10 The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Characters Better In The Hunger Games Prequel Book

After​​​​​​ the success of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, it’s difficult not to compare the book and the movie, especially when some characters are better in the book. This is a common pitfall of any film adaptation, as books have more time to spend with the characters and can provide insight into their internal monologue. A movie has the difficult job of showing the audience everything a character is thinking and feeling without providing overly expository dialogue or giving away important features of the plot.

Overall, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes did an excellent job of staying true to the integrity of Suzanne Collins’s novel and bringing the characters to life. Many fans hope there will be more movies and books after The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes but until then, there’s plenty to unpack within the existing canon. The Ballad focuses on the tenth Hunger Games, dealing directly with the aftermath of the war and the origins story of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and his relationship with Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) before he became the dictator Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) knows in The Hunger Games.

10

Coriolanus’ Classmates

The students he competes with and uses for his own gain

Something is lost in both Coriolanus’ character and the rest of his classmates at the Academy in the Capitol because their characters are so relegated to the background. It’s true that the mass of students aren’t the most important characters, but Corio’s relationship with them tells the reader and the viewer much about how he views people in general. Characters like Festus, Lysistrata, and Felix all blend into one being that represents the upper-class privilege and power that Corio is striving for.

They’re all appropriately callous and unaware of their position in the world. However, the intricacies of their family histories and why Corio feels simultaneously desperate for their approval and disgusted by them is very important. Their lack of defining traits and personalities is something that happened in The Hunger Games with the many tributes and is difficult to combat within the structure of a film. They’re vital characters that can’t be removed, but spending more time on them in the movie would’ve made the story drag.

9

Sejanus Plinth

Played by Josh Andrés Rivera

Rivera had a tough job taking on the role of Sejanus, as it’s an unforgiving character who doesn’t have a clear place in the world. He’s halfway between the Capitol and the Districts and this plagues him endlessly, driving him to make clumsy missteps in his attempts to help the tributes, and willingly becoming a martyr for his cause. Corio’s betrayal of Sejanus is a tough part of the movie to witness. However, in the book, it’s obvious that it’s coming as Corio works harder to keep his distance and it’s always clear he doesn’t consider Sejanus a friend.

Sejanus’ fate in Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is an early reference to the prominence of jabberjays in The Hunger Games books and movies. In the film, Sejanus gets more screen time and a more prominent role in general than in the books. While this works for the movie and is a great opportunity for Rivera, it deviates from Sejanus’ true purpose in the narrative. He’s the outsider whom Corio is desperate never to become and is an example of how little Corio cares about anyone other than himself. Elevating their so-called friendship at all makes Sejanus seem less naive.

8

Grandma’am

Played by Fionnula Flanagan

Coriolanus’ home life is central to his characterization and is a driving force behind his decision-making throughout the story. Grandma’am is the nickname that Corio and his cousin Tigris (Hunter Schaffer) have for their grandmother, one of the few people who remember the time long before the war. She remains staunchly against the Districts and her view of them shapes how Corio views himself as a member of the Capitol and his supposed distinction from the Districts. Unfortunately, few of their conversations or interactions made it into the movie.

Tigris is a much bigger character in the movie, and while this shrunk Grandma’am to a certain degree, it made up for the lack of relationship Corio had with their grandmother. Details of her character, like how she sings the national anthem every day, or the way she took care of Tigris and Corio for years give insight into how Corio navigates the world and why he feels so attached to getting back the power of the Snow family. Though she’s not an instrumental character in the book or movie, she’s a direct line to the life Corio wants.

7

Maude Ivory

Played by Vaughan Reilly

One of the Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes theories that would change The Hunger Games is that Maude Ivory, the cousin of Lucy Gray and member of the Covey, is Katniss’ grandmother. Since the release of Ballad, fans have been cooking up many ideas about how Katniss and Lucy Gray could be connected. While some of them are a little too far-fetched, Maude Ivory being an ancestor of Katniss is one of the most plausible. Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t do much to explore this theory or Maude Ivory’s character in general.

The Covey are a huge part of District 12 and Lucy Gray’s history, and Maude Ivory is one of her closest living family members. However, she remains a background character throughout Corio’s time in District 12. In the book, Maude Ivory is very reliant on Lucy Gray, making her decision to run away even more poignant. Like the rest of the Covey, Maude Ivory is a gifted singer and fills out the world of District 12. In the movie, 12 can feel like another world from Corio’s perspective, but characters like Maude Ivory help ground it in the book.

6

Reaper

Played by Dimitri Abold

Outside of Lucy Gray, the tributes from the other Districts don’t become overly important until they enter the arena and the fight to the death begins. However, the 10th Hunger Games go down quite differently in the book than in the movie. How many tributes die is changed slightly, and Lucy Gray’s biggest competition is made out to be Coral (Mackenzie Lansing), a fearsome female tribute from District 4. However, this isn’t the case in the novel, as Reaper, the male tribute from 11, is the last one in the arena with Lucy Gray.

