Babylon

Perfect Babylon is simply a work of art. I've already logged it twice and said most of what I had to but I do have a few new thoughts. I find the car scene after Nellie visits her mom so beautifully poetic. She drops her "star" persona in the presence of Manny and momentarily attempts to express herself but mostly just blames herself. She also leaves most of her thoughts incomplete not because she can't complete them but because Manny understands. And then Manny tries to express himself because he relates but can't fully be vulnerable as that is reserved for his native language. And when they're done speaking their theme gently echoes in the background symbolic of a comfortable silence created through mutual understanding. Manny speaking in English is something so real for people whose first language is something else. He speaks in English for formal occasions and to establish himself but only succumbs to his emotions in Spanish because it's closer to him. Also just changing his name to Manny from Manuel is significant in itself because not only does it confirm his loss of identity as he works tirelessly to establish himself in an American industry but it's also the nickname Nellie first gave him, symbolic of how she'll always be a part of his life or at the very least his thoughts. I noticed this time around that the first sign of the death of Jack Conrad's/silent film Hollywood was shown through George's suicide. He was the first character to believe in Jack's talent and following his death it was as though Jack's abilities had expired as well. And then the 1930 screen appears officially confirming the end of an era. While most characters' relevance in the industry died after the 20s, Manny began to gain recognition since he was the only one that didn't get enough appreciation in the 20s therefore forcing him to work longer until he finally reached his point of success. Lady Fay and Jack's friendship is probably the greatest relationship within the film. Despite the changing landscape of film they maintained a mutual respect and love for eachother that remained the same throughout. And on their last encounter, before leaving, Lady Fay looks back at him as if to catch a last look at him as though she knew it would be the last time she ever saw him. Additionally, Jack's suicide in itself was almost a tribute to George considering he did it in the same way and finally accepted his loss of relevance as an actor. Lastly, when Nellie and Manny spontaneously decide to get married, the scene was filmed as though it were a silent film. More specifically a Jack Conrad romance film perhaps signifying to viewers how their romance would also be short lived and was at its peak when both of them were largely involved in the creation of film. For me, there will never be another film as captivating and as perfect as Babylon. One of its defining qualities for me is how it doesn't exactly fit one genre. It features almost every genre there is(or at least the ones that matter to me)in the perfect amounts.