Check the Flexispot Amazon store and get your setup! US Site: amzn.to/42HXeEy Canada Site: amzn.to/48u7Ok0
Why Does The Hunger Games: Catching Fire work as an adaptation, but The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes feel off? As a devoted fan of both the Hunger games Novels by Suzanne Collins, and the film series, let's examine what makes one adaptation work, and the other fall flat.
We'll compare Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1, Mockingjay Part 2, and The Ballad of Songbirds and snakes to their cinematic adaptations to see if the director Francis Lawrence truly understands the source material or not.
#videoessay #filmanalysis #thehungergamesfilmanalysis #catchingfirefilmanalysis #mockingjayfilmanalysis #thehungergamesretrospective #theballadofsongbirdsandsnakes
Written & Edited ----------------------------- Dylan Gregory @TheWritersBlockOfficial
Katniss VO ------------------------------------- Ana Sera
Which #Hungergames Movie is the best? Why??? Check the Flexispot Amazon store and get your setup! US Site: amzn.to/42HXeEy Canada Site: amzn.to/48u7Ok0
Catching Fire is the best in terms of being dope. I don’t think there’s much argument about that
The same Amazon that decide to make their own interpretation of the Second Age of Tolkien world, which even the son of besos knew his dad would f up it
Um what???
ballad of songbirds and snakes
mockingjay is my favourite book and i love it in the story
The Hunger Games isn't a story about a young woman leading a rebellion. It's a story about a young woman being manipulated into becoming a figurehead leader for a rebellion.
Exactly!!!! Its such a compelling contrast and is a large part of why those books have such depth
Love this take
And in the end, she also got manipulated by Snow to kill the actual leader of the rebellion. Snow actually won if you think about it.
not really they're both played for fools. @@nont18411
The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes isn’t a story about a charming young boy who turns into a manipulative dictator coming to power. It’s a story about 2 charming young people who are both manipulators from the start who eventually turn against each other. Yet there is no clear resolution which does not allow for a faultless assent to power.
I always preferred the first movie to the others. It feels gritty and real in a way the others don’t. The shaky camera and the color pallet feel like you’re watching from Katniss’s perspective. The capitol was never truly glamorous to her. It was peculiar and unsettling. Yet nature is vibrant because it’s where she feels safe, even in the games. Would I have liked the accuracy to details that Lawrence has? Sure, but the other films feel almost sterile and distance us from the perspective of Katniss
i agree 100%, i always felt more attached to katniss in the first movie because it felt as if we were right besides her pushing through whatever she was going through. as the later movies go on, its more like watching a movie than a first hand experience. i just loved the way you explained this and sorta put words to my personal brain process 😂
This is why I love the first movie. You feel like you are seeing it from Katniss's POV from how the scenes are shot, the ringing muffling the bloodbath sounds, etc.
I hated the shaky camera. It was cool sometimes, but it was so damn hard to get a clear image of the scene
THIS. that opening scene in the first one, the shakiness and colouring is so good!!
I liked everything but the shaky camera to be honest, it makes the movie harder to watch, even if it is meant to be from Katniss’s perspective.
The BOSAS book is incredible. Snow is complex and interesting. We know what he’s going to become, but like the Orpheus myth, you kinda wonder if he’ll change his mind and make a better decision. The movie didn’t capture this inner monologue in the slightest. No attempt to convey the dissonance between his thoughts and actions.
Yeah I saw the film first, was icked by some of his actions bc I think the actor conveys it decently and then read the book and within the first few pages realized, holy crap he is so much worse! Not irredeemable, not at the beginning, but every time he has a chance to be a decent person, he doubles down on the awful and the way he justifies it? Wo! I do like the film, especially that we see more of Lucy's side of the story, but some stuff was rushed in the film. The only thing I like a bit better in the fil is the very last part, bc it seems even more rushed to me in the book, but other than that, I liked the book better.
@@elenanojkovic2554Right?! In the book, Corio is always justifying his ruthless decisions. He’s super calculating and I found that really interesting. I agree that part 3 was the best one in the movie. That was my favorite part
I'm sorry, but Snow is riddled with red flags through out the film. Just because it wasn't handed over on a silver platter like in the book doesn't mean the signs weren't there.
@@MRauTObtI didn’t say it was handed on a silver platter. I said that there’s more nuance in the book. He has more moments where he struggles. Corio questions himself and his own motivations as much as the audience does. Does he actually care for Lucy Gray or is he only invested in her bc it reflects on him? We don’t really know bc Corio doesn’t really know and that’s interesting.
@@elenanojkovic2554definitely agree! i think the film would’ve been perfect if they made it longer to allow the depth of coriolanus’ character to really be conveyed
In the BOSAS book, when the games start no one jumps to kill. The first act is cutting down the boy who was tied up by the capital to be a spectacle. This contrasts the other games really nicely, and show's how these kids aren't used to killing yet. They don't want to be there. In the movie, they go for the bloodbath instead, which is more fun for an audience who loves action, but misses the point Suzanne was trying to convey.
Exactly!
yes! this really bothered me
It’s hilariously ironic
After watching the prequel, I was kind disappointed, because I read the book and understood what thoughts were made for every decision snow made but everyone who didn’t read it, it seems that they didn’t really understand how much of a psychopath snow was, and after I thought they should’ve went the American psycho route and gave snow a inner monologue.
I feel like this is just because movies leave more up to interpretation when it comes to a character's thoughts (naturally! it just happens to be a downside of the medium) and then many viewers come away thinking whatever they want to because they aren't thinking critically enough about what they're seeing (and are blinded by conventional beauty standards - can't say I blame them for that one). I only watched the movie and got major psycho vibes. An inner monologue would've been cool though! Although hard to pull off, it would probably have been more book accurate.
Even without a literal inner monologue, I think there were ways to make the ambiguity feel more intentional and obvious. Good ambiguity leaves things up for interpretation, but bad ambiguity doesn't even make you realize that there's something to interpret. Like the end of Inception. You KNOW that that's supposed to be ambiguous.
Snow's supposed to be a fucking frothing madman, right?
Yeah I got to the end of the film rooting for him pretty much
I can get that but i feel like the movie showed almost everything, ppl who complain about it were definitely expecting too much. like obviously its gonna be harder to show snows inner thoughts through film than it was for collins to just write it out lmao
I love how in the end of the Hunger Games series as Katniss is getting close to snows mansion and it seems like the heroine is gonna be the one to capture him and finish it all the troops and the rebellion come in. She’s been the face of the rebellion and seems like the main hero would save it all but as true in many rebellions it’s the people and the nameless that capture Snow in the end .
Yeah! Collins does some really interesting stuff with making Katniss a very ACTIVE protagonist in the story, but simultaneously she has very little AGENCY in terms of the plot (which is in itself part of the commentary). Very few authors could pull these two aspects off simultaneously.
The way I understood it, Snow was always problematic from the beginning. The whole point is that he didn't have a single, sudden, and tragic "trigger moment" for becoming a villain but he always had the potential and likelihood to become that way from the very beginning.
