Damien Chazelle’s Babylon is a loud, sprawling, often brilliant mess of a film about the end of silent cinema and the birth of talkies. It’s a historical epic that wants to be a tragedy, a comedy, and a cautionary tale all at once. It mostly succeeds, but it doesn’t quite hold together.
The film follows Manny Torres, a Mexican immigrant who works as a grip for Kinoscope Studios, and Nellie LaRoy, a wide-eyed aspiring actress from New Jersey. They meet at a wild party hosted by studio boss Don Wallach, where elephants roam the grounds and everyone is high on coke. Manny falls for Nellie, and she falls for fame. The film then tracks their parallel rises and falls as Hollywood shifts from silents to sound.
Trailer, via Paramount Pictures.
Manny Torres and Nellie LaRoy
Diego Calva plays Manny as a man who is constantly in motion, working hard to get ahead. His performance is physical and exhausting, and it anchors the film’s chaotic energy. Margot Robbie plays Nellie as a woman who is both naive and calculating, a starlet who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. Their scenes together crackle with tension and chemistry.
Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad, a fading silent film star who hires Manny as his assistant. Pitt is commanding, even when he’s playing a man who is clearly losing his grip on reality. The film spends a lot of time with Jack, but it’s never quite clear why we should care about him. Jean Smart plays Elinor St. John, the gossip columnist who follows Nellie and Jack’s careers, and she is perfectly cast as a sharp-tongued, slightly unhinged observer.
The Party Scene
The film’s centerpiece is a three-hour-long bacchanal that opens the movie. It’s a magnificent set piece, full of dancers, elephants, and a general sense of debauchery. It’s also where the film loses focus. The party goes on for too long, and the jokes grow tired. By the time it ends, you’re ready for the story to move forward.
The scene is technically impressive, and it sets the tone for the rest of the film. It shows a world of excess and ambition, where people will do anything to get ahead. But it also drags, and it takes a while to find its footing after the initial shock.
Sound and Silence
The film is about the death of silent cinema and the birth of talkies, and it captures the anxiety of that transition. Manny and Jack both struggle to adapt to the new technology, and the film shows the panic that swept through the industry. It’s a clever idea, but it’s not always executed with the precision it deserves.
The film’s central theme is the idea that the past is dead and the future is coming. It’s a theme that resonates today, as technology continues to reshape the entertainment industry. But the film’s handling of it is uneven, and it sometimes feels like a lecture rather than a story.
Cult Following
Babylon was a box-office failure, grossing $65 million against a production budget of $78–80 million and losing Paramount $87 million. That’s a steep loss for a film that cost that much to make. It was released in the United States on December 23, 2022, and it was met with a mixed response from critics.
The film has since developed a cult following. It’s a film that rewards repeat viewings, even if it doesn’t always earn them. Its ambition is undeniable, and its execution is often sloppy. It’s a film that you can admire even when you’re frustrated by it.
What Works and What Doesn’t
Here’s a quick rundown of the film’s strengths and weaknesses:
- The lead performances, especially Calva and Robbie.
- The party scene, which is visually stunning.
- The theme of the changing industry.
- The pacing, which drags in the middle.
- The overall coherence of the narrative.
| Element | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Lead performances | Calva and Robbie are excellent | Pitt’s Jack is underwritten |
| Opening party scene | Visually stunning | Too long, repetitive |
| Industry theme | Relevant and well-observed | Sometimes lectures rather than entertains |
| Overall pacing | Strong in the beginning and end | Drags in the middle |
The film is a mixed bag, but it’s a mixed bag with some very strong ingredients. It’s a film that you’ll remember for its highs and its lows, and you’ll probably argue about it with your friends afterward. That’s not a bad thing.
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