Babylon (2022)is another scorcher from director Damien Chazelle. Creator of critically acclaimed movies La La Land and Whiplash, Chazelle ventures into Hollywood history with the Golden Age epic Babylon, a 1920s period drama. Detailing the world of Hollywood at its most over-the-top, revealing, and often darkest in the chaos following silent films as it was about to become talkies.
Babylon is the type of sprawling narrative with lavish sets, eccentric characters, and a frenetic pace which seems appropriate for the often chaotic natureof the film industry itself. In the end, it is a movie about the spectacle of Hollywood but limits are not pulled and it opens up a Pandora’s box behind the silver screen.
Plot Overvew
The Early Years in Turn Of The Century Hollywood is anything but a straight story.
Babylon immerses us in the fast and loose life of 1920s Hollywood, when silent films ruled and the town was rapidly changing. Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt), a silent film star in the twilight of his career, is our hero; Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie), an actress on the rise who sees visions of grandeur ahead; Manny Torres (Diego Calva), our diamond-in-the-rough from below-the-line.
In the meantime Jack Conrad is finding that Hollywood wants to move into sound, leaving him at a career crossroads. But young, feisty Nellie isn’t going to give up on stardom without a fight. On the other hand, Manny is caught in the vortex of Hollywood’s cycle high and low while he attempts to maintain his morality as he swims through the excesses and corruption of filmmaking.
Over the course of the movie, we see these people rise and fall in what is essentially a story about how Hollywood was transforming. Yet others saw the transition from silent films to talkies as a pivotal moment; one that some could navigate successfully, acquiring a new kind of acting (think Herbert Marshall), while for others it spelled inevitable decline.
Hollywood’s dark side
Babylon is more than just a love letter to the allure of old Hollywood; it also delves into its seedy underbelly. And yet the film not only addresses ideas like excess, addiction, and how your glow can burn out oh so quickly (and is always in service of someone else’s shine), it also (and I thank God for this) includes pretty straightforward home movie footage where Whit fills a bowl with candy or kids make some greeting cards. And Chazelle does not shy away from the hedonism and moral decay that so often defined this period in movie history.
The film sees the gifts of fame—glamorous careers, exotic locations space auctions off as luxury train stray ornaments now dull or polished clear voids not seen through plain frosted glass—the dizzying ascent to stardom and the jarring plummet to being forgotten (marked only by a mysterious empty coffin) and replaced when something new comes along. Nellie’s drive to become a name in light is indicative of Hollywood’s never-ending chase for success — often at the expense of sanity. Beneath the camaraderie of this woven-knit family, Jack’s demise epitomizes obsolescence and despair in an industry that reveres youth and novelty.
As an outsider, Manny is a veritable lens for the audience from which to glimpse into this other world. His story is both aspirational and crushing, after all, we quickly learn that the heady allure of sadness the magic of Hollywood comes at a cost. It is in this that we see the other side of the coin, as much fleshed out by Manny, and see a very real cost to what goes into keeping the lights on and cameras rolling.
Babylon makes for a scathing critique of how the Hollywood machine grinds people into dust so casually, personal demons and morals sacrificed in the name of making it big. Chazelle doesn’t let anyone off easy. Which is a tale perhaps all too actionable, even now, in the 1920s of Hollywood.
The Performances Shine Bright Lorem Ipsum
There are plenty of remarkable performances in Babylon. As Jack Conrad, is played by Brad Pitt and he gives a layered performance as a man who once knew the height of fame but may now have given in to utter obscurity. Pitt brings a mix of charm and pathos to the role, which results in Jack being one of the film’s more complexcharacters.
Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) is the fiery presence on screen. She is electrifying in her portrayal of an actress so desperate to make it that she will take any measure necessary. Robbie’s ill-fated performance as the embodiment of old-time Hollywood chaos, Nellie, is combustible and compelling.
He is of course the heart of District 10, you can read what our own Diego Calva had to say about that ANGUAGE here. Calva adds depth and sincerity to the character, who is so often trying to find a balance between his dreams and his morality. The most human factor of the film is Manny’s journey, as he loses his starry-eyes which might be the epitome of Hollywood.
The rest of the ensemble — featuring performers like Jean Smartas gossip columnist Elinor St. John and Jovan Adepo as musician Sidney Palmer — provides more depth to the story. Smart, specifically, does a stand-out job in her part, recognizing the ebb and flow of fame.
Direction and Cinematography: Visual Treat
However, the direction in Babylon by Damien Chazelle could not be better. Chazelle shows on more than one occasion how exhausting it would have been to film a giant Hollywood musical like this, and his world can be both breathtaking and messy. The excess and opulence of the era are best captured through Linus Sandgren’s cinematography, from lavish Hollywood parties to grand film sets.
There is a wildly quirky energy to the way Phantom Thread looks — fidgety edits, swooping pans, and saturated colors that seem ready to overwhelm with their vibrancy. The party is one of numerous such scenes in the film and beautifully sets up the chaos that Huisman will be navigating from there on out, but the opening beat-out above all is a sequence where filmmaker Jeroen Kool checks every box for controlled pandemonium. Chazelle deftly juggles between the grandeur of Hollywood’s golden age and the smaller character moments, creating a movie that is both epic in its scale as well as personal in its storytelling.
Justin Hurtwitz provides the Oscar-winning score that helps to immerse you in this frenetic time with blending orchestral jazz. In moments of triumph, the music swells and in moments of introspection, it quiets itself down to make an impact on an emotional level.
Conclusion: An Empty Love-Letter Back Bite
But this is a movie that flies the flag for you-begin-with-style Hollywood with just one hand while it raises an eyebrow with the other, saying, YYY? Damien Chazelle has delivered an immersive tour de force that places all the glitz and foment of a bygone era of Hollywoodright in front us. A character-driven drama that is also a visual spectacle, Babylon shows you Pitt and Margot Robbie as well as Diego Calva at their best.
Whilst not agnostic to the more somber underbellies of what Hollywood can entail, it’s also a love letter to the artistry and fervor that has been all but synonymous with the industry across generations. For students of film, and fans of history, Babylon is a great watch.
Film is often text-heavy, but that just keeps us from the action; whether you adore golden-age Hollywood or love a solid character-driven drama, Babylonis a must-see. It is a very messy, pretty thing that will break your heart and give you life — just like the entertainment industry.
