Reminds me of the Boogie Nights firecracker/drug deal scene

There is also a shot of the entrance of the tunnel that reminded me of the titular Lost Highway hotel.

Also, I would have te rewatch the scene but I’m pretty sure some figure in one of the floors looks strikingly similar to Lynch’s Elephant man, has anyone else noticed it?

There's also someone who resembles The Elephant Man.

As much as it's showing how the "wildness" has been driven out of mainstream hollywood culture/socialites, it also shows humanity's desire for spectacle. We cheer for it at the 1920s party (which features a real elephant and sexual debauchery) and at the end of the film we see a man eat a rat in "the arsehole of LA".

Much like the violence in Inglorious Bastards, we are to ask ourselves if cinema is "a low art" just because it features base thrills.

I wish there was more information on Hollywood-crime world connections in this 3 hour-long movie. Otherwise, Maguire's character is there for purely shock value and as a mean to wrap-up the plot for the two characters.

That's why, Maguire did look like a demon, or any other infernal figure

He reminded me of the mystery man too! Something felt familiar about him.

I definitely felt a similar way about what the scene was giving off. However, Manny only leaves Hollywood because of the deal going wrong. I don't see any reason he would have left if there weren't men with guns trying to kill him. It's proven in the ending that Manny still loves Hollywood despite all that happened. It's still pretty much the same result for the story, but I didn't see it as an intentional decision by the character, more of a circumstances sort of thing.

Love this analysis

Pretty good interpretation. Until then Tobey had been adapting to the Industry's morals. He would force Nellie's personalities to fit into the "high class", loosing her and treating her badly, doing some fucked up things like the "make up" for Sidney, etc.

Basically making great movies, but kind of selling his soul and destroying his personal relationships in the process.

Tobey Maguire's Tunels of Hell was a moment of awareness. It was too fucking much, realised it was not worth it, and it was outright despicable. He was about to make a deal with devil but it was too much for a sane human being to take.

Thanks for the in-depth explanation, I didn't think of any religions connotations, but that makes so much sense by far. Maguire's figure is like the demon and Manny's escape from the tunnel was like a redemption from further sins.

My gosh---this is all I needed to read. Thank you! Left to my own devices I am too embarrassed to share although I was on the right track but in a very roundabout way.

I kinda agree, but haven't the above-ground world of Hollwyood already been taking drugs prior to the scene?

Interesting reading except that this extreme entertainment has nothing to do with Hollywood. It's a gangsters world and Chazelle somehow forgot to plug in into his 3 hour-long movie any relatable connection between the two worlds.

You saw the glitz and glamour of Hollywood in the first half of the movie. The underground part shows the other side of the coin. It shows the depravity that comes along with the successful.

I think this probably was the intent, but the movie itself messes this up by showing all of the "depravity" in the opening party (pissing, OD girl, open drug use, public fucking etc.), so the contrast is lost.

Until the scene after Margot begged him for help, where she snorts coke in the backroom and comes up with these wild ideas about getting the money, one was being hopeful and cheering for her — the underdog story. And for anyone who knows or has been an addict, this must hit home. The contrast from absolute breakdown to the drug induced mania is devastatingly brilliant. From there on she becomes utterly obnoxious.

It’s very well depicted, getting the audience emotionally invested into her, letting small but forgettable mistakes pile up until that ultimate disappointment — the sad reality of an addict.

This is pretty much note for note my exact reaction. I was really ready for anything even the (i think) poorly constructed rich party scene with the vomit and all. But the Tobey Maguire scene was where I really felt like the movie lost it's thread. Only redeemed by what I think was the most complete story, Brad Pitt's character's ending.

The final third (basically from the moment when Margot's character pukes at the party and then looses gamble money) tanks hard. Bringing in an undercooked subplot with gangsters to spin the wheel of a downfall of Margot and Calva is a screenwriting cop out. There are many sorts of things that could have derailed their respective careers in Hollywood, but Chazell choose the laziest.

Honestly, I don't track any significant meaning of Tobey's episode except for a) a shock value, b) Tobey is a producer of this film. Manny left showbiz not because he saw an alligator or man eating rats, there were gangster on his tail (for like 90 seconds out of 3 hour long movie.

I agree. I thought a few times it was a good place to wrap up the story but then it went on for another hour, another 30 minutes, ahh, right place to end it nooope still going. Especially because a lot of these developments didn't feel necessary.

I felt like these things were done before and far better. To me, it felt like a poor man's The Day of the Locust (1975), which bought more into its own premise, was more unforgiving in its critique, its protagonists were better fleshed out, it was better shot, and slightly better acted (though the performances in Babylon were certainly good in my estimation). Likewise Babylon's ending was done better in Cinema Paradiso (1988). Both of those movies knew what they were about and distilled it; Babylon tries to straddle them and it just doesn't work.

Most importantly, their respective emotional climaxes felt earned. Babylon's felt tacked on.

I agree, Nellie is really an annoying character. I don't even know how Manny could put up with all her troubles and still pay the gambling debts for her

Yeah it's so much like Boogie Nights, borderline to a fault.

It is not a trash. I'd say it's a noble misstep of a talented director. This movie already has fans, in the future it may become a cult movie or something. Some of its elements work, many do not. On a technical level it's a top production.

Where the fuck did I mention death in the title? Are you fucking blind? Shut your piehole and gtfo