Movie Review: Babylon
There was a time when Hollywood was silent, but then sound came and changed things forever.
My friends refused to finish his movie. Some complained about its length and uninteresting plot. Others started and didn’t know what they were watching. They insisted it was trash and as one who doesn’t overthink issues, I took a chance.
Quick Recap
The movie shows the transition from silent movies to sound and how many characters who had found fame in the silent movies couldn't adapt and keep up with the pace of the sound industry. While it gave room to bright talents, it sacrificed some, too.
My thoughts
Nellie is a dark hole that sucks the life out of everything she touches. The rush that came with being a super star was all too much for her as she dragged Manny down the whole with her.
Conrad’s suicide was painful to see. The depression and overwhelming feeling of not being in the spotlight and losing his shine must have just been too much to handle. I wonder if real celebrities feel this way when they grow past their time?
The one character whom I felt the worse for was Manny. From pushing an elephant uphill and being baptized in its faecal matter to getting his dream role and then being chased out. Nellie ruined his life. I wonder how life would have been for him if he had let go of Nellie on time and just faced his life without her drug-induced problems.
The worst scene was Sidney applying polish to blend in with the the rest of the crew. Poor guy went back to his background despite the whole affluence and exposure.
My favourite scene is definitely the rehearsal scene where they has to reshoot multiple times to get it right. I laughed a lot there, but the laughter turned sour when they found the guy in the box dead.
I liked it, but I understand why people didn’t like it. It’s more of a documentary style of movie taking you through the rise and tide of the cinema revolution. It’s very fast paced with so may things happening at the same time and then it slows down and you’re made to focus on just one person at a time.
