“Babylon” Review
Margot Robbie (Center) swims in a sea of party-goers in Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon,” an historical epic set during the silent era of American cinema.
There’s a specific subgenre of films that I like to call “Garden of Eden pictures.” I first came up with this term when I heard Martin Scorsese talk about his film “Casino” in a biblical analogy, fitting considering his Catholic upbringing. When discussing the film, he compares the characters of Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone to Adam and Eve who were given this lavish paradise and were kicked out “because they blew it.” Since this story is over 5000 years old, we’ve seen versions of it over and over, especially in films.
When I think of Garden of Eden pictures, I think of “Boogie Nights,” “Scarface” and, to certain extents, the entire “Godfather” trilogy. “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” sees Hunter Thompson depict America being kicked out of Eden by abandoning the free love of the 1960s and “The Jerk” offers a much more comedic version of this story. Martin Scorsese has a trilogy of films that all are about the rise and fall of people living extravagantly with “Goodfellas,” “Casino” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” However, with all of these great movies taking on a story that has been around for as long as people have been telling stories, you can still string a yarn that stands out. Damien Chazelle, one of my favorite filmmakers, has done just that with “Babylon,” a triumphant film that dazzles you with so much excess while showcasing the nasty side of Hollywood.
Set over several years in the 1920s and 30s, “Babylon” tells the story of several remarkable people who love movies and want to be a part of the Hollywood machine. They include a film assistant named Manny Torres (Diego Calva) who moves up through the ranks of film production, a talented jazz trumpet player named Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo), triple threat performer Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li), rising star Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie), who Manny falls in love with, and Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt), who is the biggest leading man in the movies. As they navigate this magical Hollywoodland, they partake in the glamor and debauchery of the time with massive parties, heavy drug consumption and a lot of sex. However, as time goes on and “the talkies” arrive, the corruption of Hollywood takes hold of our characters with some of them selling their souls, others descending into their worst vices or, the worst fate of all, falling behind with the changing times.
Damien Chazelle is one of the best filmmakers to come out of the 2010s. If you haven’t seen his black-and-white musical marvel “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench,” you should watch it since it has led to three amazing films that have all inspired me. “Whiplash” is one of the most captivating films about pushing yourself to insane levels with Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons having one of the most complex student-teacher relationships in cinema. “La La Land” is a masterful musical that took Old Hollywood techniques and applied them to a modern day setting. “First Man’s” take on the biopic is incredible by showing Neil Armstrong in a more nuanced manner, peeling back the mask of heroism that America placed upon him.
As far as I’m concerned, “Babylon” has kept Chazelle’s record spotless. This film has absolutely polarized the critics and audiences and, while I completely understand why, that’s what I love about it. Chazelle does not play it safe with his script and the direction he takes it. I think the first ten minutes will let you know if you’re going to like this film or not. Let’s just say it involves an elephant, an orgy and a lot of cocaine with the elephant being the most normal part of this scenario. This film is debauched, depraved, profane and it relishes that.
Damien Chazelle has crafted a spectacle that rivals all of his other films. All of his previous work has had a kind of intimacy with the relationship between two people being centerstage. In “Whiplash,” it’s between Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons as a student and teacher at odds. In “La La Land,” it’s Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as this romantic couple with big dreams. In “First Man,” it’s Ryan Gosling again and Claire Foy as Neil and Janet Armstong. “Babylon” focuses on a much larger cast and is far more epic in every way which is saying something considering Chazelle’s previous film saw a man land on The Moon.
Since the film contains so much excess, Chazelle and director of photography Linus Sandgren (in his third collaboration with Chazelle) have made it their mission to showcase this incredible time in film history with some of the most dazzling visuals I’ve seen in a 2022 film. Utilizing Chazelle’s usual style of quick cuts to small details and long flowing takes that show off the environment the characters inhabit, the world of “Babylon” is intoxicating with massive sets, stylish costumes and a never-ending sense of flair.
Margot Robbie (Left) and Diego Calva bring a unique combination of scrappiness and elegance to their characters as they try to ascend through the studio system of Old Hollywood.
One scene, set during the height of the silent era, is composed of so much chaotic energy. Since there was no sound equipment and the best light they had was sunlight, “Babylon” shows a massive complex of sets and tents with twenty or more films being shot at the same time. While Jack Conrad is making a medieval epic, Nellie is getting her big break as a flirtatious floozie in a western and Manny is trying to hunt down supplies necessary for the completion of a picture. Along with so much partying and drugs to make Jay Gatsby and Jordan Belfort (both of whom were played by Leonardo DiCaprio) jealous, watching “Babylon” feels like you’re on this massive drug trip where everything seems magical. But then the trip is over and, for the rest of the film, you’re stuck looking at what this decadence is hiding.
Aiding “Babylon’s” epic tone is Justin Hurwitz who, once again, composes a magnificent score for a Damien Chazelle film (the two have been collaborating since the beginning). This jazz fueled musical odyssey combines class with debauchery in a way that is so pleasing. The track “Voodoo Mama,” which is used in the film’s opening party and in the film’s trailers, is so rambunctious and rhythmic that I’ve been listening to it nearly every day for weeks. In my mind, if there’s anyone who should be mentioned alongside greats like John Williams and Hans Zimmer, it’s Justin Hurwitz.
