Babylon, the famous ancient city of Mesopotamia, is known for its influence and wealth and has long been studied as a marvel of history. Specifically, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were a “colossal maze” of man-made nature. Researchers aren’t even sure if this wonder of the world ever even existed, leaving a legacy of magical mystery. Babylon has been a consistent point of intrigue for modern day artists of all kinds, like Lady Gaga’s song by the same name off of her album Chromatica. In the lyrics, she references the miscommunication and chaos of Babylon as it is described in the bible. The primary message of the song is Gaga’s views on the world of celebrity and its toxicity. So what could be more mystical and poignant to the outside eye like Babylon than the city of Hollywood in our modern age?
Director and writer Damien Chazelle’s new blockbuster Babylon is a three-hour long journey of spectacle that has your head spinning before the title card even graces the screen. The film is set in 1920s Los Angeles and follows three dreamers on the Hollywood scene, all at different points in their careers. Acting powerhouses Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt are captivating as always, but newcomer Diego Calva is the real star, grounding the audience in real honesty and vulnerability amidst the circus that is this movie. ‘Circus’ is truly the only way to define it. The film opens with a house party that can barely even be described as such, filled with music, dancing, drugs, sex, and even an elephant. Absolutely nothing is left to the imagination, and it can only be seen to be believed. But at its core, this movie is about the depravity and sacrifice that comes with the film industry, and how it can simultaneously destroy and rebuild lives. The top-tier acting performances and cinematography really drives this home.
Visually, Babylon feels shiny and new to the average film lover, but its premise is really nothing we haven’t seen before. Many of the themes felt reminiscent of 2019’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which also stars Pitt and Robbie, as well as Chazelle’s masterpiece La La Land. Undoubtedly, fans of his previous work came with high expectations that Babylon would be his best yet, but even with the similar score (also done by Justin Hurwitz) and setting in Los Angeles, that certain magic feels missing. Maybe it’s a result of the seemingly endless runtime or the constant chaos on screen, but especially towards the final hour of the film, the excitement fades into something more repetitive and exhausting. Even the closing sequence feels monotonous and too on the nose, seeming that Chazelle was paranoid after three hours, an audience would still not understand the story he is trying to tell about the history of Hollywood.
If you’ve got three hours to burn and can get invested in great characters, then this is the movie for you! But if you tend to become overstimulated, steer very clear. Overall, not much unlike the ancient city itself, Babylon promises an experience of spectacle but does not fully deliver anything truly unique.