Spearhead of the new golden age of the musical, cadet of the Best Director Oscar for La La Land in 2017, Damien Chazelle seems to succeed in everything he touches. So what about Babylon, a dramatic comedy about Hollywood in the 1920s?
In 1926, the United States is at its peak. The Depression had not yet hit, the War was far behind, alcohol, drugs and money were flowing freely. Hollywood ruled the world. The big companies' silent films were exported all over the world, their actors were international stars and everything seemed to be going well. But who could have foreseen the downfall of these giants with the arrival of talking pictures?
Singing under the champagne
If the theme of the arrival of synchronous sound (sound recorded by the camera at the same time than the action taking place in front of it) in cinema has already been dealt with (Singing in the rain, 1952 or The Artist, 2012), it's rarely been quite like this. Sex, drugs (and rock'n'roll, we'd almost say) and jazz set against a backdrop of technological transition. A surprising combination at first glance. But it works perfectly. The picture is flamboyant, the music by Justin Hurwitz (winner of a second Golden Globes for the film's score) excellent and the performances by the cast outstanding. Special mention goes to Margot Robbie, who delivers her best performance to date.
Let's get the unfortunate part out of the way: the film is too long. 3 hours 09 is objectively too long. And yet, the film seems much more digestible than the last one. Avatar, of similar length. Thanks to a steady pace throughout, the story unfolds (almost) without a lull, touching on a wide range of themes, although it does occasionally err on the side of excess. We pass through different eras, visiting different sets and shoots, each crazier than the last, to discover the other side of the dream factory. Although certain scenes sometimes stretch to the limit of what is bearable, this is to better immerse the viewer in the actual time of a shoot in those years.
Outrageousness is the watchword
The film opens with one of cinema's biggest parties since the Moulin Rouge de Baz Luhrmann (2001). He takes the liberty of displaying his title card after 32 minutes, as if to demonstrate his insouciance, typical of the era, with regard to established rules. This lightness is also marked by the over-the-top shooting that filmmakers of the 1920s indulged in, filmed with all the optimism of the interwar period. The sets were gargantuan, the extras numerous, and the results often more a matter of luck than anticipation. The other side of this debauchery is sometimes a feeling of overkill in the sequences. Where certain marked passages would have sufficed, Damien Chazelle adds a layer of vomiting or violence that isn't always necessary.
And yet.., Babylon, with his rereading of the«rise and fall»Typical of this type of film, its cinematographic feats of strength and direction of the actors make it a veritable declaration of love to the cinema of all times, taking the spectator on a whirlwind ride from which one does not emerge unscathed.
Write to the author: mathieu.vuillerme@leregardlibre.com
Photo credit: © Warner Bros. Entertainment Switzerland GmbH
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