When Gaul’s snakes are released into the arena, Lucy Gray isn’t alone in the book, Reaper is with her, and they avoid the snakes while trying to kill the other. Lacking his strength, Lucy Gray relies on speed to tire Reaper out and tricks him into drinking the water she laced with poison earlier. This is especially emotional because Reaper is the one who takes the time to lay the other tributes to rest after they die, but when it comes to the Games, the person who wins is the one who gives up part of their humanity.

5

Dean Highbottom

Played by Peter Dinklage

The person that Coriolanus perceives to be one of his greatest enemies in the book and movie is Dean Highbottom because Highbottom sees through the front Corio puts up and is aware of his family history. It’s revealed that Highbottom created the Hunger Games with Corio’s father many years ago, and it was his father who presented them to the leader of Panem and convinced them to use them to punish the Districts. This is framed as why Highbottom self-medicates and is drowning in guilt throughout the story.

In the film, Corio is anxious around Highbottom and worries about being confronted by him at every turn, but in the book he downright hates him. Their open contempt for each other is on display in the novel, and Highbottom is seen as less of a tragic figure. By the film’s conclusion, audiences are encouraged to feel bad for Highbottom and forget how complicit he was in the Games. However, the books take the stance that he is just as much a part of the problem as everyone else and that he and Corio are cut from the same cloth.

4

Dr. Volumnia Gaul

Played by Viola Davis

Viola Davis was the perfect choice to play Dr. Gaul, as her range and experience as an actress allowed her to bring depth and nuance to a character that could easily become a caricature. In the books, the eccentricities of characters like Gaul work seamlessly within the text because the reader is so immersed in the story’s world. This also means that Gaul gets to be even more otherworldly and cruel in the book, which is a difficult feat. She’s still terrifying in the movie, but the way she makes Corio feel isn’t as obvious.

Though she uses science as an excuse for her experiments and violent actions, it’s clear that Gaul is the biggest villain of the story, besides Corio. They have an interesting relationship in the novel and film, but because of the context given in the book, Corio’s suspicions surrounding Gaul and his understanding of how her mind works aren’t effectively communicated. Gaul remains one of the most intriguing characters in the plot, who sets much of the story in motion, but more time could have been given to Davis to explore her.

3

Clemensia Dovecoat

Played by Ashley Liao

Clemensia’s fate in the Ballad book is even darker and more catastrophic than in the movie. These aspects of her character were likely cut for time, as the film doesn’t shy away from showing the evils of the Capitol. However, it’s a shame because seeing that the people in power care just as little for those in the Capitol as in the Districts is an important lesson for Corio and the audience. In both versions of the story, Clemensia takes credit for Corio’s work, and Dr. Gaul has her reach into the snake tank.

However, in the book, the damage done to her by the venom permanently alters her. This is a wakeup call for Corio who realizes that it’s not enough to skate by and be the best Capitol citizen he can be. It drives home the point that for total safety and control, he must rise through the ranks and gain absolute power. Additionally, Clemensia fades into the background of the movie making it easy for the audience to forget about her. The purpose of her character is to be memorable and demonstrate what the Capitol is capable of.

2

Lucy Gray Baird

Played by Rachel Zegler

There are some things only Songbirds & Snakes readers know about Lucy Gray, including many aspects of her backstory that make her character feel even more real. Zegler did an excellent job portraying Lucy Gray, and her character was one of the strongest in the film because of how consistent her character choices were. Additionally, it helped that Zegler is a fantastic musical performer, a vital element of Lucy Gray’s personality and purpose. However, simply by virtue of time, the audience never learned enough about Lucy Gray in the film.

Many important interactions between Corio and Lucy Gray had to be cut to shorten the film’s runtime, meaning their bonding time and the subtleties of Lucy Gray’s past were lost. Since the movie and book are both from Coriolanus’ perspective, the audience gets a skewed perception of Lucy Gray, to begin with. Within the novel, Lucy Gray’s relationship with the Covey and her fierce desire to leave Panem is even more prominent. She has more history with the Capitol and the war than the film’s story lets on.

1

Coriolanus Snow

Played by Tom Blyth

The entirety of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is told from the perspective of Coriolanus, and though there are parts of his life that are easy to empathize with, overall his characterization is much clearer in the book. From the beginning, there’s no question that Corio is only concerned with his success and survival and that though he’s intrigued by Lucy Gray, he’s looking out for himself. Watching the movie, the viewers can be easily charmed and swayed by Corio’s performance, letting themselves believe that maybe he will do the right thing and stand by Lucy Gray.

However, in the book, knowing what he’s thinking throughout the story, the realities of his character are much darker, and therefore more interesting. As a writer, Collins has never been afraid to write an irredeemable character, and she has no intentions of making the reader side with Corio in the narrative. The movie can’t take such liberties as it would risk the character becoming one-dimensional, or too unlikable for a protagonist. Unfortunately, the result was that Coriolanus’ desires and beliefs weren’t clear in the film, making his actions feel improperly motivated.