Babylon

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delysid d the harder they come, smile orange, the rockers, and now this, another cool jamaican movie Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/23/22 Full Review Audience Member First off I loved this film. It was a gritty portrayal of life in south London during the thatcher period. An immigration story of living life as a foreigner. A movie about racial friendships and how they can get frayed. A hard story to watch but one that must be watched. It has you enthralled from beginning to end. I absolutely recommend this movie as relevant in 2021 as it was in 1980. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member A strong contender for the best film ever made, Babylon will make you angry and sad and everything in between. It never over exaggerates nor understates its story. The soundtrack is perfect along with the cinematography. The ending will stay with you forever. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member It is a classic. A brilliant snapshot of London life in the late 70's early 80's. Must see for anyone interested in Reggae, Culture, Identity and Race. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Gritty realism of 1980s London and the social conditions of southern London with a reggae soundtrack and atmostphere; great cinematography Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review jon c Hailed as one of the greatest British films ever made by director Franco Rosso. Focuses on the Jamaican community in Brixton, England. A man named Blue fronts a dub sound system, gets fired, deals with family issues and his friendships struggle with racism. Blue and some others love Jamaican/reggae music so whenever they have a chance to jam to it they end up stealing sound appliances to give it a more fresh feel. When they dance to the beat they want to forget they everyday troubles of work, pressures at home, police beatings, and being treated as outsiders. The rest of the white population though sees it as loud and brash, they only see him and his friends as less than equal. His stepfather is stern with him and his brother believing Blue can never hold down work. At the time the movie was controversial presenting a blistering portrait of Jamaicans and was never released in the US. Pretty much the antithesis of what mainstream audiences were used to viewing having no white savior but instead having a non-Caucasian lead. It highlights the stories of marginalized young black men in a city still predominantly depicted through a white male gaze. One of the rare examples where it explores what it's like to be forced constantly to confront racism in the workplace and on the streets. The look of the movie looks rough to match the gritty grimy attitude of the social landscape. Since it's a dog eat dog world at this time these Jamaicans feel justified inflicting the same level of hostility towards them. Thankfully the themes are still relevant today with malevolence and disenfranchisement. The movie has a great soundtrack, tells the truth, is vivid and doesn't have any outright villains or angles. Legitimate performances with tones of unbridled glee to pure frustration and hatred. Defending your own humanity and fighting for your right to work and listening to your own music utters true here. We shouldn't let ignorance win, you make money in this world or you get stepped on, does it always have to be blood for blood? Babylon is a revolutionary stance and essential social realism refusing to look away from the rougher side of things going on in South London. And it shows viewers that it's musical influence changed the British landscape. The late director crafted a movie that was kept in the shadows for so long but later finally had the recognition it deserved. This is a film that needs to be seen by many not just by its target community. Its a real part of life and not fiction. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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