6.1 Babylon

Written and Directed by Damien Chazelle (Whiplash & La La Land), Babylon once again sees him return to the big screen with this black comedy, period drama epic chronicling the rise and fall of multiple characters during and across Hollywoods infamous and revolutionary transition from silent to sound films in the late 1920s. While featuring an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo and Li Jun Li, Babylon has made for one of the most intriguing films both on and off the screen.

With Babylon tracking and tracing the careers of multiple stars, spanning from various standings within the Hollywood system, as we specifically and intimately follow the career of immigrant Manuel "Manny" Torres, an aspiring filmmaker striving to make strides into the industry. All the while simultaneously and subsequently crossing paths with fellow stars, including another aspiring starlet in Nelly LaRoy, Margot Robbie and veteran actor Jack Conrad, Brad Pitt. As an infamous bacchanalian party in 1920s Los Angeles, becomes etched in stone, revolutionising and propelling Manny's career. With Chazelle offering a riveting and insightful look into a Pre-Code Hollywood that would soon become disrupted from the industry's transition between and from silent films to talkies. All the while as the careers of both Manny and LaRoy are thrust into Hollywood stardom, it would soon become apparent how eventually such the transition to sound would see Jack Conrad silenced forever. As he soon becomes entangled within the difficulties that the transition to sound poses, struggling to comprehend the notion that his dying aura and quintessential legacy might be coming to a close. With Pitt's role conveying the essence of a handful of notable actors, as shades of John Gilbert, Douglas Fairbanks and a sprinkle of Clark Gable are detectable throughout. With Chazelle crafting and navigating such subject matter both perfectly and carefully, resulting in characters and a narrative that becomes sharply gripping and diverting.

With Babylon essentially foregrounding and rather being a story of identity and assimilation, while it's entire ensemble seemingly battles and confronts over time what there true legacy might become. As Babylon functions and signals how amongst people within the film industry as well as society in general, have often had a distinctive ability to try to outrun, ignore or prevail their inevitably mortality. Something foreseen and evident across Babylon's entire ensemble, as the performances of Pitt, Robbie and Diego Calva prove to not only be able to handful such material. But rather also manage and make meaningful connections with it. As from my viewing it become innately hard to ignore Conrad's struggle and contemplation that he will inevitably be left behind, leading to one of the greatest and most deeply thoughtful scenes audiences can expect to see. As columnist Elinor St. John, portrayed by Jean Smart sharply defines what his legacy will become, as she deconstructs his facade and replaces it with the idea that he be immortalised on film forever. As this serves as a potent reminder of such matter that Pitt, Robbie and Calva expertly handle, challenge and compete against throughout, with Babylon much like Chazelle's work in both Whiplash and La La Land substantiating and rather confirming his abilities when formulating and creating distinctive, riveting and beguiling characters.

Although what many audiences have considered rather a masterpiece and a fitting addition to Chazelle's filmography of work, due to Babylon's rather poor box office taking. It has remained pertinent and applicable to suggest that inevitably the film didn't live up to it's initial, expected standing. With it reported that Babylon went onto lose the studio just under ninety million dollars, as it was further cited that a lack and general decline in public interest towards prestige films and the additional threat of Covid contributed to the film's poor return. Whilst notions were also made at the films rather poor, misplaced and misunderstood marketing, as I would ensure people keen to watch Babylon to simply look past this.

With Damien Chazelle over this three hour long behemoth still crafting a scintillating, deeply nuanced and distinctive insightful into an era that forever changed the industry we know and admire today. As he perfectly combines, navigates and sorts through an abundance of themes and subject matters that concentrate and affirm not only his love for movie's but rather for it's history as well. With Babylon proving to be a well-acted, well-crafted and engaging expedition into the heart and belly of Hollywood's once elite, as it remains important that audiences don't preconceive and are instead able to shape and form their own opinions on Chazelle's rather misunderstood masterpiece and latest picture, instead of easily and simply being drifted away by critic's notions. 4.5/5 Stars.