Early reactions to Damien Chazelle's star-studded project Babylon are extraordinarily divisive, indicating that the movie will be an exciting look into Hollywood during the 1920s. According to the official Babylon website, the film chronicles "a tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess [and] traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood." Starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, and Jean Smart, the film also features a minor role from executive producer Tobey Maguire.
If the synopsis and casting choices aren't enticing enough, early showings of Babylon are generating wide-ranging reactions. Damien Chazelle's status as a decade-defining director further contributes to the film's schismatic intrigue, as his projects have been historically well-received by critics. Although plot details are sparse, the bulk of the critical divide originates from the film's haphazard narrative. Audiences lament Babylon's tonal inconsistencies as well, with the film spanning a lengthy runtime of over three hours. While the lead performances are garnering praise, there are contrasting receptions surrounding Babylon's alleged one-dimensional characters. Regardless of the varying responses, audiences agree that Babylon succeeds as a frenetic rendering of Hollywood debauchery.
Why Babylon Is Aiming To Be So Outrageous
Babylon sets its sights on depicting the transition from the silent film era to the inception of motion pictures with sound. The movie begins in 1926, just before the release of the first "talkie" in 1927, The Jazz Singer. The gripes of tonal inconsistencies are understandable, given that the film covers an era of cinema defined by tumultuous change. Supplemented by the up-tempo jazz track "Voodoo Mama," the high-energy Babylon trailer features quick cuts and disorienting whip pans that reflect the dynamic nature of the art form at the time. Babylon reintroduces themes prevalent in Damien Chazelle's earlier projects, most notably, the significant toll that accompanies personal success.
Babylon is arguably Chazelle's most ambitious movie yet due to its sweeping scope. The movie is a broadly fictional interpretation of Hollywood society in the Roaring Twenties, whereas the director's previous feature, the 2018 biopic First Man, is mostly a true story with a cast of historical figures. First Man and his earlier film Whiplash were also concerned with portraying a more individual pursuit of success. Conversely, Babylon aims to tackle an industry-wide quest for fame through the lens of several prominent silver screen personas.
Everything Else We Know About Babylon's Story
Given the current embargo on reviews for Babylon, story specifics are limited. However, another distinguishing element that Damien Chazelle strives to capture in his romp through the Roaring Twenties is the stark duality of Hollywood. The juxtaposition of glitzy soirées and elaborate studio sets superimposed with Los Angeles's barren deserts represent the chaotic, messy nature of the film industry. Babylon is the latest addition to a growing genre of meta-filmmaking, akin to pictures like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and another 2022 release, Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans.
Despite the conflicting opinions on Babylon's plot, its actors are being heralded. Several early reactions mention Margot Robbie's performing prowess, although others deride the monotone nature of her character. Diego Calva is another standout alongside Brad Pitt, with each of the actors portraying composites of inspirational Hollywood figures. John Gilbert, Clark Gable, and Douglas Fairbanks form the inspiration for Pitt's Jack Conrad, while Robbie's Nellie LaRoy is a meld of Clara Bow, Joan Crawford, Jeanne Eagels, and Alma Rubens. Ultimately, the divisive reactions, tonal discrepancies, and ambitious narrative epitomize not only the calamity of Hollywood but the ancient capital city from which Babylon inherits its name.