Babylon Movie Explained | Ending Explained

I hope this Babylon Explained / Babylon Ending Explained / Babylon Movie Explained helps anyone who may be confused. I loved this movie for its direction, story, and its message in so many ways, so it was really fun to do this breakdown. I did lots of research and thinking, and I think I've wrapped my head around it. Here is my explanation of the movie and the ending. Hope you like it! Babylon starring Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire, Diego Calva, and Jean Smart directed by Damien Chazelle is a new 2022 movie. Tune into this Lucas Blue Explained to find out the meaning of Babylon. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. I would love to discuss!

This is a spoiler-filled Babylon Explained video by Lucas Blue.

Let me know your thoughts about Babylon or any of your favorite comedy drama movies in the comments below. I love hearing the opinions!

Outro Song: Let Go

Director: Damien Chazelle
Cast: Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire, Diego Calva, and Jean Smart

[lucasblue]

Hope my research and ideas help you out and offer some new insights! What were your thoughts and ideas around Babylon? I would love to discuss! Let me know below!

[IYIisIYIatch]

Loved Sydney Palmer's character the most. His decision must have been so hard because Manny guilt tripped him by saying "Other people's families will starve because you won't put on make up". Him going through it once and never going back was such a profoundly grown up thing to do.

[NickDiasOuttaMyLeague]

Great breakdown!

Damien Chazelle said in an interview, “Babylon is a love letter to cinema, but a hate letter to Hollywood.”
To me, this is Chazelle grappling with his own fame and power in Hollywood. La La Land was written before he made Whiplash and became a famous filmmaker. It’s about the outsiders romanticism of the industry. Babylon was written after he won an Oscar, got remarried and had a child. Manny comes back with his wife and child years later only to fall in love with cinema all over again. I also think it’s no coincidence that Nellie is from New Jersey and rose to fame quickly. Damien Chazelle is from New Jersey and rose to fame quickly as well.

[mayln]

My favorite part is Nellie’s scene that took eight takes to get it right 🎬

[msmarks]

Diego HAS to win the Oscar! He was so raw and perfect in this film. Especially being a newcomer. He was great !

[camlearnsfilm]

that ending really hit me hard. Harder than I expected, but in a great way. Makes me remember why I make films in the first place.

[jenniferrandolph]

Just watched this movie last night, spot on analysis but I wanted to point out the ending in the movie theatre with Manny. Not only is he witnessing how far cinema has come, but he remembered his part in it and how he wanted to be part of something bigger. The detail that the movie he watches is Singing in the Rain which must have been a punch to his gut given the parallels of his own transition to talkies, and the struggles of the silent actress to sound being a running gag, this scene has a lot more depth than most movies in the last few decades. It really is a love letter to cinema and hate mail to Hollywood.

[renee]

Jack Conrad goes through something similar although a bit more brutal than Leo's Rick Dalton in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. You can't help but feel sad for Jack because even though he cares about his image he is not overly full of himself or self-centered. He gives credit to George. He really loves making movies...he tells Manny making movies is the most magical thing. You know right then he loves what he does and those involved with it. Brad Pitt did amazing acting with his eyes as he becomes more saddened throughout the second half. Really felt like I was experiencing his sadness when he snuck into the movie and until the end.

[zackzankies]

As soon as I left the theater I was looking for a vid like this. Great breakdown, amazing film. I really hope this wins awards. This film truly had every genre into one massive thrill ride.

[ThinkingCapsOn]

A great piece of symbolism towards the end of the film:

When Tobey Maguire's character is pitching Manny on his movie ideas, his last pitch is basing an entire film around "someone". He insists Manny and the Count need to see for themselves and eventually takes them to an underground LA party with several different floors (the circles of hell). The final floor showcases a crowd hysterically cheering on a masked, muscled man to whom Tobey Maguire was referring to. Purposely depicted as a low IQ circus freak, the masked "hero" opens a basket containing live mice and proceeds to gruesomely eat one on stage. The crowd erupts in applause... I interpreted that scene as Chazelle's deliberate commentary on the Marvel/superhero studio cash grabs that have become the unfortunate reality of today's films. So perverse to cinema that they belong in the depths of hell. The mouse being eaten represents the desecration of Disney's iconic historic imagery, Mickey Mouse. (Disney purchased Marvel back in 2009)

[videotimebaby]

literally went in blind to this movie, didnt see any trailer or anything. man wtf i was so blind sided and loved it. i was surprised how late it was when i left, i didnt notice it was 3 hours. i felt maybe it was hard to piece together the themes tho so i went online and saw so many critics and other people complaining about it. jeez its crazy. anyway thanks for helping me see some of the through lines in the movie. good luck with more videos!

