Babylon is Chazelle’s magnum opus that promises so much and delivers on everything that it promises. An epic on the scale of “The Godfather”, “The Wolf Of Wall Street” or even some of Fellini’s best that showcases the grand shift in Cinema from the crazy silent era of film in the 1920s to the more elegant and proper talkie studio era of film beginning in the 1930s while also being an intimate love letter to the history that built the film industry to what it is today and the people who should not be forgotten. This film is both horny and touching as it balances the two concepts of the industry that sometimes mistreats its talent and the passionate artists who broke through the mold and helped push us forward as filmmakers. The pure insanity of that period of time and the interpersonal elements of those apart of it are shown equally. Like every Damien Chazelle film, he puts care into all the elements of the experience.
The first big element that is done to perfection is the acting. From a fantastic star making performance from Diego Calva as Manny to a career best performance from Margot Robbie as Nellie LaRoy, the acting in this film is off the charts. Margot Robbie is probably my favourite performance from the film because I love Margot but also this is probably her most complex and demanding performance in her career in my opinion. She proves how fantastic she is as an actor as the character of Nellie presents so much on the emotional spectrum. All the characters go through so much throughout the film, but I would admit that Nellie’s rise and fall as a beloved actress hit me harder than the character arcs of the others. I love. Nellie’s spirit and felt for her throughout the runtime and that couldn’t have been possible without a career best performance. Diego Calva’s performance was also standout in this film. Diego is an actor already, but this performance a career making one. You watch as Diego goes from a elephant handler, to a production assistant and finally peaks as a big head at the company who is making the shots. Diego gives such a human performance that culminates in a very suiting but also touching ending during the epic last scene during the ending 10 minutes. Nellie and Manny are the dreamers of the film and I found myself relating to them the most. They are similar to Mia and Sebastian as they are connected in a very spiritual way and that is partly because they both dream about being bigger in their respective artistic realms. Damien’s obsession with Jazz is present in the character of Sidney Palmer portrayed by Jovan Adepo who had a much bigger role in the original draft of the script but still gave a great performance in this film. One of the more soul shattering scenes is one pertaining to Sidney being asked to darken his skin to fit the other players in his band. You can see the shock and regret in his face as he is debating whether his career is worth it or not when he is asked. Sidney just wants to play jazz and bring joy to everyone, but realizes that the new what that the studio is approaching certain concepts is wrong as the world was moving into the 1930s and studios were shifting their morality to appease the masses. This same concept is seen in Li Jun Li’s performance as Lady Fay that is also a great example of the strength of the acting. Fay is clearly a Lesbian and has a relationship with Nellie at one point but is thrown to the wolves when the studio moves into the 30s and queerness is not very “chic” anymore. Her role was bigger in the script also, but she does a fantastic job with what she is given. Brad Pitt’s performance as Jack Conrad is one that emulates many actors careers. As the world moves towards talkies, Jack is seeing his career shift in a way that he is not comfortable with. This is further exaggerated with the existence of Jean Smart as a critic who doesn’t like the trajectory of his career. She has a great monologue about how someone years after we die will see our performance and our art and feel a great connection with us and that monologue touched me in a certain way. The last performance of note is that of Tobey Maguire. He is showcased in the trailer, but he’s really only in the third act. This is the most menacing I’ve seen him and he balances the fear and the comedy really well. I would love to see the extra 10 or 15 minutes of this character that is present in the original 4 hour cut because he steals the scenes he is in. No one in this film is a weak link as everyone plays a very important part in the big picture.
The atmosphere of this film is also something to behold. Damien brings you into the world of Cinema at that time period and totally immerses you in it. The first scene, being a 30 minute party scene where everyone is introduced is one of the greatest openings i’ve seen in a film ever. The film is so fluid in its narrative and its cinematography that you feel like you are building this industry with the characters. So much happens in the film that is super negative, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to exist in this world. The times were trying as it was the initial building period of Hollywood, but damn does it also look fun to be apart and of. I definitely got a bit of FOMO during that first party scene as even though it was chaotic, it looked like something that you needed to be apart of. Like those parties that you would discuss with your friends at school where “you just had to be there”. Damien paints a world that is a bit stressful and dark but also seems like a place that I would love to be apart of.
The film’s runtime was never an issue, even though it’s 3 hours and 10 minutes because Damien uses every second to the best of his ability. The pace of this film is rapid as it feels like you’re on a massive cocaine trip, similar to many of the characters of the film. There are also tense scenes that are slower but utilize the stress present in Whiplash. One scene specifically includes Nellie and the crew trying to make their first sound picture and nothing is going right. This scene had me the most tense out of anything I saw in 2022. This film fits in the realm of really long films that actually deserve the runtime. There are many films, even a few this year that have longer runtimes but really don’t deserve or need that runtime, Babylon is the opposite. The original cut of this film was 4 hours and NC-17 and that is something that entices me. I would love to see how fluid the film was in its full state.
The score is super impressive as well as Justin Hurwitz takes everything he put into his previous collaborations with Chazelle and cranks it to a million. The score is as rapid and fluid as the film and the characters present in the film. I noticed it throughout the film which is a great thing as sometimes scores blend in too much with the film in a way where I don’t notice them. The score was fitting but it was never overbearing. Justin Hurwitz is one of the best composers of our time and he proves it through this score.
It all culminates in a 10 minute scene, similar to Whiplash and La La Land which sees Manny realize the importance of their films in the grand scheme of cinema history as a cacophony of colours and score mix with footage of the greatest of film’s history and celluloids of the characters and their work. Many would see this ending as self masturbatory, but it just hit a certain spot in my heart that had me tearing up in the theatre. It’s probably based on the fact that i’m a filmmaker and this film solidified the concept that all of us artists and performers are important to the history of this art form no matter how big or small we see ourselves in the big picture.
Babylon is Damien Chazelle’s magnum opus where he took everything that he has learned and cranked it to a million while also giving us a super excessive yet touching look at those who helped build the art form that we all love, cinema. This is Chazelle’s “The Godfather” and i’m not being facetious. This is my favourite film from him and I see this film making an impact on my career and the way that I see all future films. This one is super special to me and I relate to Nellie’s free and wild spirit way more than most people seeing this film will. Margot Robbie is one of my favourite actresses and Nellie LaRoy is her best performance. I love Nellie LaRoy and she’s one of my favourite characters in Cinema History. Nellie has joined the hall of fame for characters that I relate to way too much and I accept that. I love this film and Nellie so much and I don’t see that ever changing. This film is one that reminds me of how much I love making and seeing films while also reminding me of the rich history of those who came before me to make it accessible for me to make this art and experience it. The magic that I felt seeing La La Land in 2016 was present here but multiplied by a million. This film needs to be seen to be believed.
The Rating:
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