's hearts. The movie makes him seem like a bit of a better person at the start, but the book kinda sets up the descent right off the gate.

[@04nbod]

The book is about nature vs nurture and requires the reader to have a think about what is what in Snow's head. What is the Capitol propaganda that's been fed to him and what is his natural self. He's the top student, all that means is that he's taken in the garbage the best

[@thaddeusskywalker5293]

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes exceeds the very little expectations I had for this movie! The story line was so well done. It was so neat seeing the different time setting for this movie, and seeing it from the Capitol's perspective. I have seen this movie 3 times already, and every time I have watched it, I notice some small details that I missed the last time I watched it. Francis Lawrence's attention to tiny details is a reason why I love this movie so much. The acting in this movie was spectacular! While I originally hated the decision to cast Tom Blyth as Snow (Because I personally wanted Adam Driver), he knocked it out of the park! He did such a good job at portraying so many different emotions in multiple scenes. Rachel Zegler did a great job as Lucy Gray Baird. Some of her facial expressions managed to make you tear up, and she had a lovely singing voice as well. Viola Davis arguably gave the best performance however. She was very cartoony, but very serious at the same time. Was not expecting a whole lot from her, but she stole the show IMO. Peter Dinklage is not getting enough credit for his performance IMO. His character had so many layers, and Peter did a great job at portraying all of them in multiple scenes. While there were not a whole lot of action scenes, the film's screenplay and acting was so good, that the movie did not need very many of them. I loved the film's tone so much as well! I do not think there needs to be another movie in the Hunger Games series. The movies have run their course, and they were all good! The only thing I would maybe like to see from this franchise, is a series about the Hunger Games that weren't shown, and see how they started, and how the games got much more complex and innovated as the years went on. It is really the only thing left this series has to offer IMO. Overall, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a hauntingly great movie, that features stellar acting, and some great small details! Out of 4 stars I would give it... 4 out of 4 stars

[@isaacdiaz863]

the girl that lived with snow in this movie was Tigris, she was the lady that looked like a cat in Mockingjay part 2. It's crazy that her and snow were so close but then he went crazy and hurt so many people including the people he really cared for.

[@iceyxstrawberry]

