He is the charming villain, and she is merely a mirror

When I invited my friend Jane to watch "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" with me, she said “No”.

The reason was that she liked the original series because the main character, Katniss, was a woman, while in the prequel it is a man.

Jane and I are both feminists who enjoy watching movies with women in leading roles. We are passionate about stories that prioritize women and place them at the center. Sadly, there have not been many choice for us. Jane's words got me thinking: absolutely, what drew me to Hunger Games was its strong female protagonists. Now that Katniss is no longer present, what is the heart and soul of the entire story?

Still, I decided to watch the movie. Knowing that the female protagonist in The Hunger Games would definitely win and that the male protagonist, Snow, would undoubtedly turn evil, the enjoyment mainly came from the visual experience. The young male lead, Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blyth, had at least 7 different outfits and three hairstyles throughout the movie, more than the female lead, Lucy Gray. What's even more remarkable is that each of Snow's appearances had its distinct characteristics, reflecting the different realities and psychological states he experienced.

I must say he is accurately portrayed and quite attractive. The character designs have always been a standout feature of the Hunger Games franchise. In a dystopian society where individuals are alienated, the level of alienation is reflected in exaggerated character designs and unconventional, giant architectural structures. Character and environmental designs are crucial elements of the Hunger Games narrative, emphasizing the importance of visual storytelling. Snow, in particular, stands out with intricate designs that indirectly highlight his central role in the story. He is a complex and well-written character, a mixture of narcissism, sociopathy, and vulnerability. Witnessing his descent into evil while battling his inner goodness was a compelling experience. I’m sure the film will win him many fans.

However, Snow's character portrayal didn’t meet my expectations for a complex story with a strong female lead and an ensemble cast. With the successful portrayal of Katniss as the female lead, The Hunger Games it is one of the few adventures driven by a strong female character, which I believe is precisely the reason why many young girls fell in love with the work. Yet the prequel has lost this essential element by making Snow the main character instead of Lucy Gray. The same is true to the ensemble cast. Even after seven or eight years, I can still vividly remember supporting characters in The Hunger Games like Finnick, Johanna, and Cressida. Without much extensive depiction, they were well-developed and complex. They were not simply good or bad; they had depth.

The prequel, however, is almost Snow's solo, and most of the supporting characters are flat and stereotypical, either purely good or sheer bad. I was especially disappointed when I saw that all the female characters were very one-dimensional. They no longer felt like real people but rather like mirrors, existing solely to reflect a certain personality trait of Snow. For example, the four female characters with the most screen time in the movie are Lucy Gray, Tigris, Dr. Gaul, and Clemensia Dovecote. The first two are embodiments of kindness and morality, mainly serving to show Snow the good side of humanity and remind him to be a good person. The latter two represent evil and cruelty, with Dr. Gaul always reminding Snow that this world is an arena, encouraging him to become more brutal and combative. Clemensia Dovecote, on the other hand, foolishly showcases the selfishness of human nature. These female characters have no connection with each other, nor touches with other characters. They all revolve around Snow. Apparently, "The Hunger Games" fails the Bechdel test.

It may ease up Lucy Gray a bit by acknowledging that this is a story centered around male characters. After the movie's release, many people compared her to Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and believed that Rachel Zegler's acting fell short, resulting in Lucy Gray's lack of popularity. To be fair, I don't think it's entirely Rachel's fault. Lucy Gray did have the potential to be a complex character. Her survival in the arena is already a proof of the dark side hidden in her personality. She exhibits both kindness and the inclination to be aggressive and cruel when necessary. However, in the movie, she is portrayed as a pure and angelic figure. Even her harms to others always justified. Her character serves solely to emphasize Snow's evil nature.

Also, Rachel's singing is lovely, but did she really need to sing seven times in a two-hour movie? It exposes a lack of control and improper use of this element by the director. Without a well-developed character, Rachel's singing reduces her to nothing more than a symbol, pretty much like an insignificant NPC in a video game. Every time the main character interacts with her, she sings a song. A player would definitely hope to skip her singing part and get even more annoyed finding there’s no such option.

To summarize, "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" is not a terrible movie, but a disappointing one. The Hunger Games franchise is a unique adventure film centered around female protagonists, which is a rarity in the industry. However, the prequel deviates from the most beloved aspect for female viewers to a typical male-centered adventure. The portrayal of female supporting characters is not as strong as in the original series. So, despite the attractiveness and charisma of Snow's character, as someone who supports gender equality, I must express my regret that this movie did not meet expectations. We need stories that shift away from the growth of male villains.