by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer
With the creation of back-to-back Best Picture-nominated films, Whiplash and La La Land, director Damien Chazelle certainly made a name for himself in a big way. Especially seeing as one of those films appeared to have won Best Picture for all of five minutes. Because of this, rightly or wrongly, Chazelle has seemingly cemented himself as a must-see creative force in the film world. I’ll even admit my bias in that this new film of his has been my most anticipated film of the year, with a bullet. If Chazelle is writing and directing a picture, it’s time to take notice. This feels even more necessary with his latest film about old Hollywood itself, and the dirty behind-the-scenes world of movie making. Awards implications abound.
Babylon is an exhilarating and relentless rollercoaster of debauchery. It is grotesque and vile in the best and worst ways, and it doesn’t give a damn if you like it or not. This dark and twisted reimagining of Singin’ in the Rain opts not to focus on the Don Lockwoods and Kathy Seldons of the world, who were able to thrive in the transition to talkies, but instead showcases damaged characters who didn’t make it. With the shiny veil of Hollywood having been destroyed in Chazelle’s eyes, he’s here to spew his venom and vitriol towards a system that chews up and spits out victims. And although the daunting runtime and unbridled excess will be a detriment for many, and the film is certainly a scathing indictment of Old Hollywood, it’s also a beautiful train wreck that you can’t look away from, and a passionate love letter to film as a medium.
Babylon follows six individuals, three of them with heavier focus, as they navigate Old Hollywood through the late 1920s and into the early ‘30s as we transition from the silent film era to talkies. Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) is a silent film legend known for his bravado and classic good looks, but after 20 years in the game, he is now reaching the twilight of his career. Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) is a vulgar and brash Jersey girl, who is willing to do anything to get her shot at being in the movies. Manuel ‘Manny’ Torres (Diego Calva)is a Mexican immigrant in awe of the movie world, and everyone involved in it, who just wants to see a movie set. Additionally, we follow Elinor St. John (Jean Smart) a trade critic and columnist who follows the Hollywood scene, Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo), who is a talented jazz trumpeter looking to make the most out of his career, as well as Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li), a cabaret singer, model, and writer of silent film intertitles. These complex and insane characters have to learn to adapt, as their ambitions clash with the evolving world around them.
When I say that these characters are insane and that this movie is a roller coaster of debauchery, I’m not messing around. I’m going to state this up front because I want to make sure expectations are properly set. If you cannot get on board this crazy train, you will not like this film. Because its disgusting and grotesque nature will be the biggest point of contention for most people. To put things into perspective, you will see an elephant’s butthole open up as it defecates all over multiple characters, and the camera. You will see a woman giving a man a golden shower. And these things happen within the first five minutes of the movie. This is a three-hour picture. These kinds of shenanigans happen throughout the entire film. It’s a wild ride of excess and graphic content like you would not believe. There’s non-stop drug use, alcoholism, people fighting in cages, and orgies all over the place. That’s the ride you’re in for. You’re either on board for it or you’re not, and the movie doesn’t care if you’re ready for it. So if this does not sound like your cup of tea, that’s totally fine. Babylon is not for you. But if you can temper yourself for the insanity that’s to come, the deeper places this film goes to makes this a ride worth taking.
Chazelle has a lot on his mind going into this picture. Maybe it’s the fact that he won the Academy Award for Best Picture for a few minutes before it was taken out of his hands. Maybe it’s the fact that when he directed a film that was not written by himself, it was largely snubbed and forgotten by critics, awards bodies, and neglected at the box office. It could possibly be that he saw people that he enjoyed working with getting disposed of by studios, or movie topics that he found fascinating being disrespected. Who knows exactly what it was that broke the camel’s back? It could be some of these things, or all of these things. But whatever it was, Chazelle is unhinged with Babylon. All of his resentment and anger has been poured into this screenplay, and into his directing. The way he’s tracking scenes in this film, coming up with framing compositions, getting performances out of his cast, and constructing every ounce of this picture is fascinating. It’s very clearly a labor of love, and it shows.
This energy transfers to the cast tremendously well. Pitt is fantastic as the debonair Errol Flynn-esque character. He has a sense of class to him that reeks of Old Hollywood, but it also gives off the sense of him being a giant douchebag. This energy extends to Robbie as well, who is mesmerizing in her kinetic fervor. Whether she’s dancing atop a bar, flashing her breasts, and crying on cue, or at a fancy dinner party in which she destroys the buffet while smearing food all over her face and vomiting on the host, she’s electric. Eccentric in the best way possible. These two performances are the sugary candy coating to this film, and worthy of awards recognition. But underneath the sugared coating, the heart of the movie belongs to Calva. It’s his journey as the behind-the-scenes forgotten soul that is manipulated by the system that’s so engaging. Even as he climbs to the top of the ladder, he’s still subjected to so much mistreatment. But it’s his emotional reaction at the end of this movie that brings everything together. His response to seeing the failures of his life amounting to the success of an industry that he loves is the crux of this entire experience. Everyone else in this ensemble is also doing a fantastic job supporting these three. From our secondary trio of stars in Smart, Adepo, and Li, to others such as Lukas Haas, Flea, and Samara Weaving, as well as an absolutely bananas performance from Tobey Maguire, they’re all so great. Seriously though, Maguire has to be one of the creepiest people you’ve ever seen in film, and one who’s in desperate need of a dentist. Ugh. Gross.
