Exploring the Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Transition: A Look into 'Babylon' 2022

- April 02, 2023

Babylon is an American epic period black comedy-drama film that was written and directed by Damien Chazelle. The movie features an ensemble cast, including Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, and Li Jun Li. It depicts the rise and fall of several characters during the transition from silent to sound films in Hollywood during the late 1920s. The film showcases the intriguing journeys of these characters and their experiences during this crucial moment in the history of cinema.

Damien Chazelle began the development of Babylon in July 2019 and initially had Lionsgate Films as the frontrunner to acquire the project. However, in November 2019, it was announced that Paramount Pictures had acquired worldwide rights. The primary cast members joined the project between January 2020 and August 2021, and filming took place in Los Angeles from July to October 2021.

The highly-anticipated Babylon premiered at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles on November 14, 2022, and was released in the United States on December 23 of the same year. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with many praising its stunning cinematography, score, editing, production design, lead performances, and themes. However, there was a sharp division of opinion on the graphic content and runtime of the movie. Despite its star-studded cast and impressive production, the movie was considered a box-office bomb.

The movie earned $63.4 million globally, against a production budget of $78-80 million. while in the US and Canada, it earned $15.4 million. It was initially expected to gross $12-15 million during its opening weekend, but only grossed $5.3 million over four days.

Despite its underwhelming commercial performance, the film received multiple award nominations, including five at the 80th Golden Globe Awards, nine at the 28th Critics' Choice Awards, three at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, and three at the 95th Academy Awards. Among these nominations, the film won Best Original Score at the Golden Globe Awards.

Plot

In 1926 Los Angeles, Mexican immigrant Manny Torres helps transport an elephant to a wild party at a Kinoscope Studios executive's mansion, where he meets brash, ambitious "star" Nellie LaRoy. While partying, Manny reveals his desire to be part of something bigger. As the elephant distracts partygoers, Manny helps carry away young actress Jane Thornton, who overdosed on drugs. Manny befriends film star Jack Conrad, and with his help, secures assistant jobs at Kinoscope. Nellie becomes an "it girl" while Manny rises through the ranks. As Hollywood becomes less libertine, executives tell Manny to fire lesbian cabaret singer Lady Fay Zhu, and Nellie's drug use and gambling tarnish her reputation. In 1952, Manny returns to California with his family and watches Singin' in the Rain, moved to tears by the industry's transition from silents to talkies. The story is filled with subplots involving other characters, including Nellie's institutionalized mother, Sidney Palmer's musical film, and Manny's attempt to help Nellie with her gambling debts, which leads to a deadly encounter with a gangster. The story ends with newspaper clippings detailing Nellie's death and Elinor's death at an old age.

Conclusion

In the movie "Babylon," Robert Daniels argues that the story is about identity and assimilation in early Hollywood, with a focus on the character of Manuel "Manny" Torres and his rise into the Hollywood studio system. Manny erases his Mexican identity and Americanizes his name to fit in, and becomes intoxicated by the white capitalistic greed that governs Hollywood. He contributes to the mythology of Hollywood by taking part in the erasure of Black artists and workers, and the production of a picturesque illusion of happiness and success. The movie also explores the theme of human beings trying to outrun their mortality, with death being depicted nonchalantly. These themes and events have parallels in real historical events, such as the erasure of minority voices in Hollywood and the pursuit of the American dream at the expense of one's cultural identity. The tragic consequences of ignoring mortality can be seen in events such as the AIDS epidemic and other health crises.

One of the finniest scenes of the film