My favorite thing about TBOSAS (the novel) was how well Suzanne Collins portrayed the humanity of the capitol's children. Through their care and attention to and about their tributes we saw Snow for what he was; a callous, heartless, manipulator. The film drops that angle so all we're left with is the hollow musings of Coryo, which take away from the full story of him leaning into and embracing the emptiness.
What do you mean the "humanity of the capitol's children?" What humanity?
@@ering1107 You get to see, through the capitol's kids mentoring of the tributes, how many of them saw the districts children as children and people. Not all of them, but some. And it confused Snow, showing us his sociopathic nature, and personally touched me, showing me the humanity of the capitol's youth that Viola Davis wanted to breed out of them.
@@ering1107 Lysistrata for one definitely seemed pretty attached to Jessup. Tigris was also kind to Lucy Gray, making bread pudding for her even though the Snows were hungry themselves. And while Coriolanus Snow eventually became the villain he is, he started off at least seeing that the way the tributes were treated was very inhumane. There were also non-Academy children who saved food for the tributes from their own dinners. Given that they’re ten years from war/famine and Coriolanus states that waste is still viewed negatively at this point (probably more so for the non-Academy kids who are likely poorer), I think it shows a fair bit of humanity.
I actually feel like the remix version of the song that they released was so in style with the book. It's exactly how it was used in the book, it's made for the popularity and hype without any care for the content or context. The books are very anti-consumerism and it's pretty impossible for the movies, they are made for the entertainment and making money. So I hope that the remix release is a very deliberate choice to show that. Otherwise the irony would just be through the roof
Yeah it's a fine line between "Self-Aware Irony" and "Lamp-shading". Honestly it's the struggle of all commercial art to find the balance between entertainment and message. If you want to make good product you need the first and if you want to make good art you need the second.
Reminds me of the Lorax being used as a spokesman for hybrid SUVs, even though in the film the false promise of "green" consumerism is explicitly lampshaded. I think it's a bit of both, honestly. Some people behind the scenes were chasing money by using the work as a "brand", while others were tongue-in-cheek highlighting how ironic it all was while working on it, and others still knew better but decided to cynically use it for a cash grab anyway.
I took the film's version of the Hanging Tree (Mockingjay) as the sign that even though the film was still [mostly] following Katniss, the scope of the revolution was so much bigger than her by that point, which was being set up so well in Catching Fire with the quick views of the other districts fighting back. The people who gave the four-note signal in the woods before blowing up the peacekeepers, and the people who sang the hanging tree as they went to blow up the dam were the Mockingjays of the film. It reminded me of Les Miserables' Do You Hear the People Sing.' Singing a song of angry men. It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again. I liked seeing the things Katniss wasn't there for.
Oh I agree. Seeing things she wasn't there for is great. And like I said the montage itself is awesome. I just think it's a sign that the director didn't fully get certain aspects of the book
@@TheWritersBlockOfficialIt might not be a case of the director not understanding the book, but rather deliberately choosing to take advantage of a different perspective. The use of Katniss' song as a call of arms could be seen as an intentional opposition of her internal feelings and a demonstration of District 13's ongoing efforts at manipulating Katniss to further their own agenda. The Hanging Tree becoming a pop sensation could even be seen as a meta commentary on the glorification of violence. While I am not sure to what extent the director and Collins intended all that, it does provide a unique perspective for people who both read the book and watched the movie.
You know, I never considered your perspective, but you’re right. I actually really enjoyed the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but after watching this essay I can’t help but admit the shortcomings. Lawrence definitely did glorify the games and the capital, and I’m sure the nose shots are gonna get on my nerves now that they’ve been pointed out😅 Gary Ross’ more objective yet more personal style definitely would’ve brought the movie back down to earth
To be clear. I still do enjoy the newpvie a lot.cits just in compariosn to the source material that i think it fails. Even a hunger games adaptation that "misses the point" is still gonna outshine 90 percent of hollywood. Not to mention that 3rd act was amazing
There's so much irony in the marketing around the hunger games films tbh.
Thank you! Gary Ross is truly the unsung hero of the Hunger Games franchise. The whole aesthetic Francis Lawrence expanded upon in catching fire, he inherited from Ross! That iconic I volunteer scene is partly, the novel, J Law but also the direction of Gary ROSS. It was the centerpiece of the trailer and worked amazingly well in the movie! The tbosas movie is a good adaptation but a different director would've brought something new.
I do find it hillarious that the biggest change in terms of world design in catching fire is the peacekeepers. They go from riot police in 1 to straight up storm troopers. Everything else is very faithful to rosss work
I think the reason they shot the actors from a lower angle was to make the viewer feel more smaller - but it's also supposed to make the blood trickling more visible When Dean Highbottom gets poisoned, we see dark blood coming out of his nose. We had this with Dill in the arena too. - And I think it's tied to the idea of scents. Smelling rat poison in the movie can kill you instantly. Coriolanus mom smelled of roses. Snow's theme in general become his roses and Katniss grows sick from the mere smell of one of them. I personally don't mind it, but if they did in this angle for this plot point, then I think it works well.
You really hit the nail on the head with this video! I was so frustrated walking out of the cinema after watching BOSBS, I'd go as far as to say they botched it. It's also a problem that they focus on Lucy and want to create the perfect movie heroine which really isn't her role in this story. I think this adaptation should feel claustrophobic and not bombastic since he is always trapped between difficult choices and everything is about power play to him. It lost all meaning and just became a spectacle! (They created a murderous villian out of Coral to distract us from the horrors of the capital, sadly it makes Snow look more realistic in thinking people become monsters without the control of the government. When Snow is being sent to 12 he should be devestated and ashamed. He even says to Sejanus he contemplated suic*de. But all we've seen is the same stonefaced and bored look through the whole montage. The same look he gives when he finds Lucy again. Shouldn't actors at least know how to emote?! And you should know you fucked up when even Sejanus is unsympathetic.)
I don't blame the actors cause it's their job to follow the direction their given (which can often result in weird performances if the Director's vision has issues). But I think you make a really great point. ESPECIALLY about Coral! Also I feel like in making Lucy more of a protagonist it really defeats her whole purpose in the narrative. She's meant to be a bit of a enigma that Snow projects a lot onto, which also makes it more interesting when he suddenly shifts to distrusting her at the end.
Exactly how I felt! Like Lucy in the book to me was cunning. She didn’t fall into love with snow during the games, she played him to win. She got what she needed and would have been fine going back home to district 12. She isn’t some sweet heroine- she does what she can to survive. When snow becomes a peacekeeper she gets to know him for real and that’s when I think she truly believes he could be someone other than a capital boy. But he proves her wrong and she doesn’t hesitate to leave. Lucy in the movie seems almost starry eyed and naïve. Her running at the end isn’t as well foreshadowed.
