BABYLON

US, 2022, 190 minutes, Colour.

Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Olivia Hamilton, PJ Byrne, Lukas Haas, Max Minghella, Rory Scov, Katherine Waterston, Toby Maguire, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Eric Roberts, Ethan Suplee, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Patrick Fugit.

Directed by Damian Chazelle.

Vast is a word that comes to mind while watching Babylon, vast in its budget, Hollywood vast, and, running at 190 minutes, and in vast. And it is fair to say that this film is both ambitious and indulgent, written and directed by Damian Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land), an attempt to portray the Hollywood of the 1920s and 1930s, both the production side and the often-decadent side of the emerging industry contributing to the growth of Los Angeles. And, it is indulgent in so far as Chazelle has chosen characters and situations which are of great interest to him, to explore, to dramatise, but which may not be of such interest to the popular audience.

This is immediately to the fore in the first half hour of the film, initially a comic episode concerning an elephant, towing it up the mountains of California, but then indulging in a very long what critics have named a Bachanal, something of an orgy, or a party, over-crowded, fuelled by drugs and alcohol and sex. While it certainly creates an atmosphere, it is very long, and has the potential to turn off a lot of viewers.

Actually, many of the characters are not very engaging either, for or against. Brad Pitt is at his best in his creation of a silent movie- heartthrob, completely self-indulgent, yet absolutely controlled as soon as the director says “action”, married many times, seemingly carefree. Margot Robbie’s Natalie Le Roy 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 Wilde in front of the camera, hopeful, gambler, making an absolute mess of her life. There is an impressive performance by Diego Calva as Manny, Mexican, hopeful to get into movies, the audience not seeing anything of his private life, only the various stages as he progresses from assistant to executive producer. And, Jean Smart is persuasively repelling 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 star, leading to the transition from silent to sound and all its technical difficulties in demands on director and cast.

But, some of the characters and their behaviour are portrayed in performances that seen frequently over the top, too much for an audience. And that is the impact of a strange episode torture the end, a visit to a hidden series of caves filled with what used to be called free shows and culminates in a giant chewing on a rat.

On the other hand, there are many striking serious sequences which help to make Babylon worthwhile, a powerful quiet dialogue sequence between Brad Pitt and Jean Smart about feeding careers, a mini-take attempt at trying to get sound issues right, with flareups between technicians and cast, and many of the sombre sequences as Manny watches, is concerned about 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 Singing 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.

