Damien Chazelle, widely-known for his films La La Land and Whiplash, has sought to capture the decade between the 1920s and 1930s in his 2022 epic drama film titled Babylon. Set in the bowels of the city of Los Angeles, the Babylon storyline revolves around the multi-faceted lives of several characters as they explore the booming film industry.
The film industry is in the middle of an industrial transformation. Moving from silent films to those accompanied by sound, the characters of the film are yearning to partake in its creative brilliance. Sophisticated in its details coupled with strong undercurrents of the emotional wisdom, Babylon, amplifies the reflection of the consequences that fame, courage, and ambition robustly carry with them.
Summary of the Plot
Centered around 1926 Los Angeles, the film commences in an era exuberant with new ideas and outstanding creative projects. Capturing the changing scenery of Los Angeles, Chazelle works his magic on the viewer by introducing him to Manny. Manny, a young boy of a Mexican descent aspires to grow and nurture his skills within the film industry and hopes to be a magician in the world of movies.
Along with Manny’s journey is the story of Nellie LaRoy, a daring and charming young girl who comes from New Jersey and arrives in Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a star. Along with her confidence and vibrant personality, Nellie is soon cast into a silent movie and skyrockets to fame. She is able to do so because of her vibrant personality and absolute dedication to her career.
Another central character is Jack Conrad, a well known actor in the silent movie period. During the height of his success, Jack is adored by his fans and enjoys a luxorious lifestyle. However, the rise of sound in the motion pictures makes him grapple with the advancements of technology and the shifts in audience and actor expectations.
As the movie moves forward, all of these individuals undergo struggles in the daily function of their lives as well as their careers. The sound films industry is a drastic shift in the entertainment world and while some see it as a career boost, others see it as the conclusion of a period.
As an executive studio and with his behind the scenes work adapting silent pictures to sound, Manny was still troubled by his cultural identity and the compromises he had to make during the construction of his personal brand.
As the Dewan brothers became silent film superstars, the confident dynamic actors lost dominance and were unable to adjust to the new expectations which ultimately left them behind.
The film encapsulates Manny’s meditation on time, memories, and legacy while watching the montage of Los Angeles, 19 years later. As the montage plays, fragments of both silent and sound films synced. What was once a collection of broken narratives and emotions was now the very embodiment of cinema’s evolution.
Manny Torres: The protagonist, Manny is a resolute optimist and he is greatly ambitious. He is characterized by his assistant and later epitomized as the executive of which the film industry, expertly crafted his personal brand and reputation, along with the cultural identity he held, motivated by the personal ambitions that came with it, bordering on self-inflicted.
Nellie LaRoy: A passionate and gifted actress who sets off to achieve the conquest of new heights while quickly succumbing to the downfall of maintaining the glory. She encompasses the joy and chaos of the show business world.
Jack Conrad: A captivated and mesmerized silent film actor slowly losing his relevance to the world due to the rise of new sci-fi films. His life depicts much introspection, self prided, then finally surrendering to the new world.
Sidney Palmer: A skilled jazz player who is also a film producer in the time era when jazz became the new hot trend. His story revolves around and sets an example about elusiveness, self worth, and system meekness.
Lady Fay Zhu: An imaginative as well as deliberate actress who uses her industry and business, and the politics that surround it, to their fullest potential. Although not a focal point, she is a symbol for the multicolour and passion for creativity of fresh Hollywood.
Themes
- The Price of Fame.
The central theme of the story revolves around the loss of once emotional and personal happiness in exchange for objectives and milestones that need to be achieved and held onto. The characters, despite their exceptional passion and spirituality, undergo a series of self isolation, self pressure, and self denial.
- Change and Adaptation
The transition from silent films to sound is a story within a story. The movie illustrates how each character deals with that transition. The change affects some positively while others are completely lost and unable to find themselves. The movie illustrates how dramatic changes can occur at dizzying speeds and how difficult it is to remain relevant.
- Art and Legacy
Along with other movies from that era, Babylon extends a reflection on the weight of cinema at the conclusion of the film. Individual careers may go through ups and downs, but the art is bound to be inherited and carried forward. The final portions indicate that their association with the art of cinema will continue to linger even after people have disappeared from the pages of history.
- Identity and Belonging
The character of Manny is, put simply, looking for answers to his identity. As he progresses, and secures a place for himself in the film industry, he is confronted with societal norms that are contradictory to his parents’ values and to the elements of his own culture, which he holds true. The film attempts to interrogate concerns of self value, and acceptance while unsuccessfully trying to negotiate the personal values system.
Visual Style and Sound
What sets Babylon apart are the visual and animated portrayals of the story. Its use of colours and stunning set designs. Along with the fast-paced editing compliments the thrill and chaos of Hollywood. Coupled with sweeping camera movements and brilliantly designed sets adds a flair of a whirlwind to the movie.
The music composed by Justin Hurwitz captures the heart and soul of the movie through jazz and blues while weaving in lively and dull touches. A soundtrack and type of music to a movie helps set the vibe and in particular, in Babylon as it transitions from the bright days of a budding star to the silent days years after.
Reception
Critics and watchers of the movie Babylon, received it differently. The bold vision of the movie, as well as the performances and the technical skills from the creators received praise. While the pacing and structure of the movie left some confused. Mostly, the people came to a consensus that the movie does portray a passionate homage to cinema.
What really caught people’s attention was Diego Calva, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. The three of them completely grasp the essence of their characters and helps any observer get lost in their emotional character development.
Conclusion
Capturing the chaos and wonder of the early days of Hollywood is, emotive and visually well, preparing to film Babylon is.
It thematizes the tales of hopes coupled with hardships of pursuing a coveted dream in world that is magnificently evolving through dreams of Manny, Nellie, Jack, and a host of others. Art that transcends beyond the very boundaries of human existence.
It contemplates something articulate, something that endures taken with the something that assimilates risk for the love of passion. So much more than a mere peek into the history of cinema, the film is truly a tale of rise and fall, of people who for the very first time, give everything, something so transcending, of pure ecstasy and pure grief.
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