Summary

• Babylon's ending explores the highs and lows of Hollywood, showcasing the good and bad that comes with building a career in the film industry.
• The film industry has a significant impact on those who work hard to maintain their careers, with Babylon highlighting the toll it takes on individuals through career downfalls and destructive behaviors.
• Despite the tragedies and challenges faced by the characters, Babylon ends on a hopeful note, emphasizing the enduring magic and entertainment that the film industry provides for future generations.

Warning: This post contains mentions of suicide.

Babylon's ending explained that there is both good and bad in Hollywood, but in the case of the individuals who helped build it, it's worth it. The cast sees Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Diego Calva as silent film-era figures facing the ups and downs of an ever-changing industry. Old Hollywood's highs are shown through breakout performances by young stars and elaborate parties by established icons, with the industry's lows being highlighted by career downfalls, overindulgence, and destructive behaviors amid the advent of talkies​​​​​​.

The end of 2022's box office bomb Babylon reveals that Nellie’s body is found shortly after leaving Manny behind, Jack dies by suicide, Sidney Palmer leaves Hollywood, and Elinor St. John eventually passes away. Still, it ends on a rather hopeful note as Manny returns to Los Angeles with his family and tearfully watches Singin' in the Rain, which is intercut with a montage of movies from the past century. The film industry entertains the next generation of moviegoers in new ways, all while Babylon showcases the toll Hollywood takes on those working hard to keep their careers afloat.

Watch Babylon on Amazon Prime Video

Babylon's Ending Montage

All Movies & Why It's Controversial

Babyon's final moments include a montage of movies throughout Hollywood history, including the first moving picture, Horse in Motion, and James Cameron's 2009 hit movie Avatar. The film's ending explained that Hollywood was a dark and dangerous place but was also one that built dreams for the world to see, which Chazelle expressed through the film montage. Despite the fact that the montage is meant to be a celebration of movie history, all that came before, and all that came after the events of Babylon, the sequence became quite controversial among critics and audiences.

The controversy over the montage comes from the notion that Babylon's ending glosses over the tragedies lying littered throughout the movie, such as the fates of Jack and Nellie. Yet, despite this, what happens in the divisive Babylon ending is that it celebrates the history and glory of movies. The film was not just about the depravity of Hollywood and how it destroyed lives, but about how it was somehow all worth it to create movie magic. Viewers watched people die and careers destroyed yet Manny smiled and felt it was all worth it because of the cinematic advancement.

Here's every movie featured in Babylon's ending montage:

• The Horse in Motion (1878)
• Cat Trotting, Changing to a Gallop (1887)
• The Arrival of a Train (1895)
• Annie Oakley (1894)
• Birth of the Pearl (1901)
• A Trip to the Moon (1902)
• Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1902)
• The Great Train Robbery (1903)
• Little Nemo (1911)
• Intolerance (1916)
• The Champion (1915)
• The Vampires (1915)
• Joan the Woman (1916)
• Within Our Gates (1920)
• The Voice of the Nightingale (1923)
• Ballet Mécanique (1924)
• The Jazz Singer (1927)
• Black and Tan (1929)
• Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929)
• Piccadilly (1929)
• The Wizard of Oz (1939)
• Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot (1944)
• Tarantella (1940)
• Love Letter (1953)
• Pather Panchali (1955)
• Duck Amuck (1953)
• This Is Cinerama (1952)
• Ben-Hur (1959)
• Un Chien Andalou (1929)
• Psycho (1960)
• Dreams That Money Can Buy (1947)
• Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)
• Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
• Vivre Sa Vie (1962)
• Lucía (1968)
• NY. NY. (1947)
• Borom Sarret (1963)
• The Black Vampire (1953)
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
• Week-end (1967)
• Matrix I (1971)
• 0–45 Version One (1974)
• Sunstone (1979)
• Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
• Tron (1982)
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
• Jurassic Park (1993)
• The Matrix (1999)
• Avatar (2009)
• Persona (1966)

How Nellie LaRoy Died In Babylon's Ending

The Explanation Is In A Quick Newspaper Headline

Margot Robbie's Babylon character Nellie LaRoy dreamed of being a star in the pictures, which she did briefly achieve. However, Babylon's ending includes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it newspaper clipping that reveals Nellie's tragic fate not long after leaving Manny. According to the news report, Nellie LaRoy died at age 34 from what was "likely the result of an accidental overdose." The article reads that "Nellie LaRoy... was found dead in a run-down Hollywood apartment" in 1938, with no foul play suspected by police. It's unclear if Nellie had starred in any more movies with Kinoscope before her suspected drug overdose.

Why Did Nellie Run Away After Agreeing To Marry Manny?

It Was An Act Of Self-Destruction

Nellie LaRoy was in a lot of debt from her gambling and drug addiction, and she knew that Tobey Maguire's James McKay would never stop looking for her. Meanwhile, Manny could escape, especially since the debt wasn’t his. Nellie perhaps realized that she would never be assuaged of her guilt for taking Manny down with her, nor could she truly live happily ever after with him by running away. There was a glimmer of hope for a while, but Nellie, in an act of self-destruction, couldn’t let go of her career or the stardom she had acquired from it.

The end of Babylon explained that she could free Manny from Hollywood, but couldn’t free herself, and so she allowed the industry to swallow her whole. Nellie first appeared in the Damien Chazelle movie as someone who could command and entertain a room, cry on command, and knew she was destined to be a star, even if she hadn't reached that level yet. When she finally did, the mask of Hollywood and its glory came tumbling down. Nellie was able to escape her former life and troubled childhood, but couldn't shake it completely, and it destroyed her in the end.

Did Nellie & Lady Fay Officially Get Together?