I really enjoys TBOSBAS. I loved the movie so much that I immediately bought the book and read it in two days. I think it was a good adaptation but there were a lot of scenes from the book that would have been awesome to see on screen. I don’t think the movie did the best job at showing snows mindset, but if you haven’t read the book, it’s not a big deal. I do really hope that they release an extended version though.
i can agree that The Ballad of Somgbirds and Snakes was a good book, and the movie was good in terms of acting, cinematography, the score, and directorial. But the movie sucked at how it portrayed the whole story tbh. I personally hated how they rewrote and changed a lot of scenes. 😭 like you cannot tell me they did clemensia so dirty in the movie adaptation. Plus, it would have been enjoyable to see the games to the tea in the movie.
I read the book first and I agree. I think also because after seeing all the most recent adaptations of other movies, this one was the most successful and true to the source material. I def was frustrated that it did fall short, but I think it deserves a pass.
I just thought the movie has really bad pacing tbh. The acting and cinematography was good.
just say songbirds and snakes, TBOSBAS looks and reads weird
I thought the camera angle was low to show how powerful the rich were but they never changed that height. it would be more interesting if they showed the rich from a lower angle to show power while the poor higher angle like being looked down upon. you could make snow in the beginning having a neutral angle but near the end make it a low angle.
This would have worked quite well
I’ve always loved the first hunger games movie due to gary ross’ directing. It really encapsulated the energy of the book. I’ve always said this. He should’ve directed BOSBAS, this is what i initially thought when I heard they were making the movie of the book
You should check out the BTS documentary they did for the first one if you haven't. SUPER interesting hearing all the little nuances of his approach to making the movie. Even on the level of trying to make the production feel a bit like a summer camp to make the younger actors feel comfortable on set and with one another
13:30 I strongly disagree with that viewpoint, because that is drastically misunderstanding the source material. Snow was not molded into a villain, he was ALWAYS a villain. Both the book and movie made that very clear. From the outside, it only appears like he “devolved” into one because we could finally see his actions line up with his thoughts and feelings. However, he always had those thoughts and feelings from the beginning, so therefore, the camera angles really reflect that and shows how he was essentially always a terrible person from start to finish.
Idunno. I think theres a difference between manipulative and terrible. He grew up amidst the revellion and its aftermath. He views people as adversaries because its a dog eat dog world. With different circumstances, i think he could have come to realize that community and trust are better tools for survival than manipulation and deceit.
@@TheWritersBlockOfficial He's manipulative AND terrible. He also just happened to grow up poor because his dad died, which made him seem more sympathetic. If his dad lived, and the circumstances were different, he probably would've been way worse. His dad invented the games. He's capitol; and would have been a powerful household name if not forced into oblivion. Even Sejanus had a streak of the capitol's self-servitude culture, and he didn't like the games.
@@TheWritersBlockOfficial It's too easy to blame his circumstances when Tigris is right there as a counterpart. She managed to remain kind and compassionate, and see the tributes as humans, despite a similar trauma and also growing up with her grandmother's hate speech. Coryo is fundamentally a narcissist who lacks empathy, and that's what caught Gaul's interest.
I wouldn't say it's a misunderstanding, but a different take on the source material. I didn't read Snow as being ALWAYS a villain. Yes, he is selfish and manipulative, but he is torn between doing "the right thing" or what's best for him for the most part. From my reading, he is a mix between his father's selfishness and his mother's goodness. It doesn't mean he's just a child of the circunstances (as we see Tigris went through worse and stayed good), but he is more complex than just a villain from the start. The thing is, the novel shows he had choices and he had good and bad influences. From his choices and from who he chose to get closer to (and also from being manipulated, why not? He didn't know everything about his father's story, for example, and chose his alliances without all of the information he could have), he built his path. The best comparative is Lucy Grey, who is also manipulative and actually reads situations better than he does, suggesting to him some of his moves to look good on camera, but chose a different path. If Snow was to be a textbook psychopath villain from the start, there would be no need to right a prequel about him.
Exactly! He always has the capacity and even propensity for wrongdoing. But his choices and experiences are what push him over the edge. Its not nature vs nurture. Its nature and nurture
please make a 3 hour long video on each movie so i can watch more of you talking about this series bc ive had to pause multiple times because ive never had someone verbalise exactly my thoughts and its so amazing. Your analysis is sooo fresh!! great video would love more on hunger games :)
Yeah, I don't know when but I'm trying to work up to longer and longer videos (and I'd love to do deep dives on some of my favorite book to movie adaptations one book at a time). The only problem is that it's a lot higher risk because of the time commitment. If a 20-30 minute video that took me approx 2 weeks flops, it sucks but i can live. If a 1-2 hour video doesn't take off, my disappointment will be immeasurable and my day ruined. Sidenote: is your profilepic/username meant to be a combination of Harley Quinn and Dovakiin?!?
Yess I want a 2 hour take on Catching Fire😂
Me, as a below average height person, didn't notice this about the camera angle because that is how everyone looks from my point of view. 😂
See I have the opposite problem. I'm 6' 2" but my posture ends up terrible cause I treat my neck like a steady cam rig and level out with whoever I'm talking to
I felt like the movie made so many of the characters one dimensional. When the books made it pretty clear that neither district nor capital were “the good guys”. Corio feels downright sociopathic from the get go but it’s either once he meets Lucy grey or Dr. Gaul that he begins having doubts on his world view. It’s like an inkling of hope that maybe Corio will change his ways. And he battles with what to do and his doubts on whether he should restore his family and regain their (in his eyes) honor or to do everything he can to save Lucy grey and follow her into the sunset. I never once thought Corio was the type of person to give but capital life. He’s power hungry and he doesn’t know how to be anything but that. Even when he believes he loves Lucy he still can’t picture her in his life. He still doubts whether it’s love at all or if it’s a need to possess her. Corio is a phenomenal character because there’s no pretending that he was an ever a good guy. From the very beginning nearly every character is tainted by hate and prejudice. There are no exceptions except perhaps Lucy and the covey but that may be because Corio views them in that way rather than it being true. That being said he’s not evil, the students from the capital all seem highly traumatized by the war and are completely fueled by hatred towards the districts. But they’re still human characters that aren’t necessarily 100% bad. Even those that same characters show themselves having doubts whether the hunger games is going too far. Despite the capital absolutely despising the districts they don’t like the hunger games. Corio isnt special because he despises the districts or because he acts like he’s always fighting for survival and fights for power as if it’s life and death. That’s what makes him normal in this setting. What makes him interesting is how he never seems to be able to let that go when presented with a good life outside of the capital. That he realizes the cruelty, he sees the injustice, he is not in denial by the end of the book. He accepts it whole heartedly for all of its truth.
