may the odds be ever in your favor
“The whole world is an arena,” says Coriolanus Snow as he reflects upon the Hunger Games.
our world, an arena
In Panem, citizens of the Districts are randomly chosen in annual Reaping ceremonies to decide who will be playing in the deadly Hunger Games. This is parallel to the lottery of birth, in which some are arbitrarily born into poor socioeconomic circumstances with virtually no chance out. To draw this parallel between Panem and our world further, people in the Capitol rejoice as they watch players cry and bleed in the arena, similar to the desensitization of issues regarding inequality in status quo.
In an ecosystem of hatred and classism and privilege, are we really that distinguishable from the world of Panem? We ignore pressing issues when we’re comfortable in our own hemispheres of the globe. We banish the innocent if it benefits the privileged, and we turn away from those who are struggling helplessly. We are fighting against each other neck to neck in our own death games, whether that’s for academic titles, career goals, or global dominance.
Songbirds & Snakes is a wake up call, reminding us of broken systems, class discrimination, morality and truth.
songbirds & snakes
As Lucy Gray points out in the film, we are all born good and have a choice to cross the line between good and evil. But what’s good and evil? I can do something good for myself but evil for others. I can do something bad for myself but for the good of others. I can do something and it will always be controversial when people see it through their own unique lenses.
In the movie, Snow is hungry to win the lucrative Plinth prize so that he can financially support his family and cover tuition for the University. He does everything—breaks Capitol rules, kills, and rats out his best friend. But in his eyes, he hasn’t crossed any line. He’s supporting his family, and making a name for himself while making his father proud. He’s a songbird — but to others, he’s metamorphosed into a snake.
At the end of the film, Dr. Gaul asks Snow, “What are the games for?”, initiating a conversation about the Games. Following that, she asks him, “and what are you?” He responds, “I am the victor.”
Is crossing the line of morality the only way to succeed in this world?
some other, happier notes
did this movie disappoint? NO. I liked it a lot.
though initially, my friend and I shared in our worry that the movie would take a dramatic turn and become a Disney musical. In the beginning, after Lucy Gray heads on stage and gets hit down by a soldier, she starts singing out of nowhere — likeee IS THIS GIRL OK? It’s giving... high school musical. It’s giving musical, not movie(?)
but anyway, like always, the hunger games movie twisted my heartstrings. I wanted to puke and close my eyes shut and tape my eyes open to watch the movie, all at the same time. And in those warm, wholesome moments, I wanted to soak up the movie into my whole being. I love a good movie that makes me feel a sine wave of emotions and makes me ponder about the film’s meanings and symbols present in it.
also the buzzcut 🤭🤭🤭 GORL
-elaine