And Why They Broke Up

Babylon alluded to Nellie and Lady Fay being in a relationship, one that started after they shared a kiss amid the snake bite incident. However, as with other true life stories hinted at in Babylon, there’s only a gossip column that suggests Nellie and Lady Fay Zhu get together, and their romantic relationship is never depicted onscreen. All told, the pair likely dated for a while, keeping a low profile. It’s possible they broke up because the rumors were affecting Nellie’s career as an actress.

Nellie was trying to change her image in the public eye, and a relationship with a woman in 1920s Hollywood could have risked her career. What’s more, Lady Fay was fired from her job as the film’s title writer, which further pushed her out of the film industry and Nellie’s life. The public discord resulting from their relationship proved that image was everything in Hollywood, and a lesbian relationship was considered indecent and immoral in this era, with the potential to negatively affect Nellie’s career trajectory.

Why Manny Cries Watching Singing In The Rain After Returning To L.A.

He Left An Impact On The Film Industry

Babylon's ending featured Manny being banished from Hollywood and Los Angeles to evade the fatal wrath of James McKay. However, he returned after several years because he wanted to show his family where he had worked and spent his early days. It was still a city that held great memories and importance for Manny; it was also a source of pride and a longing for what could have been etched into his heart and mind. Manny joins a diverse crowd watching 1952's Singin' in the Rain, a musical film that romanticizes Hollywood's shift from the silent era to talkies.

However, the return "home" for Manny was something that was mired in what had to be a rose-tinted memory, as his career started by cleaning up stars' messes and then moved on to watching his friends die of excess. Still, after being pushed out of the industry and witnessing all the tragic destruction it could cause, Manny happily cried watching Singin' in the Rain.

All the film's marvels and nostalgia confirmed that his greatest wish came true: Despite all the hardship, Manny left a lasting imprint on the film industry. Hollywood moved forward with sound and glamor, and people from all walks of life now gather to be entertained by romantic versions of the industry he helped build.

Why Brad Pitt's Jack Conrad Took His Own Life At The End Of Babylon

Another Victim Of The Hollywood Lifestyle

Brad Pitt’s Babylon character Jack Conrad had a lot going for him in Hollywood as a charismatic, beloved, and successful silent film star. Unfortunately, his time in the spotlight was coming to an end, his reputation was spiraling, and his fame took a hit. Jack was in denial about it for a while, but Elinor St. John's monologue forced him to acknowledge that he was no longer the highly sought-after film star he once was.

Jack was the biggest star in Hollywood, but wanted more. He wanted to appear in great, award-winning movies. The problem is that he faced Hollywood breaking into sound movies, and Jack was a silent movie star. There are plenty of stories about silent film stars failing to make it into new Hollywood, and Jack was one of these tragedies. Paired with the suicide of his friend George, Jack no longer wanted to be in bad films, and he couldn’t cope with the reality he was facing regarding the death of his acting career, leading to Jack's tragic death by suicide.

What Happens To Sidney Palmer After Babylon's Ending

In Babylon's ending, it's revealed that Sidney Palmer left Hollywood behind because of the blatant racism he faced. In an era of Hollywood that celebrated problematic movies like Gone with the Wind, Palmer had enough of the behind-the-scenes nonsense. Unlike the rest of Babylon’s characters, Sidney’s career didn’t crash and burn, though his Hollywood dreams and aspirations were still destroyed.

Since he wasn't considered "Black enough," he was forced to use blackface, and he was finally tired of the humiliation. While Sidney likely never returned to playing the trumpet in movies, it’s possible he went on to lead his own jazz band, expanding beyond the clubs of Los Angeles. Sidney could have also taught the next generation of jazz trumpet players who perhaps went on to play in movies later on, further solidifying his influence on the industry. Whatever the choice, he at least made it out of Hollywood alive.

The Real Meaning Of Babylon’s Ending

It Highlights The Highs And Lows Of Hollywood

Babylon's ending examines the career life and death of those who work in the film industry while celebrating the longevity of film and its influence regardless of the changes it faces, including the transition from silent films to sound. Babylon is simultaneously a love letter to the silent film era and a criticism of the film industry. Damien Chazelle grapples with the end of one’s influence in Hollywood and the bitterness that comes with that end. It also waxes nostalgic for an era that has been forgotten by time.

Babylon also delves into the changes within the film industry and how they affect actors, producers, and musicians. While things change over time, internal transitions shake up the status quo, ending careers along the way. Like Chazelle's movie La La Land, Babylon shows there is darkness behind the cinema lights. Things change in an instant, and no one is safe in an industry that is constantly evolving, even while some of the good things are left behind. Babylon drives home the notion that Hollywood takes no prisoners, and those swept away by the undercurrent have everything to lose.

• 

  Babylon

  Director:

  Damien Chazelle

  Release Date:

  2022-12-23

  Cast:

  Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tobey Maguire, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Li Jun Li, Jovan Adepo, Jean Smart, Diego Calva

  Writers:

  Damien Chazelle

  Rating:

  r

  Genres:

  Drama, Comedy, History

  Summary:

  Babylon is an upcoming film from director Damien Chazelle (La La Land) that focuses on characters during the great Hollywood boom - when silent films moved over to talking pictures and the medium was reinvented. Little details on the movie currently exist, but the film boasts an extensive cast of Hollywood actors and musicians like Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Tobey Macguire. The film is slated for a nationwide January 6 release in 2023, with a limited theatrical release on Christmas Day in 2022.

  Runtime:

  189minutes

  Budget:

  $78–80 million

  Studio(s):

  Paramount Pictures

  Distributor(s):

  Paramount Pictures