Here’s an unpopular opinion. I don’t think the first Hunger Games was that great an adaptation. Removing/toning Katniss’ inner thoughts and often replacing them with nothing was a move that really just stripped a lot of tension and depth from the story and character. How does she feel about this forced romance with Pita? How does this situation wear on her? Then you have changes like giving Rue less time, making the big moment of what happens to her ring more hollow than it does in the book. It’s less oh no, Katniss’ survival buddy is gone and more oh no, a kid d*d in this competition where kids k*** each other? No way!!! Catching Fire was a much better movie because Jennifer Lawrence was allowed to do a lot more in the acting department
I see your point. But I also feel like it's crafted in such a way where if you have read the books, you can still feel all those thoughts and conflicts going on in her head. Jennifer Lawrence does a lot in that regard. But I also can see how in a vacuum, the movie version by itself could feel lacking
I agree she was acting more in Catching Fire, but I actually think the first movie conveys her thoughts a ton. I rewatched the OG before Songbirds and I almost started crying when she and Gale share that piece of bread before the reaping. Jlaw’s actjng really conveys how rare and coveted a simple roll is and I remember the book giving me the same feeling.
I guess I just didn’t feel much nuance from her in movie 1. Don’t get me wrong, her reactions to the situation are valid, and there are some great moments like when she volunteers and you can hear the horror in her voice at the thought of her sister going up, but overall I just found it a case of vacant stare and sometimes shouting. Again, not a wrong reaction to have, just kinda one-note. She really comes to life in Catching Fire and onward
That makes sense. I think part of it is that Katniss is arguably a more boring character in the first and third book. In the OG, she’s a bit of a blank slate at times because she’s acting as the audience stand in. She needs to explain elements of the world building and in Mockingjay she’s super traumatized, so she’s spends a lot of time working through her ptsd. Both of those things are interesting, but not necessarily fun. Catching fire she has a mission, an awesome setting, and the other tributes have a lot more personality and complexity. They’re not just trying to kill her like in the OG. They have schemes and agendas of their own, which Katniss is trying to unravel.
I had always liked the first movie least because of how Katniss was portrayed! Not that I dislike Jennifer Lawrence, but I found that the way she delivered the lines in the first one was very odd (the dry whispery rasp in particular) and often took me out of the story. She definitely grew a lot as an actress between that and Catching Fire. On the other hand, this year as I got back into the fandom and rewatched the movies a few times I found it bothered me less and less and began to make more sense for the character. I find that I now agree more with Asteroids50 in that Katniss was kind of always meant to be a dry and disillusioned person. She's not very likeable, that's part of her character, so why would she suddenly be more emotionally compelling on screen? It's the story and her resilience that draws us in more than her personality, at first. Either way it's definitely an amazing book adaptation in my opinion, considering how difficult they are to achieve and how terrible they can get.
The Hunger Games always struck me more as a modern 1970s dystopian sci-fi than a YA thing, despite it's origins. Slow down the scenes, add more synth and make everything yellow and orange and it'd fit right in with Logan's Run or similar.
ESPECIALLY with how the first one was filmed. I don't know if you ever saw the video where they make Andor look like it's a show from the 70s, but I can imagine something similar for the first Hunger Games
Reminds me of Logan's run so much, except it's not in a mall! Running man reminds me of the capitol
absolutely loved this video! i've written a couple papers for uni about the hunger games and one of them was how the first film got to convey the same message as the book and i'm so happy to see someone agree!
I took a poll and while Catching fire is most people's favorite, Hunger Games had the 2nd most votes, so we aren't completely alone haha. Thank you for the kind words!
The book and the movie are both incredible, in my eyes. There were things in the book that I really wish made it to the movie- The slow start to the games, certain tributes, such as Teslee, and her role in hijacking the drones, and of course, Coryolanus's inner monologue, but the movie was still fantastic. I actually think that the arena and games themselves were overhauled and done better than they were in the book- They felt more alive and engaging. If the movie had been longer, I think it could have been better, and they could have added more, but it worked well with what they gave it. It didn't feel lacking or empty to me. It's one of my favourite movies, and my favourite out of the Hunger Games franchize.
0:39 The Pagemaster! My grandma had it on VHS and I used to watch it all the time at her house.
A person of culture i see
Thank youuu so much, I was looking for this movie for ages
used to be my one of my favourite childhood film
YES! I recognized the movie immediately but didn’t remember the name, I also can’t tell you a single thing that happened except it turned into a cartoon somehow
Ima have to go buy this movie cuz i can't find it on any streaming services lol
Yes!!! Had the same feeling exactly! So so cool to hear someone explain it all eloquently! The “realness” of the first movie was definitely missed in the later movies and the prequel. Such a good video! I’m a huge fan of the first movie because of how close it felt to the book rather than a big Hollywood spectacle. And the prequel novel holds much of the same slow-paced realness that should have been portrayed as intimately and with as much care on screen.
I think the studio might have viewed it as a step back, but in reality it would have been a RETURN to model Songbirds after the first hunger games movie
dude, what a plot twist!! this is a great analysis, i was very impressed with your points about cinematography and the implications that camera work carries.
Thank you!
I have to disagree with the arena scenes - on a personal level. It was brutal, it horrified me way more than anything - I understood the difference from the 74th and 75th hunger games to 10th HG. During those scenes I thought: No wonder people didnt want to watch it. I cant speak for many people, but this was my opinion of the movie. What I could not get over was Lucy Grays singing - or more like the music design of her songs, it brought me out of the story, that could have been handled better. Rachel sang very well though.
The singing is a big part of the books. Same as the OG Hunger Games with the whistle, Deep in the Meadow, and The Hanging Tree. I think Collins just really likes singing. I enjoy Rachel’s singing voice, but I didn’t like her southern accent. It felt very forced and I didn’t understand why they decided to give her that affect.
A) I get what you're saying. I think that's more a result of the production design rather than the camera work though, but I also look for that stuff more, so whether or not the direction overtakes the actual content of the frame is always gonna be a case by case basis, and no one opinion is more or less valid. B) I think they just leaned to heavily into the accent and capital C country sound. I get that she's Covey and not actual district 12, but it doesn't make sense for her to have SUCH a regional accent when NO ONE from 12 shares that twang
Three cheers for The Pagemaster! It's one of my go-to comfort films.
Its auch a cozy film
I used to love watching it with my mom in the living room 😊
The same thing happened in this prequel with the song. They put Lucy Gray's song (the one about her name and her fate) in the background and that one's vital to see the paradox of the end
The Pagemaster!! What a masterpiece, thanks for the obscure reference to this childhood favourite!
My pleasure!
Amazing video, you’re great at picking up subtle yet key details and explaining them perfectly
Thank you so much thats very kind of you to say!
The Pagemaster I still quote that movie to this day! “Dr Jekyll? Dr Jekyll? Call me Mr Hyde!” Love that movie but it scared me a little back then it was so dark 😭
Oh man as a casual viewer i didnt notice the nose angle but now wont be able to unsee it 😂 this makes me so curious to see a gary ross remake!
