BABEL (2006)

Directed By: Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu 
Written By: Guillermo Arriaga 
Idea By: Guillermo Arriaga & Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu 
Cinematography By: Rodrigo Prieto 
Editor: Douglas Krise & Stephen Mirrione 
Music By: Gustavo Santaolalla 


Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Rinko Kikuchi, Adriana Barraza, Elle Fanning, Nathan Gamble, Gael Garcia Bernal, Clifton Collins Jr., Michael Pena, Koji Yakusho 


4 interlocking stories connected by a single gun converge at the end to reveal a complex and tragic story of the lives of humanity around the world and how we truly aren't all that different. In Morocco, a troubled married couple are on vacation trying to work out their differences. Meanwhile, a Moroccan herder buys a rifle for his sons so they can keep the jackals away from his herd. A girl in Japan dealing with rejection, the death of her mother, the emotional distance of her father, her own self-consciousness, and a disability among many other issues, deals with modern life in the enormous metropolis of Tokyo, Japan. Then, on the opposite side of the world the married couple's Mexican nanny takes the couple's 2 children with her to her son's wedding in Mexico, only to come into trouble on the return trip. Combined, it provides a powerful story and an equally powerful looking glass into the lives of seemingly random people around the world and it shows just how connected we really are

This is definitely a thought provoking movie to say the least. It is definitely made by a filmmaker who is an auteur and had a definite vision. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu has always been one of the few working independent directors who seems to fully employ interlocking time jumping multi character stories.

In this film it plays over 3 foreign countries. Now it is a powerful film with a sense of dread hangovers by over the whole film and it affects the audience in just the right places, but if you are used to Inarritu”s films.

This film is kind of a flawed work. As it isn’t as strong or doesn’t effect the audience as much even though it tries. It’s not as Strong as his previous films AMORES PERROS or 21 GRAMS. Maybe because those were more Introductory to the process but also because it’s the same themes played out with a bigger Budget and a more grand scale for what seems to be a message to show how we are all the same and that tragedy affects us in the same way in different circumstances. It’s universal we all betray people we trust unwittingly with good intentions. We are all lonely and try to depend on ourselves it need some form of interaction and companionship to feel like we are worth something and/or complete and that is part of the themes explored in my interpretation.

Here what is being alluded it is more obvious then in his other films. As the title reference the Tower of Babel, as told in Genesis 11:1-9 is an Origin Myth meant to explain why the world's peoples speak different languages. According to the story, a united humanity in the generations following the great flood, speaking a single language and migrating eastward, comes to the land of shinar. There they agree to build a city and a tower tall enough to reach heaven. God, observing their city and tower, confounds their speech so that they can no longer understand each other, and scatters them around the world. Which Essentially tells you all you need to know. Since each story was filmed at different times and on different continents, some of the cast members never met their counterparts until the film's premiere.

The beginning of the film tries to set things in motion as we meet the characters of two boys who work on the farm of their parents and get a hold of a rifle and decide to play with it. Which when fired shoots an American tourist on a bus payed by Cate Blanchett her husband is played by Brad Pitt

This is one of the better performances of Brad Pitt. It’s not only good but might even be one of his career bests (though considering how much he makes a film shouldn’t he always be giving this type? Hitting it just out of the ballpark each and every time?) here he is asked to be emotional and forceful while he consoles his injured wife Cate Blanchett, who is excellent as always with the limited screen time she is given.

Their kids in the film are left with the nanny who decides to take them to Mexico for her son’s wedding. This is more of a slow burn of a story that contains one of the best reactions from a child reacting to the beheading of a chicken. This story also provides cameos by Clifton Collins Jr. and Michael Pena. Where as she and the children are lost in the desert and almost perish. As excoriating as it is to watch them slowly peril and it seems all hope is lost by the minute. It seems cruel but do we feel more sorry but only because they are children but Caucasian children. As in the end of this movie there’s seems more important and valuable.

The third story which is also the most internally emotional involves a deaf mute Japanese girl but it really seems to be about so much more. That it’s like a jazz song. It contains so many different levels at work. That strangely while quiet becomes the most vibrant of all the stories actually. This story seems to be more about being seen and acknowledged no only socially but also by the characters father who seems more distant with his daughter as she has gotten older.

The film takes you to the edge of heartbreak but seems to take it back unfortunately the characters who seem to get punished are more the dark skinned characters.

Can’t really tell if this film was morn Oscar bait and appealing internationally or if Inarritu with his clout sought to smell a dream project. It’s definitely not a snack. It is more a feast of all senses.

He is trying to say something and as always showcase humanity with little to no judgements only here it seems a little heavy handed and obvious at times. Which can easily lead to pretension. Only here one has to applaud the director for trying something different bringing more his type or brand of storytelling to a broader mainstream audience. So that it is more experimental but forma film that is rather somber, So full of life.

The whole cast of the film is good across the board, but can’t really spotlight any particular cast member for special mention with my reservations that are personal. I still think this is worth watching as it seems like a piece of art that might be obvious in meaning but visually is something special. Not to mention it’s beautiful music score.

This film comes so close to being a masterpiece, but just falls short. Though is way open to interpretation

Grade: B