Filmmaker Damien Chazelle expressed his frustration that one aspect of his 2022 film Babylon went largely unnoticed, despite his considerable efforts. Starring an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, the film explores the rise and fall of various Hollywood stars during the industry’s transition from silent films to talkies in the late 1920s.
Pitt played the role of a troubled and off-married star, who according to the film’s director stole the spotlight with his charisma, overshadowing other elements of the film. One such element was a cow, which Chazelle worked hard to feature, only for it to be overlooked due to Pitt’s commanding presence.
Damien Chazelle’s Extreme Efforts to Feature a Cow in Babylon
While promoting the 2022 film, Babylon, Damien Chazelle discussed his approach to including intricate details in the background scenes. Despite his meticulous efforts, he expressed frustration that the audience was heavily invested in the star of the movie, overlooking one particular background scene he heavily invested in.
In a conversation with One Demand Entertainment, the Oscar-winning filmmaker reflected on a close-up scene of Pitt in the 2022 film, where a cow randomly walks off in the background. Chazelle revealed that he put so much effort and money into that one specific background scene.
We spend money on this cow, we train the cow. It was all kind of orchestrated. No one ever even [noticed it]. People who mixed the movie who’ve seen it hundreds of times ever. I mean I tried to brighten the cow, I tried to raise up its sound.
But no one ever noticed the cow, as people were too busy being charmed by the Bullet Train star. “The problem with casting Brad is actually he screws the background thing,” the filmmaker humorously noted. The actor also quipped in, saying, “I must have been looking at Brad Pitt too.”
However, Pitt also expressed admiration for the film’s visually stunning shots, noting the richness and complexity of each frame. He described the overall orchestration of the scenes as captivating and even mesmerizing.
Damien Chazelle Acknowledged Babylon’s Failure
Despite boasting a star cast like Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, Damien Chazelle’s 2022 film received polarizing reviews. While the film earned three Oscar nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, it ended up being a box office bomb, grossing only $63 million worldwide.
The director acknowledged the film’s failure in a recent appearance on TCM’s Talking Pictures podcast. “Certainly, in financial terms, Babylon didn’t work at all,” Chazelle said, as he reflected on the impact the film’s failure could have on his career and creative decisions.
You try to not have that effect what you’re doing creatively, but, at some level, it can’t help but affect it. But maybe that’s OK? I have a very mixed mind about it. Who knows. Maybe I won’t be able to get this one made. I have no idea. We’ll have to wait and see.
However, he still shared that he has been focused on writing, and once he completes the script that he has been working on, he will attempt to bring it to life with a cautious outlook on the future. Damien Chazelle also acknowledged the unlikelihood of securing a budget as substantial as that of the 2022 film for his next project.
Babylon is available to stream on Paramount+.