[mgeek]

I think that one of the overarching themes of the film is the need to be loved at all costs. Much has been said about the kind of people who go into show business. Oftentimes, people enter the business already broken in some way, hoping that success and fame will heal them. It's clear when we first meet Nellie that she's damaged. But she has a gift--perhaps because of that damage--and it gives her a career. Sadly, she is so emotionally scarred that she is never able to find peace, to tame the demons that haunt her. Jack's issue is that he doesn't know who he is without success and adoration. He cannot exist without those things. He doesn't have the tools. Sydney, on the other hand, craves success because he wants to be better and do better than his contemporaries. He is the only character in the film who deserves his success, but he finds that the sacrifices he has to make are too great. Luckily, he has enough self-esteem and courage to save himself, as he is the least scarred of the main characters. I think that Sydney represents those who enter the business with good hearts and intentions, willing to do the work, but get chewed up anyway.

[annaremus]

I know a lot of people have called this film "scathing." I think if you've worked in the industry at all, it's hardly scathing, just accurate. But the final scene, to me, is a celebration of cinema as an ecosystem. It's not asking "was all this worth it???"; it's acknowledging that this massive, multifaceted living thing has darkness, has light, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows -- but it all exists as one. And despite what it takes from us, we live for what it gives to us.

Loved your take on the film, thank you!

[charlottearena]

Right up there with the best movie critiques and synopses I've read. Thank you! You've genuinely made me excited to watch it, despite the many negative reviews it has received.

[Wispy.y]

Dude your video was amazing. You kept it short and straight to the point. You broke it down better so i could understand each character on a deeper level more. The one thing I will say, I feel Mannie at the end is reliving the whole movie that we just watched in his head and how he said he wanted to make an impact in the film industry with Nelly, and he really did. And that’s why he smiles at the very end watching the cinema. Such a beautiful movie!!

[AA-qbni]

The first act had me questioning if this film would be good, but the rest of the film, specifically from the scene where Nellie takes 8 takes to do the scene, and onwards was perfect. Babylon deserved wayyy more praise than it got!!!

[enayalovesraspberries]

I watched this on Christmas 2 days ago, I’m 15, definitely was not expecting such an intense movie. I felt very uncomfortable throughout various moments including the grotesque and rather gruesome points but ultimately that was just an accurate representation of how absolutely chaotic and almost uncivilized the roaring 20s were. Manuel’s character was the one that I rooted for the entire film, I think he represents us, the viewers as he is an outsider of the industry until he almost gets consumed into it. Great video!

[vvskc]

This movie reminds me of The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours’ album and its themes about Hollywood and what it’s really about underneath the ‘Blinding Lights’ and wanting to ‘Escape From LA’ and that life style with Nellie LaRoy being the ‘Snowchild’, Jack Conrad losing his ‘Faith’ and Manny becoming ‘Heartless’ (those puns are intended). If you haven’t heard the album I’d recommend it especially if you’re XO fan and to watch the music videos in timeline order

[micahbode]

Dude, this was the best analysis I’ve ever seen. Thank you so much. and you got it up in literally one day after you watched it that’s so cool

[jameskyle]

This has been one of my most anticipated movies of this year for months.

I've just come out of the theater and I can confidently say it's my favorite out of this year and that's saying a lot, considering all the top tier movies we've had since January.

I'm also really glad you're one of the earliest people to review this. Not only do you have a very calming voice that's easy to listen to in your videos, but you also make plenty of valid points that I sometimes overlook.

For instance, I'd originally seen Manny's ending as more on the tragic side (despite being alive with a newfound family), I first felt that Nelly basically ruined his life by constantly dragging him into her mess.

After your review, I have a pretty different outlook on the final scene, especially after you mentioned her indirectly saving him from losing himself, and him crying at the end almost seems like tears of relief in retrospect.

Thank you for putting this video out so early!