1. The title, echoes of ancient Babylon, culture, decadence? Hollywood in the 1920s as Babylon?
2. The work of the director, ambitious in the scope of Babylon, indulgent in selection of characters, incidents, long running time?
3. The recreation of Hollywood in the 1920s, the city of Los Angeles, Bel-Air, touches of the desert, mountains, not yet built on? The contrast with the Hollywood mansions? Movie offices? The movie sets? The visit to New York and the premiere of The Jazz Singer? The locations for filming? The transition to the 1930s, the sound stages, films and editing, the end of the silent era?
4. The musical score, many awards, the range of music throughout?
5. The tone of the opening, the lost elephant, towing the elephant, the excretion – and a film starting with such a load of defecation?
6. The film following the character of Manny and his career? Managing the elephant, getting it to the party, his Mexican background, the exasperations, driving the executives, outside the party, the initial encounter with Nellie, her behaviour and attitudes, his getting into the party, carrying out the body of the dead girl, the elephant a distraction? His encounter with Johnny Conrad, driving him, Conrad impressed, hiring him, getting him to do jobs? His being happy on a film set, the issue of the broken camera, driving, his long wait, taking the ambulance, success? His devotion to Nellie? Being on set, making suggestions – about choreography and Singin’ in the Rain? Taken to the other studio, executive producer, his talents, being busy, ambitions fulfilled, a companion but no story of his private life? His plans for Nellie, transforming her into a serious star, her behaviour, disappointments, gambling, coming here to him for the $85,000, the drug dealer, paying the money, fake money, being taken to the caves, the freakshow, the alligator, the giant chewing the rat? Escaping, wanting to get to Mexico, the death of the drug dealer, Manny let go, Nellie and the plans, his proposal, her disappearance? Hollywood seen through his eyes?
7. The impact of the party, bachannal, orgy, crowded, the music, costumes, nudity, drugs, alcohol, sexual behaviour? The fat actor and the deaths of the actress? Getting the body out, the elephant? The Chinese actress, her song, the lesbian tone, dancing with Nellie? The kiss, the effect on Nellie? Nellie leaving, driving away, her hopes? The reprisal of this sequence at the end, another opportunity to indulge? The importance of the orchestra, the black musicians?
8. Johnny Conrad, star, his many wives, pretentious with Italian, the divorces, the Hungarian bombshell and her exploding, the stage actress and her condescending attitude towards movies, advising Johnny, his break with her? Drinking, indulgent? Taking on Manny and relying on his help? On location, the delay, his costume, drinking, stumbling up the hill, immediately sober and performing perfectly? The long kiss, on screen, the audience? His status? His beginning to fade, the long discussion with the gossip columnist, facing reality, contact with Irving Thalberg, agreeing to play the part to save him, the gossip columnist and the magazine article, his disappointment, killing himself?
9. Nellie, New Jersey origins, ambitions, wild, costume, at the party, making a show of herself, noticed, but Manny helping her to get in, the beginning of the bond with her? Her opportunity to come to the set, her seeming nervousness, working with the director, the scene in the bar, her immediately opening up, uninhibited, the central actress coming in, prim, Nellie and her ability to weep, turn it on and off, the many takes? The firing of the prim star? Nellie and sound, the college sequence, her lines, the many takes, finding her mark, too loud, too soft, her anger with the sound technician? The attempt to make her a serious star, re-made, the gossip columnist taking her to the party, people taunting her, her ignorance of literature, the issue of the jokes, the crass joke about the fur? Her eating, vomiting, the dismay of all concerned? Years passing, gambling, debts, going to Manny for help? His proposal, to go to Mexico, her acceptance, on drugs, getting out of the car, wandering and lost? The later small note of her obituary?
10. Palmer, his skills as a musician, with the group, clashes, his promise, noticed, his performing in the films, success, mansion and car, the issue of lighting and his looking too white, the charcoal? His walking out, later playing to appreciative audiences?
11. The range of producers and directors, wealth, knowledge or not, ambitious for studios, taking care of stars, their deaths, scandals? Attitudes towards Johnny Conrad, towards Nellie, towards Manny? Johnny Conrad and his friendship with George, saving him, the girls, George killing himself and the emotional impact on Johnny?
12. The technical aspects, filming, the range of sets, cameras, different films being made, the spectacle, the costumes, the battle, and the impaled extra? The desperate director and his tantrums? Manny going to get the camera? The delay, lunches, sitting about, the gossip columnist and interviews? The camera, the sun setting, the final kiss?
13. Sound, changing technology, the difficulties for cast and crew? The episode of Johnny and the long kiss? His going to the cinema, the audience laughing, the gossip columnist and her explanations?
14. The excursion to the caves, the freakshow, the alligator, the grossness? The cameo of the film director, on drugs, manipulative, his bizarre scenarios?
15. Drugs, pervasive, on the set, the dealers, the cast and their reliance? Manny relying on him, his help with the payment, the fake money, and he and his companion being shot?
16. 1952, Manny, wife and family, working in New York, visiting Hollywood, walking the streets, memories, going into the cinema, Singin’ in the Rain, the dialogue in the 50s recapitulating the 1920s? Manny sad, the smile?
17. The psychedelic summary of the film, clips from the range of movies, a tribute to the movies? Movies for ordinary people – in contrast with the comments about wealthy intellectuals going to the theatre?