Great takes overall. I'd disagree a little, though, with your point that you're supposed to identify with Coryo in the beginning. For me, it felt like he was supposed to be off-putting from the first page. He's literally starving, but he's mostly concerned with embarrassment if people find out, he doesn't actually like Seajanus, but he's nice to him just in case he'll be useful someday, he's manipulating just about everyone around him and he gives off this constant air of "I deserve better." Throw in his hatred for the districts that came out of the war (while the narration implies that the districts were more than justified in rebelling), and you get a thoroughly unlikeable protagonist, which I think was entirely intentional. I read him as a pathological narcissist by nature, and a fascist due to his upbringing, so the story is less about him changing and more about gradually revealing who he always was.
When I saw the title, I thought for sure you were going to tackle other more obviously failed screen adaptation. You make interesting points.
it's crazy that this book was longer than the longest book and they didn't split it into two parts like they did with mocking jay, which tbh didn't need to be two movies. I would have preferred a limited series for Ballad, I loved the movie but it felt so rushed
I definitely think a limited series would be best. Then the budget constraints would also force them not to glorify the games as much and make it a more personal story like it is in the book
@@TheWritersBlockOfficial i feel like the only reason its a movie is bc Lionsgate owns the rights to the series when it comes to adaptations and they are a movie studio. It's more plausible that legal reasons prevented it from being moved to a streaming service or smthn where it could be a limited series.
Thanks for highlighting Gary Ross. I've always thought he did an amazing job of capturing the first book. Mockingjay really bothered me because it felt like the director and advertising team totally missed the point of the story and leaned into the glory of battle and the love triangle instead of recognizing that the main character is still a child being forced into horrific experiences.
6:47 i would like to point out bcz i believed A Lot of ppl don’t realize this, but what was discussed about the hanging tree song having become a pop song, is the fictional-song equivalence of what happened with Bella Ciao. the origin of the song/context is about a girl being taking away by soldiers during WW2, and its suppose to be a sad song with grief, yet ended up becoming a song that represented rebellion and revolution??? and then with it’s use in Money Heist series, it basically mostly became a pop song now 😅
After watching the movie, I would complain to all my friends that TBOSAS would make a better limited series than a movie. However, I think if the movie was shot in the way you describe I don’t think I would’ve thought that as much. Mainly because I feel like the point of TBOSAS was lost in the movie. It wasn’t a bad movie. It’s just that what I think makes the books so great was lost in the movie. I wanted to see snows internal battle. To see how a person so primed to be/ do good can just reject it at every turn. I understand portraying internal monologue visually is incredibly hard, but it’s so vital to the books that it should’ve been more of the focus. I also hated how the 10th games were portrayed in the film. We honestly didn’t know what was happening with Lucy gray during most of the games, and we got to see how it affect snow not knowing and not being able to control a situation. Plus we got to see how different the games were and how Snow, essentially, pioneered the games to what they are in the future. Thus we get to understand why he reacted so strongly when Katniss threatened the games. But in the movie it just looks like season 1 of rupauls drag race instead of an inhuman game that people are tired of that needs revitalizing.
A limited series would have been so great. And the limitations of tv budgets would actually make it a more faithful adaptation most likely
this is such a brilliantly done video. you put my exact feelings after watching Ballad into words.
Thank you!
Coriolanus walking out during ‘pure as the driven snow’ of all songs in the movie is crazy to me
I have seen so many videos of youtubers worshiping TBOSAS movie that is crazy! I really didn`t like the adaptation as I didn`t relate to Coriolanus at all as I did in the book but I couldn`t pinpoint why... so thank you much for this video, I really aprecciate it :)
Happy to help! I think a lot of people are just happy to be getting a hunger games movie so I'm not surprised that things are leaning positive among some people. I think sentiments would be more critical if this came out closer to the original books/movies
Ahhh the page master clip actually made my day thank you!!
this was such a good video essay! I hope it gets lots more views I think it probably will cause it is very well made
That really means a lot, thank you! I try not to judge myself based on how many views a video gets because the algorithm and audience interest on a topic can be so hard to judge, but it's tough not to. Comments like this really do go a long way in lifting my spirits and keeping the passion alive regardless of whether or not a given piece of work takes off. Thanks for taking the time to reach out!
yeah no problem! you have a very good funny editing style and the video was entertaining and well researched so I was surprised to see it had less views than others I have seen but I guess it was only just released and the hunger games renaissance is slowing down from how popular it was in september-december
Watching the TBOSAS movie was like watching those clips of You or Death Note where they take out all of the inner dialogue/internal monologuing
Catching fire will always be my favourite (book and movie of the franchise) especially because of the portrayal of Peeta "the rizzler" Mellark
So many people that haven't read the book of the prequel didn't get that snow was deranged from the beginning. Some even wondered why did Lucy Gray leave. I really like the movie but it's because i read the book and I had in my head Snow's decision making plans
I haven’t seen the movie, but I have read the book and I don’t read Snow as deranged. I think he’s pretentious, petty, delusional and unempathetic to those who are not like him mainly because that’s who he was taught to be. All of the Capitol kids act like that in the books up until they actually meet and have to interact with their tributes and some even continue to act like that. The whole point was to show that the war and the propaganda that followed it reinforced an attitude of superiority and anger amongst the Capitol citizens. A lot of Snow’s traits can actually be attributed to his age and upbringing. He’s not a psychopath from the beginning, he’s just immature in addition to his traits I listed up above. The whole point of the book is that Snow could’ve turned either way and it would’ve been believable despite the fact that we know in the end he chooses power. He’s not without the ability to redeem himself.
I would love to see how different bosas would have been in Gary Ross' hands - I think people got a bit distracted by the shakycam which was sometimes excessive in Hunger Games and failed to see the creativity he infused the world with. So many elements, like seeing two hosts, seeing behind the scenes, seeing the president speaking with Seneca, were added to the movies
Oh my god those President Snow scenes are some of the best in the whole series
fantastic video, something about this movie felt off but i couldnt quite describe it other than "it feels like its appealing to a huge audience at the expense of the story its trying to convey." Thank you! I hope your channel continues to grow!!
Thank you, that's very kind. And yeah, it does feel considerably more "main stream" than the other movies. The OG movies were technically in the mainstream, but that was just because YA adaptations were popular then. Songbirds feels like it's trying to take the YA Dystopia and make it mainstream which it just isn't at the moment
After watching the prequel movie I thought about all the people who didn’t read the book and just watched the movie and I got mad. I was mad at the knowing that those people might hate the new movie and would never get to know how truly incredible the story is.
