“Babylon“: A Tale of Ambition and Excess in the Decadent World of 1920s Hollywood
Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon” is a star-studded movie that takes viewers on a rip-roaring ride through the last days of the silent film era. The film centers on the industry’s tumultuous transition to talking pictures, and how Hollywood stars, production executives, and musical sensations strive to stay on top of the 1920s Hollywood scene while maintaining relevance in an industry ready to move on to the next best thing. The movie features Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, among other talented actors.
The film is shot in gloriously color-saturated CinemaScope, as cinematographer Linus Sandgren and production designer Florencia Martin deliver a visual smörgåsbord that painstakingly recreates the early world of moviemaking. The movie’s set pieces and choreography are tremendous, and the opening scene includes writhing partygoers and features an elephant. The most mesmerizing scene is a panoramic shot where multiple silent movies are being shot at once.
While “Babylon” doesn’t tell a true story, it leans hard into exposing the exploitative history of cinema and how the studio system was part of the reason why stars were self-destructing. Contracts were intense, and it was not a good kind of labor situation for stars who were making some real money. That kind of pressure to make dozens of films a year could lead to stars relying on drugs and alcohol, and several stars died of overdoses at early ages.
The film raises important questions about Hollywood’s scandalous past, and what happened to all the people it depicts working in the industry. However, the film feels at times too burdened by its commitment to showing us this new picture of early moviemaking, forgetting the necessity of imposing a strong narrative on the inevitably overwhelming messiness of the past.
In conclusion, “Babylon” is a well-acted and well-crafted movie that takes viewers on a journey through the golden age of Hollywood. The film’s visual smörgåsbord and tremendous set pieces make it a feast for the eyes, and the movie’s commitment to showing a new picture of early moviemaking is impressive. However, the film’s chaotic and disjointed execution makes it difficult to really enjoy, and it loses its way in the last 45 minutes.
