The Hunger Games trilogy were some of the best movies there are. They captured the horror and excitement within the characters and storyline. The Hunger Games are based in the city of Panem, which has twelve districts. Each district holds a name drawing of one boy and one girl, those that are chosen are called tributes. Once you are a tribute, you participate fighting to the death in an arena that is nationally televised. Movies one through three are based on sixteen year-old Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, who participate in the 74th annual Hunger Games. While participating in the games, President Snow, age eighty-two, doesn’t like how outspoken and brave Katniss is. The games are meant to scare the people of Panem, so Katniss being fearless makes Snow view her as competition. Snow also shows his admiration for Katniss due to her reminding him of his previous lover, Lucy Gray.
The fourth movie of The Hunger Games is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel, which takes place during the annual 10th Hunger Games. Due to the time jump, President Snow is eighteen and a mentor for tribute Lucy Gray. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes captures themes of power, privilege, and the loss of innocence. The main purpose was to explore Snow’s origins and capture what the past games have looked like. The Snow family, known for their wealth, has fallen under hard times. This is when Snow decides to become a mentor for the games, as he can receive a prize to attend University, saving him from working a menial job. Realizing that he must make Lucy win, he decides to meet his tribute on the train arriving at the capital. When he realizes that Lucy is unimpressed, he attempts to make Lucy fall for him to try to win the games. Snow tells Lucy that he has killed people, but he doesn’t mention that one of the people was his old friend. Lying to Lucy, she feels that she must win the games on her own. Lucy Gray ends up winning the 10th annual Hunger Games, while Snow becomes a peacekeeper due to the capital finding out of his cheating natures. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a great movie, showcasing the sacrifices tributes have gone through.