Wow amazing video, this really changed my perspective. Now I would have loved to seen Gary direct songbirds and snakes. Please make more analysis vids on the hunger games
When I eventually get to longform Retrospective/deep dive content, i could easily do an hour plus on each movie
@@TheWritersBlockOfficialyes that would be great. Thank you
This is why the book is generally better. We get more of Snow’s direct thoughts on situations. More is explained and drawn out. The question is sorta always “Was Lucy REALLY ever herself? Was she really ever in love with Snow? Or was it all an elaborate ruse to keep herself alive that went on a bit too long after she actually won?” And truly, some of that can be asked of Snow. At what point did he choose his future over Lucy? Was it always the case and he was just good at hiding it or did he truly love her the entire time and was wrestling with his plans and couldn’t find a balance? At what point did his shift happen? Did Lucy know from the start the type of man he was and used him? Or hoped he’d change? The most glaring issue is the ending, in my opinion. The scene makes it seem like Lucy led him to the guns. Like she had put them there herself. The actress even performs the scene oddly in a way that made me suspect her. And then she disappears and the ending takes place and Snow “goes crazy”. It all seems like “what the actual fuck just happened?” Was Snow the villain the whole time? Was Lucy the villain until she noticed who Snow really is? Or are they both shitty people using each other? But in the book, we read his feelings. We read that he has just stumbled upon the gun that could ruin his life and now he has a way out. A way back to the capital. A way back to his plans to be who he always wanted to be. And Lucy sees this, couples it with him lying to her earlier. She sees that shift and immediately recognizes that she is absolutely fucked and the only one standing in his way. That is why the ending takes place the way it does. Granted, Lucy knew she was lied to quite a bit earlier and she went cold to him because honesty is huge for her. The book just executes all of this so much better. In the movie the ending just comes off as weird and makes it seem like Snow initially had no plans to leave Lucy whereas the book showcases his commentary and we understand things so much better. Both of those characters were never truly doing what they said they were. Some say Lucy was just as dirty as Snow. Others say she wasn’t. It’s purposefully left ambiguous. Just like the question of “did she really live?” Is left open, for the most part
You passed up a banger called The Dark Side of Nowhere. Tried other YA novels, but none of them hit quite like that one for me. It's an old book, so I wouldn't expect anyone to really know it.
The 10th Games doesn't have a 'bloodbath' scene in the book. The tributes are too weak and malnourished, and it's not yet a standard expectation for the games, so they mostly just run away to the tunnels to hide (for several days) making the games boring to watch for the Capitol. And this is what makes the first death in the arena (the mercy-killing of the boy who the Capitol strung up) so much more impactful. But the movie just starts the Games with an 'exciting' bloodbath scene anyways where several tributes are killed, making it more exciting for us, the viewer. Way to completely miss the entire point, Francis Lawrence.
I would say the same about Twilight. The first movie is a lot similar to Hunger Games in camera movement and colors, and it captures really well how Forks is this rainy forest, where everything is grey and green, etc. The movements are also very well done in scenes like the car crash where we need to see how Bella was caught off-guard and how confused she was about Edward. In the following movies, they started saturating the colors too much, which resulted in them wearing more makeup to look pale, and everything looks too big and important, even when it's not. I think they noticed it was becoming a huge deal and decided to film it like this huge epic story.
Interesting. I definitely agree there's a shift in filmmaking that occurs, but I personally feel like Breaking Dawn pt. 2 is the only one that feels super "Hollywood-ified". I personally think the vibes are immaculate for New Moon and Eclipse especially. Though I agree some more challenging cinematography would have improved them. Can you imagine the cinematographer for The Batman working on one of those movies...
@@TheWritersBlockOfficial Yes! I believe they tried to make Breaking Dawn 2 the biggest movie to hide the fact that there's not too much in the book to justify 2 movies. As for the other movies, I like all of them, I just think there's a huge change from the first to the second, not only in coloring and movement but also in makeup and costume, which to me makes it seem like very different perspectives on the story. I do feel like the first is the only one that fully captures the book's feelings and vision, and I would've loved to see what other directors would've imagined for the saga!
Love the analysis!
Thank you!
really good analysis! i watched the movie twice and both times left feeling like it only gave the most surface level version of the actual book that almost seemed like it was downplaying the cruelty of some of the characters and events. also, nice pagemaster clip! what a fantastic movie :)
after you pointed out the camera angle, I started to feel really claustrophobic, aha. but this was a really good analysis!
A)oops my bad B) thanks!
Now this is my favorite new ‘review’ of these films. Your focus on the disconnect between art and adapting artist (here being the director and his team) communicates something so hard for many to articulate. While I had many issues with the semblance of a rushed ending, my biggest concern came from not feeling that the Coriolanus we saw at the end of the film was in much of a stark contrast with the beginning. The film is terribly well-crafted and its screenplay rich with detail and a grim, gallow’s wit, so it avoids the terrible shortcomings of the Star Wars Prequels with Anakin, but by just illuminating the choice of camera aspect ratio and the angles for which those cameras capture, communicate and consolidate the ideas of the book with the visuals, we see that disconnect. That was so refreshing. Happy to now call myself a Subscriber
Love the videos, man. Keep it up!!!
Thank you so much!
I think you nailed the problem with the adaptation of Mockingjay. It’s a subversive and bleak book, almost up there with the 5th wave books, and it successfully subverts expectations in derailing the classic hero’s journey. There is no glorious resolution to the conflict. Katniss fails. It’s not even sure that the good guys won. And war has damaged and tainted everything, especially Katniss herself. The end only allows a small glimmer of hope. By focusing on the outside and the spectacle, the movies completely miss the point and convey almost the opposite message. Even though they were mostly faithful to the books in a superficial sense, they were deeply flawed adaptations.
