Starring: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Olivia Hamilton, PJ Byrne, Lukas Haas, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonzet
Distributor: Paramount
Runtime: 190 mins. Reviewed in Jan 2023
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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Hollywood in the 1920s with its reputation for all kinds of extravagance and then the transition to sound and a more sombre Hollywood in the 1930s.
Vast is a word that comes to mind while watching Babylon – vast in its budget, its length (190 minutes) and its Hollywood excess. It is fair to say that this film is both ambitious and indulgent, written and directed by Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land), in its attempt to portray the Hollywood of the 1920s and 1930s. It aims to show both the production side and the often-decadent side of the emerging industry contributing to the growth of Los Angeles. It is indulgent in so far as Chazelle has explored and dramatised characters and situations which are of great interest to him, but which may not be of such interest to the popular audience.
This is immediately apparent in the first half hour of the film with an initially comic episode concerning towing an elephant up the mountains of California, but then indulging in a very long, what critics have named a, Bacchanal – a party, over-crowded, fuelled by drugs and alcohol and sex (something of an orgy). While it creates an atmosphere, it is long, and has the potential to turn off a lot of viewers.
Actually, many of the characters are not engaging either, for or against. Pitt is at his best in his creation of a silent movie heart-throb, completely self-indulgent, yet absolutely controlled as soon as the director says ‘action’. Robbie’s Nellie LaRoy is a character of contradictions, from New Jersey, claiming that she is a star before she has appeared before a camera, absolutely wild at parties, and wild in front of the camera, making an absolute mess of her life. There is an impressive performance by Calva as Manny, a Mexican hopeful to get into movies. The audience does not see anything of his private life, only the various stages as he progresses from assistant to executive producer. And Smart is persuasively repellent as the aristocratic-styled gossip columnist. The other main character is an African-American trumpet player played by Jovan Adepo. A number of other well-known names appear in cameo supporting roles – Toby Maguire, Lukas Haas, Max Minghella, Eric Roberts, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde.
So, no complaints about the cast. But, over the 190 minutes, there is a mixture of episodes, many illustrating the changes in filmmaking from the silent era, a huge mediaeval battle, camera breakdowns, drunken stars, the transition from silent to sound and all its technical difficulties in demands on director and cast.
Some of the characters and their behaviour are portrayed in performances that seem frequently over the top, too much for an audience. On the other hand, there are many striking serious sequences which help to make Babylon worthwhile. There is a powerful quiet dialogue sequence between Pitt and Smart about feeding careers, a mini-take attempt at trying to get sound issues right, with flare-ups between technicians and cast, and many of the sombre sequences as Manny watches, is concerned about Robbie’s Nellie, is at the beck and call of stars and executives. And, the story of the trumpet player, his work with the band, playing at the parties, but finding acknowledgement, starring in films, feted by society is one of the best aspects of Babylon.
The musical score has won many awards and many nominations.
As Manny visits Hollywood in 1952, reminiscing, going to see Singin’ in the Rain, the plot of this most popular musical replays what Manny has experienced, and the screenplay then provides a rather psychedelic tribute to Hollywood.
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