‘Babylon’ director Damien Chazelle on his old Hollywood inspiration

• Damien Chazelle’s next film is Babylon, an epic period comedy-drama.
• The director says he draws inspiration for his fictional characters.
• Babylon is a story of “outsized ambition and outrageous excess.”

The quick ascent to fame of director Damien Chazelle is unmatched. Whiplash, his breakthrough movie, was followed by La La Land and First Man, all of which received multiple Academy Award nominations and victories.

Now, he’s releasing Babylon, an epic period comedy-drama that may very well join the illustrious company of his earlier works. The renowned director discussed his vision for the upcoming movie and how he draws inspiration for his fictional characters from real-life people in a recent interview.

Babylon is a story of “outsized ambition and outrageous excess” that takes place in 1920s Los Angeles as Hollywood underwent a significant transition from silent to talkies.

The film will trace the ascent and decline of several early Hollywood figures. The title of the movie is another nod to the source material, as the filmmaker compares the ancient city to classic Hollywood.

As it was “basically what the early film industry was, this makeshift society that had been built up really fast, in this kind of unchecked, reckless way,” he believes “it’s like the story of Los Angeles itself.”

Moreover, according to Chazelle,  “[Babylon] was a name used to describe Hollywood in those days — the idea of a sinful place, a city of decadence and depravity that was heading to ruin.”

The purpose of drawing inspiration from real-world events, according to the director, was to “take an honest, unvarnished look at the good and the bad of a really seismic shift” through various characters.

After years of research, Chazelle says that what really piqued his interest was “trying to map that theme over a broad range of people, and a whole society at large, rather than just a single individual or pair of individuals.”

It is clear from the trailer and character posters that the director has another compelling tale to tell.

Strong actors make up Babylon’s impressive cast, which is also very illustrious. The character Jack Conrad, played by Brad Pitt, was modelled after John Gilbert, Clark Gable, and Douglas Fairbanks.

Nellie LaRoy, played by Margot Robbie, an actor nominated for an Academy Award, combines the personalities of Clara Bow, Joan Crawford, Jeanne Eagels, and Alma Rubens.

While Tobey Maguire will portray Charlie Chaplin, a pioneer of modern Hollywood and a silent film legend. Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, and Jean Smart are also included in the film’s ensemble cast.

On December 23, Babylon will be released in theatres. The trailer is provided below:

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