Action, Representation, and Film Form in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds
and Snakes (2023)
Assignment 3 A
Isabella Meade
VISA 1500
Professor Terryl Atkins
November 27, 2025
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) extend the Hunger Games franchise
through a visually dense and politically charged action narrative. This paper examines an
action sequence from the film: the arena scene where the Capitol releases genetically
modified snakes; creating chaos and fear. This scene showcases the editor’s use of shifting
camera perspectives, and visually loaded mise-en-scène to create suspense and highlight
power differences between characters. Using one screenshot I captured from the scene, I
analyse how the film constructs action and representation.
The scene I captured takes place in the 10th annual Hunger Games arena. Lucy Gray
is centered in the photo. She is positioned on top of a pile of rubbage elevating her. Behind
her, the arena’s architecture is visible; a circular pit-like structure with a harsh industrial
design. The tall concrete walls enclosing the tributes emphasize surveillance and control. The
roof of the building is destroyed allowing lots of overhead light to come in behind her. There
is a warm tone to the scene giving it somewhat of a vintage older effect. There is low
saturation and vibrance to the background of the scene. However, the foreground is filled
with snakes “creating a multi coloured sunburst in the dust”. 1 Lucy is wearing her mom’s
1 Collins, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Page 283
colourful dress, the skirt is ruffled in colours and her corset is decorated with snakes and
flowers. Lucy is waist deep in the snakes as they slither up her body leaving just her yellow
and blue corset visible. Lucy is singing directly into the camera, so that she is singing to all
the capitol. 2 You can see that Lucy is visibly upset and beaten up after fighting for her life. 3
Mark Yoshikawa is the editor of Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. In the one minute
video of the snake scene Mark made 16 cuts. However, 12 of those cuts feel invisible. Shots
that transition between settings or shift from close-up to wide-angle revealing the whole
screen are the only cuts that are noticeable. The video starts with different points of views of
Lucy, showcasing the snakes slithering up her body, while she sings. It starts with two
medium shots, following with a wide enduring shot of the whole arena behind Lucy. The
setting then shifts to the Capital with a close up of Snow looking at the television watching
Lucy. There is a series of faster cuts showing all the reactions of the people in the Capital,
including Dr. Volumnia Gaul’s. The setting changes back to Lucy as the song starts to pick
up and she notices the camera. A two second clip shows the camera then back to Lucy, but
this time on the TV in the Capital. Following with a seamless cut into a medium shoot of her
to a close up on the TV. They show a close up of Snow, listen to Lucy then quickly transition
to a close up of Lucy’s face. 4
The camera movements are all seamless and feel natural. This film uses some
modern action cinema and the constant change in their point of view helps build tension. I
believe Mark edited well to the pace of Lucy’s singing, creating a suspenseful, heartfelt, and
non-violent scene.
2 Montero, Multimodal Discourse Analysis P.12 to 14
3 Montero, Multimodal Discourse Analysis Page 19 for audience impact page 12 to 14 for film
4 Bordwell, Intensified Continuity Revisited
Hollywood action films often reinforce hierarchical power structures and present
marginalized characters as under-resourced but resilient. Hunger Games is a perfect example
of this. Lucy Gray’s vulnerability as a tribute highly contrasts with Snow’s elevated position
and safety. Capitol characters are diverse in race and gender just like the Districts but they are
shown as dominant, organized, and technologically advanced. 5 District Tributes are between
the ages of twelve to eighteen. They are resourceful, but placed at a structural disadvantage.
Tributes rely on agility, quick thinking, and survival instincts, while Capitol characters rely
on technology and systemic control. 6
The tenth Hunger Games arena is a small, circular, high-visibility space with broken
concrete and no exits, heightening tension. Snakes act as controlled weapons, reinforcing the
Capitol’s dominance. The environment functions like a character, chaotic and dangerous,
echoing Hollywood action tropes.
It was considered a “win for Lionsgate” because of its lower cost and decent global
earnings. 7 Compared to earlier Hunger Games movies, its box office was much lower. 8 The
opening weekend was not as strong as the franchise’s earlier installments. 9 The Ballad of
Songbirds and Snakes made $44,607,143 on opening. The domestic total was $166,350,594
which accounts for about 46% of overall viewing, and the worldwide gross was
$361,791,134. 10
5 Yvonne, Spectacular Bodies Chapter 1 and 6
6 Mazières, Menêzes, and Roth, Computational Appraisal Pages 8-10
7 McPherson, Global Box Office Heads for Victors’ Village
8 Malhotra, Hunger Games Franchise Hits Major Box Office Milestone
9 Rubin, ’Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Nears $100 Million
10 Box Office Mojo, Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
This film raises your awareness and questions about power, control, and political
violence. The viewers may become more aware of society’s inequalities and this film may
highlight these inequalities in their real lives as well. This style of dystopian action shows
how stylized action sequences can desensitize audiences or normalize spectacle. 11
In conclusion the Arena Snake Attack scene uses mise-en-scène through its cold,
harsh overhead lighting, and the contrast between sleek Capitol uniforms and the Tributes’
plain clothing to show power imbalance. The editing heightens tension with close-ups of fear,
and wide shots that emphasize the Capitol’s total control over the event. The film’s action
contributes to broader reflections on power, politics, and viewer response. These methods
follow typical Hollywood action-film conventions.
11 Montero, Multimodal Discourse Analysis P. 19
Bibliography
Bordwell, David. “Intensified Continuity Revisited.” Observations on Film Art (blog), May
27, 2007. Accessed November 25, 2025.
https://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2007/05/27/intensified-continuity-revisited/.
davidbordwell.net
Box Office Mojo. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023).” Box
Accessed November 25, 2025.
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt10545296/?ref_=bo_tt_tab#tabs.
Collins, Suzanne. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. New York: Scholastic Press, 2020.
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Songbirds & Snakes.” Collider, November 22, 2023. Accessed November 25, 2025.
https://collider.com/hunger-games-franchise-global-box-office-3-billion/. collider.com
Mazières, Antoine; Telmo Menêzes; and Camille Roth. “Computational Appraisal of Gender
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McPherson, Chris. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ Global Box
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collider.com
Montero, Melvin. “Multimodal Discourse Analysis of a Film Trailer: The Hunger Games:
Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” Accessed November 25, 2025.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Melvin-
Montero/publication/381403850_Multimodal_Discourse_Analysis_of_a_Film_Trailer_The_
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Tasker, Yvonne. Spectacular Bodies: Gender, Genre, and the Action Cinema. London:
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Rubin, Rebecca. “’The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Nears $100 Million Globally. Is It
Enough to Justify More ‘Hunger Games’?” Variety Australia/New Zealand, November 20,
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