The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes Makes 1 Book Change That Underestimates The Capitol

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is based on the prequel book by Suzanne Collins, and one movie change had a major impact on how the Capitol is portrayed in the original films. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes ended with Lucy Gray disappearing and Coriolanus Snow returning to the Capitol, but the film didn’t reveal much of the aftermath of these events, leaving viewers with questions about the gap in the timeline between the prequel and original trilogy. The film adaptation of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes book made multiple changes, but one undermined just how powerful and evil The Capitol is.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes told the story of the 10th Hunger Games and served as a villain origin story for Snow. The 10th Games were the first to use mentors for the tributes, like Haymitch would become in The Hunger Games. As the Games were still young, they were in an experimental phase, and it was revealed that Snow had a big impact on the modern version of the Games that Katniss and Peeta competed in. Though Lucy Gray was named victor, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes was the first time the 10th Hunger Games were mentioned in the series, and for a good reason.

The Capitol Doesn’t Erase The 10th Hunger Games In The New Prequel Movie

This is a big departure from the book ending

Practically from the beginning of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the 10th Hunger Games was a disaster. In an attempt to increase popularity and get citizens more involved, the Capitol introduced mentors for the tributes and aired the Games live, hosted by Lucky Flickerman. With Snow’s influence, the ruthless Gamemaker, Dr. Gaul, also came up with a betting and sponsor system that would prove to be successful in the future. While they were able to get the people of Panem interested in the Games in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, it also backfired in some ways.

In broadcasting The Hunger Games live, letting Capitol citizens meet them and get to know them at the zoo, and having them root for the tributes, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes provided an opportunity for the people of the Capitol to feel empathy for the people of the districts. This was best seen when Dr. Gaul planned to have every tribute die, but the viewers who had become attached to Lucy Gray protested. When Dr. Gaul discovered that Snow and Lucy Gray cheated to achieve victory, she had the Capitol get rid of any evidence and footage of the 10th Hunger Games in The Ballad of Songbirds book.

The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Movie Downplays The Capitol’s Resourcefulness

The change has consequences for the Capitol’s image

At the time of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the Capitol was still recovering from the First Rebellion. Though most of the Capitol recovered physically and financially, they longed for control over the districts and feared another rebellion. While The Hunger Games weren’t made for punishment, as many had been led to believe, they were seen as a symbol of power from the Capitol that displayed a clear separation between them and the 12 districts. However, the Capitol’s ruthlessness and resourcefulness in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes book extends beyond just putting on the 10th Hunger Games.

As important as entertainment was to secure the future of the Games in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, it was even more important to Dr. Gaul that the Games remind viewers of the depravity of human nature. The 10th Hunger Games ultimately had the opposite effect when the audience ended up empathizing with Lucy Gray and championing her, despite her being from the districts. Additionally, the Games were won by cheating, which would have been an embarrassment for the Capitol if ever discovered. Thus, Dr. Gaul felt the only course of action was to erase the Games entirely to maintain the Capitol’s image and power.

The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Could Have Showed Where The Capitol Went Wrong

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes book highlights how the Capitol has changed

Almost 65 years later, in the first installment of The Hunger Games trilogy, the Capitol had the opportunity to show this resourcefulness once again but decided against it. When Katniss and Peeta were going to eat the nightlock berries, they could have cut the cameras but instead kept rolling and made the decision to have two victors. This showed that, for once, the district tributes had power over the Capitol by outsmarting them and leaving them with no choice but to change the rules.

Earlier in The Hunger Games, President Snow told Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane that they have victors because it inspires hope, but that “a lot of hope is dangerous.” He was proven right when Katniss inspired the Second Rebellion in The Hunger Games. If the Capitol had maintained its ruthlessness and Crane had taken Snow’s words to heart, the rebellion may never have happened. Unlike in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the Capitol appeared to be weak, providing the districts with hope and the knowledge that they could take advantage of this weakness.