Babylon

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One of the most highly regarded cult British films of the 1980s, Babylon is raw and incendiary film-making at its very best.

The film centres around the racial divide of London in the '80s, the lack of opportunities available to black people and poverty. Sound system 'toaster' Blue (Brinsley Forde) and his Ital Lion crew are looking forward to a sound clash competition with rival outfit Jah Shaka. But as the event approaches, Blue's personal life begins to unravel. Fired from his job, he begins to suspect his girlfriend is cheating on him and then one night he is brutally beaten by plain-clothes policemen.

Finally, when their lock-up garage is broken into and their sound-system destroyed, Blue cannot take any more. Increasingly angered and alienated by what he perceives to be society's rejection of his race and his culture, Blue is compelled to respond by fighting fire with fire.

Directed by Franco Rosso, co-written by Martin Stellman (Quadrophenia), and photographed by two-time Oscar® winner Chris Menges, the film features an entirely reggae and dub soundtrack, including artists such as Yabby U, I-Roy, Aswad, and Dennis Bovell.

Babylon world-premiered at Cannes' Semaine de la critique in 1980. It received X rating, and was released in the UK in late 1980. Originally deemed “too controversial, and likely to incite racial tension” to play at the New York Film Festival, the film was not released in the United States until 2019.

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