I will say that some of these characters seem to come out of nowhere, and that their stories don’t seem to matter in the grand scheme of things, but that’s part of the magic of this movie. Maguire’s character is the greatest example of this. While on the one hand, his story line is not necessary at all, on the other hand it’s integral to everything that Babylon is trying to say. There’s a darkness to every city, industry, and person that is sometimes hard to avoid. If you’re not actively fighting off your demons, this darkness will find you. What’s worse is the people that drag others into the darkness because they’re not capable of fighting it of themselves. It’s only those who can keep their heads above water, remain optimistic in the face of uncertainty, and support those around them that can survive. Unfortunately, almost every single person in this movie suffers from selfish delusions, and is unable to save themselves from their inevitable failures. These character deconstructions, mixed with the commentary on Hollywood, is a big part of the core of this film.
The final thematic aspect of this film firmly ties into Chazelle’s admiration for film as a medium. This goes back to the undeniable parallels to Singin’ in the Rain. It’s very clear this is Chazelle’s black comedy reimagining of that classic, honoring it, while picking it apart in his own unique way. The comparisons between Jack Conrad versus Don Lockwood are unmistakable. Nellie LaRoy splits between Kathy Selden and Lina Lamont. It all culminates in an emotional moment for Manny in which he sees the future of film. It’s a brilliant dissection of film, its purpose as a machine of empathy and source of entertainment, while also being aware of the fact that it is a business. A profession that can, and will, impact the quality of people’s lives. When all is said and done, Babylon seeks to point out that the juice is worth the squeeze. While the process may at times be horrendous, and the system may be ugly, the results are a medium of art that might just be the greatest ever created. Its impact on the world is immeasurable, whether it’s A Trip to the Moon, The Jazz Singer, Citizen Kane, Singin’ in the Rain, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Jurassic Park, or The Matrix. Film will continue to be an everlasting source of entertainment. We are better off due to its existence.
I will say that there is one element of this film that holds me back from feeling that this is perfection, and that’s a frantic series of insane edits in the closing minutes of the movie. While I understand that it only serves to drill home the message of the film, that filmmaking is destructive but the art is beautiful, the way it’s edited into the movie feels off-putting. It’s presented as though it’s a vision from one of our characters, so much so that it’s as if our character can see into the future, to see the existence of movies that haven’t been made yet. Then, it flashes back to our character smiling with their appreciation and understanding of film as a worldwide medium. I just don’t know how this insane montage of quick cuts, that looks more in line with a badly put together YouTube clip than an awards caliber feature film, from one of the greatest directors of our generation, helps to improve this film. If you were paying any amount of attention to this movie, then you understand the message without this manic editing job. Outside of this seizure-inducing sequence, this movie is a tremendous work of art.
Outside of the thematics, performances, screenplay, and direction, this movie is phenomenal on a technical level. In fact, I predict that Babylon will be nominated for, if not win, many technical awards this season. Although I didn’t care for that crazy sequence in the final few minutes, Tom Cross does a tremendous job as the editor. There are so many energetic sequences that he owns. One of my favorites was watching people learning how to film on a sound stage where the tension and edits keep ratcheting up. It all feels so kinetic with how it’s put together. Linus Sandgren is absolutely phenomenal as the cinematographer. How he bathes the opening mansion party in golden hues is gorgeous. The way he captures the sunset over a battlefield for a black and white silent film is tremendous. All of the art directors and set decorators should be commended for their work, as this movie perfectly revives the feel of 1920s Hollywood in the best way. I also absolutely loved the costumes. There were literally hundreds, no, thousands of them created for this picture. They’re all stunning. The makeup work and hairstyling goes along with the amazing costume work as well. In fact, the way this movie handles Robbie’s look and red dress through the opening mansion party is more than enough to secure some awards on its own. Justin Hurwitz also does a fantastic job as the composer behind the original score. The blending of hyperactive jazz music to match the energetic hustle-bustle of Hollywood with these somber and moving emotional swells to match the human moments is perfect. All around, the technical achievements throughout this movie are tremendous.
There will be many that do not like this, wanting to walk out after just a few minutes. But from my point of view, this is one hell of an ambitious project. A fantastic film that revels in revelry. A film that condemns excess, while showcasing how it thrives in the first place. But more than anything, it’s a film that showcases the magnetic beauty of film itself. Though the process may be repugnant, as an art form… it doesn’t get any better than this. If you can laugh at the elephant shit and golden showers, then you’re in for a treat. Because while this will go down as one of the most contentious films of the year, I would certainly say that Babylon should also go down as one of the best films of the year.
Score: 9/10
Babylon is currently playing in theaters
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