Precisely! Well put
I have a few thoughts (from the perspective of someone who has not read the book, so I could be totally off). But first I'd like to say I actually agree with a lot of this review, so please don't take this the wrong way haha! This is just my take. Snow didn't need to be portrayed/filmed as more likeable to the viewer at the start. Viewers are going into this movie knowing how his story ends, much like readers went into the book knowing. This changes the way things must be conveyed. It's not that you can't explore the will he won't he dance between good and bad, but ultimately people know they know they answer to that so the question becomes more of a "was he ever good or was he always evil?" Had they made him seem obviously good and charming at the start, or if this really were the descent into evil we often frame it as, people just would have been even more pitying and forgiving of the character which would have lost even more nuance from the book. I would argue that many viewers actually did feel connected with the character from the start (perhaps too much) considering how many people who have only seen the movie defend the idea that he was a good man turned evil. For practically every film adaptation I have ever heard about, it is criticized when the book involves the thoughts of the main character and the film does not. But literature and film are two completely different mediums, and most of the time incorporating their thoughts is less direct than when they are written out. That is where acting comes in. Because facial expressions can still be interpreted differently by the audience, there is more room for complaint, but that is literally why the source material exists in it's own medium. The movies and the books do not need to be seen as mutually exclusive. You know it's well done when someone can watch only the movies and still get most of the plot and big messages (which is the case with the hunger games). It takes way more hours to read the books than it does to watch the movies for most people, and unless the text is heavy on describing the visuals, reading is much faster (e.g. dialogue). So in concept a movie adaptation should be expected to be a simplified and compressed version. We can't reasonably ask for anything else. With someone as nuanced as Snow, who is complex beyond his own awareness, it's unfortunately highly unlikely we could have gotten a much more accurate representation. I would also argue that the lack of contrast between the way the arena and nature and everything were filmed actually makes a lot of sense coming from Snow's perspective. He truly sees the world as the arena by the end, after all. I don't really have a leg to stand on there though because I know much less about filming than I do acting and writing :)
A) this is an interesting point and it's definitely up for interpretation. Part of the nuance of the story (regardless of medium) is whether or not he had the potential for good, or if he was inherently this way from birth (which is also a major question the story poses about EVERYONE in Panem and by extension real life). I naturally lean towards the belief that people are born with the capacity for true benevolence (barring some exceptions like those with disorders that literally prevent empathy or consideration of others) so I lean towards the view that Snow had the chance to be good and it's his actions and those who influenced him that TURNED him to the evil dictator he became. Obviously there were elements of that persona all along, but I think there were also elements of caring about others (his relationship with Tigress is really interesting for example). But that's my reading and I definitely see validity in readings that run counter to this. B) To be clear, I don't LITERALLY mean incorporating their thoughts/narration like they do in twilight (and even then you can see how it works better in some than others). But there's a way of combining camerawork and acting to make CHOICES and CONSIDERATIONS big moments for a character that the audience can feel. The camerawork and acting in Return of the Jedi not only makes Luke's decision not to kill Vader feel like a drawn out moment, but it also makes the thought process of Darth Vader (who literally can't show facial expressions) CRYSTAL CLEAR when he decides to save Luke (which is why the decision to add NOOOOOOOO to the special editions is so silly but that is for another video lol). C) This is a SUPER interesting point, and there's actually a lot of validity to this seeing as what Dr. Gaul thinks about life out in the districts. I think if we operate under the assumption that this is the case, I still think there's an issue with contrast between the games/districts and life in the Capitol. I just really don't think the camerawork does a good job of establishing Normal VS Abnormal, so even a potentially brilliant intentional similarity like you point out here falls flat in my opinion. D) THANK YOU for taking the time leave your thoughts both on the movie and this essay. I think a lot of "film criticism" on KZhead is presented in a way that makes it feel like the author is going "I'm right and if you disagree with me you're stupid." And while I know I don't always succeed, I want these videos to feel like a jumping off point for conversation. This format is the best way I've found for presenting my thoughts coherently, but they are just that -- my thoughts. And I LOVE hearing other people's thoughts as well. So thanks again!
@TheWritersBlockOfficial I was literally like 5 paragraphs into a comment similar, but less articulate than the above when I decided to read more comments and see if there was a similar one. I just want to add that the whole looking up aspect criticism you had, seemed in bad faith, I know likely unintentionally, but there is nothing wrong with saying that "I don't understand what he was going for with this/ I don't think what he was going for came across well" instead of a "it was an arbitrary decision". Finally, the upturned camera seemed to me the grasping of Snow's understanding of the world. He looks down on everyone and believes everyone looks down on him, this is his greatest fear, because if he loses his social status, that's all he has left. Then, I feel like it's recontexualized at the end, where he feels that everywhere is the arena, and his prior understanding of the world kept him down. A weird analogy of this is the Rick or Jerry test online (referencing Rick and Morty) whereas if you take the test, regardless of what answers you put in your placed as a Jerry for taking the test in the first place. I don't know if that makes sense, but overall good video and this is just my opinion I don't know much about camerawork, only a bit about writing and acting.
You're so right about how the games were filmed. In the prequel, it is frustrating to not be able to see everything and the audience is not frustrated. We know too much actually
Speaking of tone deaf. Remember the catching fire collection of Subway branded fiery footlongs?? Or the Covergirl Capitol makeup palette?? Yikes
And that was DEFINITELY the worst thing ANYONE affiliated with subway EVER did...
Not the page master cameo, that was my favorite movie as a kid
Man your segue from mockingjay to bosas right before the ad read was phenomenal
I read the books before the movies, and I loved the first movie a lot. I was in awe how the director adapted the book so well as I have been burned by other adaptations more than once. I didn't know the director changed after the first one though. No wonder I felt differently about the rest of the series. They were still great, but the first one was really magical for me. Good thing I decided to not read the Ballad before watching the movie. The movie was good, but I would have been disappointed if I had read it before I watched it.
Shaky cam makes me feel motion sick, so even tho it made sense in the first movie it made it a physically unpleasant experience- good video!
Thats super valid. Its like me and most horror. I get why they do what they do, but i dont have a pleasant time watching movies in the slasher genre. Absolutely nothing wrong wirh being offput by a technique
0:38 Pagemaster!! As a 2000’s kid, this was my favorite movie to put in my hefty Sony travel dvd player and enjoy on long car rides. Still holds up as one of my favorites to this day.
Beautiful analysis
Thank you! I was working on this one pretty casually and then 3000 words later i was like "oh i think i care A LOT about this subject matter"
@@TheWritersBlockOfficial haha I know the feeling XD It really shows. You bring up some very poignant claims with solid evidence to support them, and I think the conclusions you drew from it all were really profound. I especially loved your dive into the camera angles on Snow. When the ending fell flat for me, I couldn't quite figure out *why* because there were some really lovely shots and when you pointed out there was a lack of contrast I was like "Yes! That's it! That's what was missing!" I read a comment on the trailer before the film released that THG is about "a hunter who is forced to perform" and Songbirds and Snakes is about "a performer forced to hunt", but when I watched the film it really was not Lucy's story. It's the origin of Snow's story. When I left the theatre, I wondered if Highbottom had treated Snow differently if things would've been different. Because he was trying to shut down the games and from what we gather in the film it's steadily working. But in his desperation to knock Snow's son so far down he has no power, he leaves him in a situation where he's desperate for it. Cornelius' choices were his own, but Highbottom's treatment (though we understand where it comes from) certainly pushed him towards what would ultimately reinvent Highbottom's creation into what we see by the time Katniss comes along. Snow didn't care about the games themselves. He cared about "success". But what that means to him at the start of the film is not what it means by the end and its easy to see how his integrity steadily crumbled until in Mockingjay when we met Tigress we see Cornelius seems to have thrown away the entire reason he was so desperate to "win" (be powerful/ successful) in the first place. I never read BOSAS myself, but this analysis was still very easy for anyone who's seen the films to be able to follow. Excellent work!
Omg THE PAGEMASTER reference! That movie will forever hold a special place in my heart 🥰
omg the comparison to “the things we carried” was spot on. that book was wonderfully written and definitely worth the read
4:16 The Things They Carried, a book that I enjoyed because my teacher who assigned it knew that to make a book enjoyable you can’t assign a quiz for every three pages read. Which is exactly what made me hate To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, and Frankenstein (though after reread of Frankenstein I still found it boring, a fantastic concept and theme. I just dislike the book itself) Also thank you for reminding me of the puppy scene. I really needed to remember that detail I mentally blocked out
One. Sorry lol. Two, thats exactly how i feel about Frankenstein as well. A movie.like poor things actually does a lot more with the concept and i love it for that
Frankenstein is a very poorly written fantasy novel about a murderous incel society has very deliberately chosen to misunderstand. I absolutely fucking hate that book.
had to do research to confirm but that is Pagemaster at 0:40, honestly enjoyed the movie as a kid.
