Brad Pitt slips into the skin of a silent film star Babylon, latest Film by director Damien Chazelle (La La Land). The film that delves into the first golden age of Hollywood and the transformation of the industry with the leap from silent film to talkie.
Although he doesn’t know much about Hollywood in the 1920s, Pitt admits he feels like he can go back to the early days of cinema. “I loved going back in time and seeing how fascinating and artistic the films were. I didn’t even think this was the origin of cinema, and it was. They were pioneers, experimented and tried out new things. That fascinated me a lot,” says the actor in an interview with CulturaOcio.
Damien Chazelle always knew Brad Pitt was the perfect actor to play Jack Conrad in the film. “I can’t think of anyone better for the role. They needed the epitome of a true movie star. Brad turns heads when he walks into a room. ” says the writer-director.
Hollywood’s crazy beginnings
Babylon is set in Los Angeles in the 1920s. The film tells a story of ambition and unbridled excess that follows rise and demise of several characters in a time of rampant decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
Actress Li Jun Li, who plays Lady Fay Zhu in the film, believes Babylon perfectly reflects Hollywood’s troubles.
“Everyone has very limited time in this industry. As actress Anna May Wong once said, success is not a jewel you can buy and keep, but fame depends on public tastes,” he says.
A reflection shared by one of her co-stars, actress Jean Smart. “You can be popular and suddenly you’re not, and there’s really no explanation for it. It’s not because of your talent or your image. For some reason, people are no longer interested in seeing you…that can happen. And that’s what actresses don’t want to accept,” explains the interpreter.
actor Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, Lukas Haas, Olivia Hamilton, Tobey Maguire and Olivia Wilde join Brad Pitt in the occupation of Babylon.