Is the film Babylon with Margot Robbie based on true events?

Stories like “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, “The Aviator” or “The Hollywood Game” have portrayed the film industry from many angles. But rarely as Damien Chazelle did with his new film, ‘Babylon,’ starring Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt. However, much has been speculated about how much of the plot is real and what is fictional.

In short, the short answer is ‘Babylon’ not based on real eventsHowever, the actual answer is much longer than that. Well, Damien Chazelle’s film with Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt has a true story. That is to say, the context is historical in the film industry, so there are several real figures.

The truth is the real story behind ‘Babylon’ is just as interesting. For example, Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad, who is not a real person, but is inspired by various actors of world cinema, such as Douglas Fairbanks and John Gilbert. On the other hand, Margot Robbie’s character Nellie LaRoy is also based on several real actresses, such as Clara Bow, Jeanne Eagles and Alma Rubens.

Sure, let’s be clear none of the characters ‘Babylon’ existed in real life, but there is one in particular that stands out. This is Irving Thalberg, played by Max Minghella, known as “the child prodigy”, an executive known for producing some of the most successful films, and who remained the chief executive of Metro Goldwyn Meyer at just 26 years old. .

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What’s Real About the Story of ‘Babylon’

What is true is that ‘Babylon’ is inspired by the truth, by which we mean that it takes some situations and characters that really happened, to mix them and pay homage to a moment of cinema that will never come back. To go into detail, Elinor St. John, played by Jean Smart, is based on Elinor Glyn, a British novelist who wrote for Cosmopolitan.

There is also Sydney Palmer, who is the true double of Curtis Mosby, trumpeter in various jazz groups and who participated in some films of the time. The character of Lady Fay Zhu was also fully created for the film, however, actress Li Jun Li brings this woman to life who is at the same time a tribute to Anna May Wong, the first Chinese actress to have relevance in Hollywood.

And finally, Manny Torres, Diego Calva’s character, wasn’t real, however, he’s there because he means a representation of all the Latino actors and actresses who were there and helped build Hollywood, like René Cardona or Enrique Juan Vallejo. That is why the story of “Babylon” has caused much confusion about its reality.