"I like you, Seneca. Be careful," (Ross) spoken by President Snow, are some of the most ominous words in The Hunger Games film. The dread of these words comes to life as Seneca Crane is taken to his execution. He is locked in an ornate room with a bowl of toxic nightlock berries. His only option is suicide. Shortly after, the movie cuts to President Snow in the gameroom. These two scenes work together to reveal both sides of the Capitol, thereby revealing the inner workings of President Snow as well. The Capitol is as multifaceted as a diamond. On one hand, it is full of lavishness and wealth. On the other, it demonstrates clinical simplicity. Even though it is this expansive, however, every action it performs is directed by President Snow. He truly is the Capitol embodied in one man. By looking at these scenes we can see the beauty the Capitol portrays to the Districts contrasted with its truly stark cruelty; this is important because it reveals the deceivingly totalitarian nature of the Capitol.
 
At first the room Seneca is left in seems to be a pleasant place. It is luxuriously decorated with wood paneled walls and marble floors. The marble also forms columns up the walls. The space is adorned with golden sconces and an embossed table with legs carved from two golden eagles. An elegant chandelier hangs in the center of the room, and a cluster of white roses, President Snow's personal symbol, is off to one side.  The Capitol seal is above the door. Even the bowl filled with deadly berries is beautifully shaped. The overall appearance of the room is that of a manor from history, although there are modern touches. The door is made of a metal reminiscent of stainless steel and is covered by small rectangular slats. The music at this moment does not fit the setting. It is futuristic and seems to be building up or counting down to an event. The window is shown briefly behind the berries, but it appears to have bars across it. The doors are locked as well. Even though this room is beautiful at first glance, it is definitely a prison. Seneca's face shows his emotions as he grasps the meaning of his situation. At first he thinks he is being rewarded, but he becomes confused when the doors are locked. When he sees the bowl, he curiously walks toward it. Upon seeing the berries, a look of horror spreads across his face. He has not been rewarded but given the ultimate punishment.

While the berry room revealed the Capitol's extravagant side, the gameroom portrays how methodical its operations are. The gameroom is devoid of emotion and appears very sterile. It seems to be underground and is illuminated only by artificial light. All the workers are dressed in white uniforms. It looks very polished and is free of clutter. It is undecorated, with its ample technology as its only boast. Although this room is very advanced, it is also extremely plain when compared to the berry room. Its shape is also unique. This scene begins from behind President Snow, providing an excellent view of its circular appearance. Since all of the screens are on one side, this at first is not understandable. However, this room is actually an arena shape, and all of the workers are beneath the standing platform that faces the screens. A few metal bars form a handrail. The orientation is from Snow's point of view, but the effect is the audience feels his dominion the way his subjects do. Also, the same musical piece from the scene with Seneca Crane has continued up to this point. As Snow begins to leave the room, however, it gains an eerie quality. It has also reached its climax, which lends itself to the idea that it has reached what it was building up to.
 
The primary significance of these scenes is that they highlight the defining characteristics of the Capitol. The room with Seneca is very ornate, which shows the projection Snow makes of the Capitol's appearance to the rest of the nation. Snow's disloyalty is displayed by its willingness to eliminate his own citizens. This scene shows that the Capitol also uses terror tactics on its people. Seneca is made to kill himself using the method that Katniss and Peeta would have used to defy the Capitol. In his last moments he is being shown his mistake and ridiculed for it. At the same time, President Snow is seemingly gracious. Although this is Seneca's execution, he is in a room made for a king. The Nightlock berries presented to him act quickly. He will not go through a long painful death. This scene also plays on the minds of the audience. At the time they see the berries, they are glad of the poetic justice of the scene. Seneca Crane is getting what he deserves for causing Katniss and Peeta such a horrible ordeal. At the same time, they realize how sadistic President Snow is by watching his methods of punishment.

Although Snow's symbol of white roses is proudly displayed in the room with the berries, it is not until they see him in the gameroom that the watchers realize the true evil has only begun to emerge. Seneca was just a puppet, and life in Panem is about to be much worse. In the gameroom, Snow has a look of arrogance and control. He is barely perturbed and not even flustered. He views the current situation as a minor setback that will easily be alleviated. He is portrayed standing in the shadows even though the rest of the room is well lit. When he turns his back on the gameroom, it shows his confidence that everything is in order, and the predicament will be resolved. It is also a strong statement that his back is to the audience as he leaves. Usually such a position lends itself to weakness or fear; in Snow's case, it only expands on his dominance. He turns with the appearance of one about to act, not as though a task has been completed. Although the conflict of the film seems to be ending, this simple action reveals that much worse is about to come for all the characters. Also the camera angle pans around Snow, showing every aspect of his figure. Although the gameroom is very familiar at this point in the movie, it is never the primary focus of the scene. All of these minor details in the screenplay show those watching Snow's character, and thereby the true identity of the Capitol.

The Capitol citizens do not realize they are being used, while those in the Districts starve to feed them. The Hunger Games are portrayed to all as a way of uniting Panem for a better future. Under this guise, the Capitol executes its decisions with an unemotional logic. It is loyal only to its goals and Snow's every whim. The elimination of Seneca Crane immediately followed by a focused view of President Snow reveals him as the only person controlling this massive machine. As Seneca planned the circumstances of the tributes, Snow plans the events of the entire nation. Although he is not always the one in the spotlight, he has always been the Head Gamemaker.