Navigating this insane world are some incredible characters with Brad Pitt continuing to amaze me in his performance as Jack Conrad. This Douglas Fairbanks-type stars in hit after hit but is looking for the next big thing, the way for the movies to be seen as high art. He views cinema as so important because of how it appeals to the common man. If fifteen thousand people see a play on Broadway, it’s a hit. In Hollywood, that’s a flop. However, as talkies come into play and Conrad thinks he’s found the thing that has been eluding him, he begins to realize that maybe this could be his undoing.
Alongside movie star Brad Pitt (Left), Diego Calva delivers a star-making performances as Manny Torres.
While Emma Stone was initially set to play Nellie LaRoy, she exited the film because of scheduling issues. I love Stone and would have loved to see her play this role, but Margot Robbie truly brought something unique to the role, a sense of attitude and mania that I can’t see anyone else having. What makes Nellie’s character so remarkable is just how much talent she has. She is able to cry on cue, she has the most profound energy and she knows how to work with directors. However, the transition to sound proves to be her undoing. While she struggles, and actually adjusts to, the concepts of blocking and working with sound, the constant modifications to her voice and the sophisticated persona she has to put on for these wealthy elite Hollywood pissants prove to be too much. She descends into drugs and becomes a tragic figure.
Nellie’s tragic direction also rubs off on Manny who finds himself rising through the studio system at the cost of his humanity. Manny loves Nellie and wants her to be happy and do what she loves but this goal gradually becomes at odds with his responsibilities for the studios. At first, executives want him to do what are eloquently called “fuck off assignments” like controlling psychotic extras or getting a camera, but gradually he starts to do more shady things. Eventually, Manny begins to do terrible things of his own free will. He wants so desperately to do something important that he begins to lose himself and the big dilemma of the film is whether he will come back to Earth.
While Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie’s roles continue to cement them as stars, Diego Calva’s performance ought to make him one. He’s captivating and essentially represents the audience as the wide-eyed outsider who becomes part of this world.
Other characters like Lady Fay and Sidney are faced with similar dilemmas. Should they betray themselves for fame or decide that they’re better than this? In many ways, they’re the most moral characters of the whole film and see through the bullshit that has been built to trick them. Even the film’s smaller roles are meaningful with a sympathetic producer and friend of Jack’s named Georgie (Lukas Haas), insufferable gangster James McKay (Tobey Maguire) and Ruth Adler (Olivia Hamilton), a passionate film director who launches Nellie’s career.
While the film has a massive dramatic weight to it, it’s also entertaining as a comedy. One of the funniest scenes I’ve seen all year comes after the talkie craze has taken root with Nellie and Ruth shooting a scene on a soundstage. Take after take there’s something that goes wrong and, with everyone still being new to sound, tensions rise with incredible comedic payoffs. And then there are the times where human lives are considered disposable. Remember hearing a story about how a stuntman died during the chariot scene in 1925’s “Ben-Hur?” Imagine if that happened and no one cared, they just kept moving on with production. It’s the perfect kind of dark humor.
What’s so comically tragic about all of this is that, despite being a work of fiction, these kinds of things did happen. Despite how crazy this period was, what’s even crazier was just how much room there was for diversity in this world. When you think of 1920s films, you don’t think that people of color could have substantial roles in the filmmaking process and that women could direct. However, with the invention of the Hays Code and the increased reliance on sound, all of that went away and American cinema is still struggling to get it back.
With “Babylon,” Damien Chazelle has now directed five incredible films, making him a star in today’s filmmaking scene.
Some filmmakers and historians, like Paul Schrader, have questioned the film’s historical accuracy, and I get their complaints. However, it’s important to know that this is historical fiction. Chazelle isn’t trying to tell a true story of things that happened in the silent era, he’s trying to use this time as a template to make a statement about the movie business. It’s a brilliant mirror that shows how ugly the studio system really is and how it makes people sell and twist themselves for a slice of immortality.
If I can think of weaknesses for “Babylon” it would be its length. Barely over three hours, it’s not the runtime of “Babylon” that bothers me, it’s the pacing. Most of the film has this riveting tension to it but the scenes without said tension do feel long and somewhat tedious, especially in the third act. However, it never got to the point where I was checking my watch. I desperately wanted to see where this film would lead and I was willing to wait, especially for the remarkable ending which takes you further than you thought the film could go.
If you thought that Damien Chazelle loved “Singin’ in the Rain” by watching “La La Land,” to quote Al Jolson, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet. There’s definitely a lot of parallels you could draw from the Gene Kelly musical to “Babylon” and the film even does some of that drawing for you. But this is a “Singin’ in the Rain” story that asks us to feel bad for Lina Lamont and for all the other people who loved this industry and who were forgotten by it. It’s a loving eulogy to all those that Hollywood has chewed up and spit out while also being a cautionary tale to those entering this field. If you’re looking for something epic in scale that entertains, then “Babylon” is it. As far as Garden of Eden pictures go, this is a piece of forbidden fruit that I want to taste a second time.
