Summary
- “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” provides intriguing backstories for characters like Tigris, expanding the world of the Hunger Games franchise.
- The film explores President Snow’s pre-presidential life, including his involvement in the tenth Hunger Games and his time in District 12.
- Tigris’ character evolves throughout the film, with her final line hinting at her growing disapproval of her cousin and foreshadowing her future as a rebel in “Mockingjay: Part 2.”
The newest film in The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, has introduced some very interesting backstories for characters that the original trilogy already introduced, including the rebel and President Snow’s cousin, Tigris. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy and follows Coriolanus Snow as he becomes a mentor during the tenth Hunger Games and forms a close relationship with his tribute, District 12’s Lucy Gray Baird. The new movie stars Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Hunter Schafer, Peter Dinklage, and Viola Davis. It is based on a book of the same name by Suzanne Collins.
While much of the film focuses on Coriolanus and his relationship with Lucy Gray, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes succeeds at fleshing out the Panem of the past. Audiences get to see the everyday life of President Snow long before he was president, including his role in the tenth Hunger Games and his time spent in District 12 as a peacekeeper. However, one of the most interesting aspects of Snow’s life the film explores is his home life. Coriolanus lives with his grandmother and his cousin Tigris. As a result, audiences are able to see more about Mockingjay: Part 2’s rebel.
Tigris’ Final Line In Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Sets Up Her Rebel Future
Though Tigris plays the role of supportive cousin and fashionable young woman throughout The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, one of the most significant parts of her character is her growing realization that Coriolanus may not be as heroic as he seems. This is shown especially well by her final line in the film. Coriolanus has just returned to the Capitol as a free man after getting Sejanus killed in District 12 and attempting to kill Lucy Gray as well. After getting dressed in a sharp suit, Tigris tells her cousin that he looks just like his father, who was very much not a good man.
Ultimately, Tigris’ line shows her growing disapproval of her cousin. Earlier in the film, after Coriolanus kills a tribute, Tigris tells him that he doesn’t have to be like his father and that he can be good. Therefore, when she tells him he looks like his father at the end of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, she is saying that he has changed into the evil man his father was. Tigris’ feelings towards her cousin hint at her future. In Mockingjay: Part 2, Tigris appears as an older woman and a rebel, who gives Katniss refuge so that she can continue taking down Snow.
Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Makes Tigris A Bigger Character In Mockingjay 2
Tigris’ role in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes makes her part in Mockingjay: Part 2 much more important. Before, Tigris was nothing more than a stepping stone on Katniss’ journey to defeat Snow, but now, her part has a deeper meaning. The new movie lays the groundwork for how Tigris turned into a rebel, making her appearance in Mockingjay: Part 2 make more sense. Now, audiences have a better understanding of Tigris and what she made her turn on her cousin long before he became the oppressive president in the original The Hunger Games.
