I don't like the first movie much but I do really like the book, so I haven't watched the first film more than the once that showed me that other than Jennifer Lawrence I thought the first film was pretty terrible.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS JUST IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN A FILM FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO:
In the first book though the bodies were picked up not too long after the tribute died, because, for example, Katniss is trying to take the bow and arrows from one of the career tributes while tracker jacker (mutated wasp) stings are causing Katniss to hallucinate that the body is swelling and oozing even as she tries to shield it from the waiting hovercraft until she can get the bow and arrows she desperately needs off the body. On the other hand, she braids flowers in Rue's hair before the hovercraft takes Rue's body away, but the book also suggests that at long as Katniss is there with Rue being rebellious the cameras are going to be elsewhere.
As someone else pointed out the first movie was really pushed for time although I wish it had cut out a lot of the scenes of commentators like Caesar Flickerman or the game planners, but frankly they seemed to be there to help make the film more acceptable to younger audiences and break up the tension, but although I know there are people in these message boards who are full of "I saw Hell Raiser when I was six and I wasn't scared" I think some things just aren't suitable for small children (and I'd put The Hunger Games books and certain events from world history, and current events, and horror movies, and the works of Richard Adams in there).
In the second film, and book, even the entertainment-mad Capitol audience is horrified that their favorites, including Katniss, Peeta and Finnick, are going back into the games. The point is made a bit more strongly in the book perhaps but the Caesar Flickerman show right before the games where Katniss' wedding dress turns into the Mockingjay outfit has clips of the District 1 tributes and Caesar Flickerman talking about how the public came to love them, and Finnick talking directly to the camera about his love (which apparently a great many people in the Capitol think is directly to them, but is really about Annie).
The point here is that the game planners wouldn't want the bodies of the Capitol's favorites lying around a long time for cameras to catch under those circumstances, particularly when they include the very old and incapacitated as well as the very much favored by the Capitol. The idea is to keep the Capitol revved up by gladiatorial bloodshed, while reminding the Districts of the penalties of rebellion, which has already broken out in one of the Districts. The only dead body the Capitol, or the Capitol as represented by President Snow, at any rate, really has anything to gain by dwelling on, is Katniss', and of course they don't get it. (yay, Katniss).
The books are good. Books are always better than the film. At least they got Jennifer Lawrence, yay Jennifer Lawrence.
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