By Thomas Wilson | Contributor
Babylon is a film quite like no other, with the opening scenes of the LA desert soon juxtaposed by an elephant seen grotesquely defecating on two men attempting to transport it to a soir├®e hosted by veteran actor Jack Conrad, played by Brad Pitt. The party itself is depicted in immeasurable detail, from the scenes of sexual debauchery which rival that of the last days of Rome to the substance abuse depicted that would even raise the eyebrows of Johnny Depp. Amidst the chaotic scenes unfolding, the camera soon pans to the Icarus-esque protagonist Nellie LaRoy whose hunger for stardom in the 1920s film industry eventually sees her fly too close to the sun, metaphorically speaking. LaRoy is played exquisitely by Margot Robbie, who succeeds in portraying the reckless yet talented LaRoy as she attempts to grapple with a modernising Hollywood, with the core premise of Babylon centering on the transition from silent to sound films precipitated by the release of The Jazz Singer.┬á
Director Damien Chazelle skilfully weaves this theme in amongst many others, with Chazelle clear in his intent for the film to show the ÔÇÿRoaring TwentiesÔÇÖ in a less rose-tinted fashion in comparison with other films focused on the period.
Director Damien Chazelle skilfully weaves this theme in amongst many others, with Chazelle clear in his intent for the film to show the ÔÇÿRoaring TwentiesÔÇÖ in a less rose-tinted fashion in comparison with other films focused on the period. Chazelle does this by formulating scenes that question the image of the 1920s as being one of absolute glitz and glamour, such as depicting how African American performer Sidney Palmer is forced to apply white paint to himself in order to appease the American audience. He additionally focuses on the role that the Los Angeles crime syndicate, spearheaded by James McKay, had on Hollywood, who is seen towards the end of the film as playing a key part in the downfall of LaRoy due to the mob-owned gambling racket she becomes embroiled with.┬á
The character of McKay is revealed to the true shock of the onlooking cinema audience, with the former Spiderman star Tobey Maguire playing the role, who is first seen chillingly sipping a cocktail of alcohol and ether whilst discussing the money owed by LaRoy with Diego CalvaÔÇÖs character Manny Torres. The character of Torres is the most intriguing of all, as he goes from being a house servant defected on by an elephant to a film director before being ruthlessly disposed of.┬á
Despite its rejections from the Academy and shortcomings at the box office, there is no doubt Babylon will be seen as one of the finest films of the not-so-roaring 2020s.
In the closing scenes, Torres is seen visiting the Hollywood of the 1950s and then subsequently going to a cinema to view one of LaRoyÔÇÖs films. As he watches the film, the cinematic audience soon finds themselves transfixed into a trance with the screen depicting a kaleidoscopic timeline of cinematic history and snapshots from hundreds of films. The sequence lays bare ChazelleÔÇÖs clear intent of Babylon, with the film being a homage to the pioneers of Hollywood who made blockbuster high-budget films possible. Despite its rejections from the Academy and shortcomings at the box office, there is no doubt Babylon will be seen as one of the finest films of the not-so-roaring 2020s.
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