Babel

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Drama

Most everyone has heard at some point about the mythic “Tower of Babel”. The story goes that men once all spoke the same language, but had become so ambitious that they built a tower meant to reach God in heaven. God was displeased with this arrogance and struck the men so that they began to speak in different languages. With no way to communicate, the Tower of Babel was no more. Communication (or lack thereof) is also the essential element in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s motion picture “Babel”.

In an age where the world is supposedly getting smaller as communication and transportation has made it easier to communicate and travel worldwide, “Babel” suggests that sometimes, people just don’t try hard enough to listen to those in their vicinity. This is no simple movie. It is a tale that spans four countries (Morocco, the US, Mexico, and Japan) and many lives. Yet their lives all intersect t some point. I personally think that fans of TV shows like “Heroes” and Lost”, with their interconnecting storylines, might appreciate “Babel” more than others.

Americans Richard and Susan (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) are in Morocco to deal with a loss. Though not specifically said, it seems they lost a child and Richard left their family for a time. Yet the couple are trying to work things out by getting as far away from San Diego as they can. While this is happening, a Moroccan farmer buys a gun to protect his goats from jackals. His two sons Yussef (Boubker Ait El Caid) and Ahmed (Said Tarchani) are in charge of the goat herd, but get a little carried away while playing with the rifle. An accident occurs that results in Susan being shot and turning everyone’s lives upside down.

Over in the U.S., the couple’s two children are being watched by the nanny Amelia (Adriana Barraza). Amelia was scheduled to attend her son’s wedding in Mexico and decides to take the kids with her when she finds no one to take care of them. Taking them across the border proves to be a monumental mistake later in the day when Amelia and nephew Santiago (Gael Garcia Bernal) have to take them home. The Tokyo part of the film finds deaf-mute Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi) coping with teenage life while dealing with an emotionally distant father (Koji Yakusho). She feels isolated and depressed because aside from her handicap, she also deals with the tragedy of her mom’s suicide.

Using the word “multilayered” almost seems a cliché when describing this film. The stories interweave and characters are so connected to one another that you would think this could only happen in movies. Yet Iñárritu makes you believe this kind of multi-racial, multilingual tale could happen right this moment. It was an ambitious project, that much is obvious, yet the filmmakers pull it off almost effortlessly. Stellar acting by an ensemble cast led by Pitt and Blanchett really pulls you into the story. The most surprising performances come from Kikuchi and Barraza.

Though majority of their scenes hardly features any spoken English (in Kikuchi’s case, English isn’t spoken nor signed), their performances are probably the most compelling. Maybe it’s because we’re so exposed to American cinema that any glimpse we can get of another country truly piques our interest. I’d like to think it was more of a combination of a great screenplay and fantastic acting that shone through more than anything.

At almost two and a half hours, “Babel” will leave you drained at the end. But more than the film’s length, it is the depth and power of the story that will force you to think, feel, and empathize with the characters onscreen. As I said earlier, the acting was excellent, and I’d like to give the casting director proper credit too. Each character was spot-on in their deliveries, you felt their pain and isolation. In a day and age when the term “it’s a small world” is used too often, “Babel” makes you believe the world isn’t just smaller. You’re part of that world too.