After it briefly showcased a sympathetic side to the character, a psychologist is sharing why Coriolanus Snow transformed into a villain in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Based on Suzanne Collins’ 2020 novel of the same name, the movie was set during the 10th annual тιтular event and saw a younger version of Snow, played by Tom Blyth, as he mentored District 12 Tribute, Lucy Gray Baird. While his affection for Baird nearly put him on a brighter path, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes‘ ending would see him begin his villainous rise.

In a YouTube video uploaded by Cinema Therapy, licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright unpack Coriolanus Snow’s villainous change in the Hunger Games prequel. Decker explains that while Snow genuinely cares for Lucy Gray Baird, it’s “a tug of war between self-interest and compᴀssion.” In the movie, Snow is also trying to survive during the game, so instead of using his friend Sejanus Plinth’s vouch for basic human rights to vouch for the tributes, he utilizes it to change the rules of the game that benefit him. Check out what he said below:

He’s initially motivated by self-interest, well, and for his family, but he does take a special interest in Lucy Gray. This is a case of him seeing a kindred spirit. She is also poor. She is also starving. She is also struggling, and he wants to do right by her. So far, [Snow is] a pretty compᴀssionate character, but this is going to start this tug of war between self-interest and compᴀssion. And it’s not going to go well by the end of the movie.

Coriolanus has his best friend lobbying for the basic human rights for these Tributes, and Coriolanus sees here an opportunity, and this is his Achilles heel in terms of morality, is that he’s an opportunist — “We should get the audience to care about these young people, but not for their benefits, not to save them, but so I can get the Plinth Prize. So I can stand out and make the game more successful.” This is what happens when you create an environment where everyone’s every action is just about survival.

Decker points out that when Snow reveals to Tigris that he feels powerful after having to kill a Tribute, and while he agrees with most of Tigris’ responses, he stresses that it eventually comes down to the choices that Snow makes from this point on. Compared to the Star Wars prequel trilogy, the psychologist thinks that the Hunger Games prequel tells a better Anakin Skywalker story. Read his comment below:

What Tigris is trying to do is what I would do in therapy. I mean, she goes straight for, “In your father’s eyes, there was hate. Don’t become your father. People can be good. You can be good.” I would echo some of that, but the question I would ask Coriolanus in this moment is, “Okay, so you recognize and acknowledge this dyad of feeling, that you feel horrified about what you did and what happened, but you also feel powerful. The real question is what do you do with that?” … The greatest truth I can share with anybody is, you are who you choose to be.

Coriolanus has several voices, you know, several people that he listens to. He’s got Lucy Gray, who, even though she’s a victor, even though she’s been in the freaking Hunger Games, she still remains as much innocence and decency as she can. Not because she’s naive, but because she clings to it. And then he’s got Tigris, his cousin, who believes in the innate goodness of people. And then, there’s a third woman, the Gamemaker, and for whatever reason, he connects more with her.

What The Psychologist’s Comment Means For Snow

He Made His Own Choices

While there are a lot of factors that contribute to Coriolanus Snow’s moral deterioration in the prequel, the psychologist highlights how his personal choice determines which direction he’ll go. In the same video, Seawright also explains that the reason Snow chooses to listen to the Gamemaker instead of the other women in his life is because he ᴀssociates Dr. Gaul with a path to success and power.

Listening to Dr. Gaul will not only help him survive, but also allow him to live in comfort, and he’s willing to let go of his compᴀssion and love. Both Tigris and Lucy Gray have faced similar situations, but they didn’t make the same choices. The psychologist’s comment also offers an interesting insight into Snow’s journey in terms of what he chooses and what he gives up as he becomes the man he’s meant to be at the end of the Hunger Games prequel.

Our Take On Coriolanus Snow Vs. Anakin Skywalker

Coriolanus Snow’s Arc Solves A Few Anakin Mysteries

Coriolanus Snow has a very similar arc to Anakin Skywalker. However, the Star Wars prequel didn’t really offer a clear explanation as to why Anakin continues to serve the dark side after Padme is gone. His main reason for joining the Dark Side was to save her, and it’s understandable that Anakin becomes disillusioned with the politics of the Jedi Order, and he’s angry at Obi-Wan Kenobi. However, it doesn’t fully explain what he really wants with the Dark Side of the Force.

What’s lacking from the Star Wars prequels is Anakin’s seeking for power, which is something that the Hunger Games prequel did very well with Coriolanus Snow, who similarly experienced love and heartbreak, loss and betrayal. They also make decisions that solely serve their own interests while sacrificing others’ lives. Through looking at Snow’s arc in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, why Anakin killed the younglings seems to finally have an answer.

Source: Cinema Therapy