I actually enjoyed this movie but, as someone who read the book, the movie is SO different. They straight changed scenes lol. It’s to the point that the characters come across as completely different ppl almost. For me, it’s mostly Snow - the entire book has his inner monologue going and boy is he SASSY. He comes across as very likable in the movie when, in the book, he has a clear disgust for the District ppl - he “rationalizes” his attraction to LG by her not “really” being District bc she’s from the Covey (a nomadic group of ppl who got trapped in D12 when the borders closed after the war.) They also down played how he played the entire Plith family lol. In the books, he cries when Sejanus dies bc he’s paranoid and positive he’s next. After Sejanus is killed - he’s made such a good impression on Sejanus’ family that they decide to fund his education as a gratitude to Coryo for being their son’a “friend.” They also changed a lot of what made Lucy Gray “Lucy Gray.” She wasn’t a rebel or a fighter. They made her like brimming with rage here - she wasn’t like that in the book at all. She was very charming and willing to cozy up to the Capitol if it meant staying alive. In the beginning, it’s very strongly implied that she was flirting w/Coryo to get him to look out for her (she’s smart af for that.) They also have their first kiss BEFORE the games - further cementing the whole “trying to keep his interest” thing. They even changed the final two lol. In the books the final “fight” is between Reaper & Lucy Gray. He had picked up Jessup’s infected body and contracted rabies - LG tires him out and he dies. There was also no “let her out” scene from the Capitol - her being the last one was her winning. The tribute she accidentally kills is Wovey not Dill (not sure why they changed that tbh.) They also made the Capitol a little more morally conscience lmao. Like I said there was no “let her out.” The mentors were upset when their tribute died bc this meant they lost the competition- the only ones who were actually upset when their tribute died were Jessup’s mentor and Sejanus. I’m not sure why but they really backed away from showing the Capitol’s hate for the Districts. In the book, while they’re in the zoo there’s a little girl who insists that the tributes belong in the cage and she isn’t like them bc they’re “District.” It makes it really clear that the hate has already spread to the next generation and is going to be long lasting. The books also goes into detail just how ostracized Sejanus’ family is for being from D2 despite having money and being on the Capitol’s side in the war. Both he and his parents are treated as outsiders. Another scene they changed was the zoo “sandwich” scene. Sejanus came on his own and all the tributes took a sandwich from him with the exception of Marcus. They also changed the drama with Billy Taupe. The stuff with him has more context in the book. He’s CC’s older brother and LG’s long time love - who she still cares about. We only get things from Snow’s POV but LG mentions that he comes to see her before the shooting (we don’t know what’s mentioned here) but the next time we see him he’s talking like LG and him are trying to work things out? The relationship between them is much more ambiguous. Snow is like insanely jealous of him - particularly as like 90% of the songs she sings in the book are about him. The only song she sings about Snow is that “pure as snow” one. They moved the placement of it in the movie to before the murders but in the book - she sings them after Billy’s death. Again, this is another layer to her character bc she literally takes Snow killing Billy’s ex as him looking out for her and she’s very appreciative. They also tweaked the personalities of the other tributes a little. They’re way more blood thirsty in the movie. In the book, there isn’t even a blood bath because they all run and hide in the tunnels. The only real “feral” moment is when the pack finds Coryo & Sejanus in the arena. Again, it’s from Coryo’s POV but he describes them as animals almost who really want to kill them. There’s ALOT more but I’ll round it out with the ending. In the books, Snow has been losing his mind for multiple chapters. Any time anyone so much as looks at him too long he goes into long spiels of “they know and they’re out to get me.” In the books, he strongly feels that LG knows what he did to Sejanus but there’s no actual evidence of this. The movie, I feel, makes it less ambiguous. She sounds suspicious when she’s like “…whose the third?” And they have HER bring up her being a loose end in the movie whereas in the book Coryo is the one who comes to this epiphany that she’s the only person alive who can rat him out. It makes it a little more clear that he turned on her once he had this opportunity to go back home to his old life rather than him just panicking because he thinks SHE is going to betray him. In the books, the moment he finds the gun he’s kind of like…”omg I can go back home.” He was already pretty like “I don’t have to run away anymore.” Because he’s been paranoid for a minute by that part - it makes it difficult to discern if LG had actually figured it out or if he just felt she did and started freaking out.

[@SapperSapperSapper]

I don't know if you guys recognized him, but the officer in 12 was one of the members of the nights watch who killed Lord Mormont north of the wall. He fought Jon Snow in Craster's house.

[@namjoonswife3300]

Tom Blyth did such an amazing job👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@kristieguelker5248]

New book coming out in march of 2025 and a movie in 2026 called sunrise on the reaping which will be about the 50th year, the second quarter quell which is the games that Heymitch won! I can't wait for that one!

[@patrickchen5310]

the way snow said it was too early for katniss and then lucy gray said the world moves fast LOVE IT

[@altairtrujillo8623]

Yes. Just get the audiobook and you’ll love it. WAY more details!

[@Arcannabis]

Small detail, Gaul is seen feeding water creatures in her lab towards the end, the next years game takes place I believe outside the capital and had a water theme, Mags the old lady from the second hunger games movie wins and coming from a water district she has a little bit of an edge. Interesting to see them foreshadowing water creatures for next years games. I can’t help but wonder who Professor Gaul lost during the war that made her go so hard against children. She relished the games as a form of torture against her “enemies” she must have lost someone she loved very much.!

[@Ashleigh.Y.M]

Everyone passes over the fact that Lucky flickeman says that he is the first host of the hunger games. So before that there was no commentating...it was literally just kids killing each other in that arena...so of course you no one was watching...so I wonder if that was also one of Snow's idea's that were implemented.

[@ketorising81]

Mags wins the next hunger games, the 11th. Snow becomes responsible for the games becoming much harder, which makes her win even more impressive to me.