Babylon
One of the most divisive films of the year, and I adored it. Babylon was a chaotic thrill ride that was as loving as it was brutal. While there are many films about transitioning from the silent era to the talkies, Babylon focuses on the players tossed aside. The disposable starlets, leading men who couldn’t adapt, and black and LGBT actors who weren’t considered acceptable or marketable as studios depended more on wealthy conservative backers all got to shine in this film. There is so much love for filmmaking, as the screen filled with the raw emotion every character pours into making movies. Films with this size and this energy are rarely made anymore; it deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible with a ruckus crowd. I’m incredibly sad that Babylon is a box office bomb; I hope it finds its audience over time. Babylon is a masterpiece brought to us by pure unchecked ambition. If this is Damien Chazelle’s last big-budget smash, he went out with a bang.
Check out Knockturnal’s coverage of the film’s premier by contributor Antonio Pinheiro here and a review by contributor Ethan Singh here.