I was deployed in Afghanistan when I read the Hunger games, then shortly after the movies came out. Those were some good books that I just flew through. Same with twilight, only I read the books after watching the first movie.
The film for me gave one of the best cinematic performances with Effie trinket. She is my favorite character.
Her goodbye in mockingjay always gets me
I never read the books, but I sure as heck enjoyed the movies. Except for Mockingjay part 1, huge L in my opinion for them splitting Mockingjay into two parts but oh well, they were following the part 1 and part 2 train
I think an extended runtime like songbirds and snakes would have been the best of both worlds. Then release an extended cut like lotr
@@TheWritersBlockOfficial i think you're onto something
I always thought them not explicitly bringing up the fact that Lucy Gray never showed back up was a weird choice LOL. There's no reason for that to be ambiguous, or try to make us believe that he possibly shot her. Her disappearing haunted him for the rest of his life. It wasn't nothing.
I love you for that Pagemaster reference 😭🫶🏽🥹
I LOVED Pagemaster growing up! 😅 ❤ great reference!
The pagemaster was one of my favorites growing up. Definitely underrated.
YES! This. I remember watching the movie and being flabberghast because I read the book. I was like: how could they downplay it like that? And when it came as a remix on the radio, I was so furious I made my mum turn it off. I think I spent 30 minutes discussing it with her. I think a lot of people are like Lawrence - it goes right over their heads. And if you've been to a club, they play a lot of dark songs there (I heard Linkin Park songs once, and there really is nothing cheery about that). Catchy lyrics, the memory of a battle and the epic portrayal in the movie were enough to make the remix a hit. I'm just so glad that it isn't on the radio anymore.
This is such an exceptional video, thank you
My pleasure! Im very passionate about writing and analyzing media, and its a joy to be able to share that with others
As a lover of Songbirds and Snakes (the movie) I can appreciate a critique of it and its faithfulness to the book (of which I haven't read). I feel like had they made the movie MORE about Snow and less about Lucy / Snow & Lucy as a pair, it would've been more impactful.
Listen, the Pagemaster will forever and ever be near and dear to my heart. It's brilliant
Love it!
Wow this was such an interesting analysis !!
Thank you!
Fun fact, I watched The Pagemaster almost every day one summer because it was the only movie we had other than Barney and no TV channels to keep my two little brother's ocupied when it was too hot to play outside.
I had to refresh my memory, but it’s the pagemaster and I definitely watched it as a kid lol
I usally hate the shaky camera. I know it's supposed to make the audiance feel like there in the situation, but mostly I find it annoying. In the first hunger games it never was annoying. There are a few things that I wished he would have done otherwise, like let the audiance see what the games demand physical. After a few days there are no more perfect hairstyles and almost clean clothes. The other situation - I actually don't want to say it, because it's the meme of the movie - is Peters camouflage. I think there would been much more better ways to portrait it. Thank you for the analysis. I like your perspective and will now watch the The Witcher vs Lord of the Rings.
Thank you! And lol yeah the camoflauge looks like Bootstrap Bill in the pirate trilogy when he literally becomes part of the ship...
I think something that should also be notes in the movie made Lucy the main character or an equally main character as Snow the whole time. Where in the book we as the reader are in Snow mind watching him change and grow and seeing how because the person we know. As we start loving him as a character Snow is who it’s about. And we don’t actually get that much Lucy which made the movie as an adaptation fall short for me.
Yeah. I liked Rachel Ziegler's performance (aside from the accent which felt just a bit cartoonish IMO) but the push to make her a dual protagonist really messed with the messaging and vibe that the book intended. It's too omniscient of a perspective, whereas all of Suzanne Collins's books (at least hunger games books) are about being trapped in one perspective
13:01 I hadn't noticed the thing about the camera angles while in the theater! I feel like it could've been utilized so much better, like filming the capitol people from below to show that we (the audience) are below them in class or stature or whatever, but when switching from the other capitol students to Coryo it switches to viewing him from above (to show that we know he's of lower class in the capitol even though the others don't know it), and similarly view the tributes and Lucy Gray and District 12 at eye level or above depending on the tone of the scene. Then throughout the film as Snow starts climbing the ladder and raising in class, we start viewing him from below eye level to show the change in perspective/class/how he sees himself as above people now, for the final dramatic shot at the end to be us basically at his feet or kneeling below him
For all the reasons you meantioned, that's why I love the first Hunger Games so much. The shakines during fights, the intimacy with Katniss and Gale, the awkwardness or Katniss and Peeta, it all works together perfectly to get the idea of what Katniss feels and thinks; something the later movies fail to do
I personally liked the inclusion of showing us more of the games. For a movie it makes sense, as they gotta keep the audience engaged. Plus it’s part of the Hunger Games franchise so people are going to want to see some actual “games” being played. But I also found the violence to be horrifying and it left a huge impact. The fighting was messy, sloppy, ruthless, and even one of the Capitol kids were sick just watching it. I think it conveyed just how awful these games were pretty well.
I'd fallen off the hunger games books/movies in the lull between them but this video really pushed Songbirds & Snakes up in my to read list. And honestly the movie as well because even a less good adaptation can still be worth watching ahaha. I also found Catching Fire to be my favourite of the adaptations - though I was already poised to like it given it ended up being my favourite of the books too, I'm a sucker for 'things going on in the background that the POV character doesn't catch - but I think this video also gave me some more appreciation for WHY. And also why the first movie was great too!
I just rewatched The Pagemaster about a month ago. Such an underappreciated movie!
I haven't watched TBOSAS yes so I can't speak on it. I didn't read the book when it came out and finally caved in before the movie release. I ended up liking more than I thought, but not enough to go pays for a movie ticket. I am however really attached to this universe and these characters, the movies came out when I was a teen and I am to this day a huge fan of the books. I struggle to keep my thoughts organized/explain things so whoever reads this please bear with me, I hope it makes sense. I think you hit the nail on the head on Francis Lawrence's problem being that he adapts too literally. I always thought he adapts in the most "obvious" way possible. It worked for Catching Fire because the whole book is about a grandiose spectacle and seeing the glitz and glamour of the Capitol. I love MJ1 because here the obvious adaptation and bunker aesthetic works as well. I've always disliked MJ2 because of that exact reason. It looks like a generic war movie, and strips away what I thought was the most striking about the Capitol assault, which is the depiction of the Capitol itself with all its colours, in the midst of which chaos takes place. Nothing in that movie looks like what I pictured, which I know is normal, but what I mean here is that it's unrecognizable to me. I hate that they filmed it in real world locations that are distinguishable. It's all terribly drab and grey in the movie. Tbh the worst part about that movie was the butchering of the ending and the absence of exploration of Katniss' trauma, but that it another discussion. From what I have seen, I feel like Ballad focused on being a big blockbuster and while again, that worked for Catching Fire, it's not the best approach for this particular story.