Babel Review
by Tim Voon (winklebeck AT hotmail DOT com)December 31st, 2006
Babel (2006)
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 2006 Timothy Voon
2.5 out of 5 stars
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Adriana Barraza, Gael García Bernal, Rinko Kikuchi, Kôji Yakusho
'Babel' is a reference to an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. It was a place where all men spoke with a common tongue and because of this unity, they endeavored to build a tower that would reach the heavens and challenge God himself. To avert this, God changed their language so that they could not understand each other and as a result there plans to complete the mythical 'Tower of Babel' did not eventuate.
The movie 'Babel' follows a similar vein in that it explores issues of miscommunication caused by differences in languages spoken, and cultures that at times clash with each other. It plays like the movie 'Crash' to a degree, in that what appears to be 4 separate stories is actually linked together by a common thread. However, it isn't as concise or heartfelt as 'Crash' in its presentation. The viewer is at times bewildered at the choppy segments of film, as seemingly unrelated scenes flit from one episode to the next, without an apparent link. Eventually, director Alejandro González Iñárritu ties the stories together, but it comes a little late in the movie. What does not help is the fact that the segments do not necessarily correspond properly to a time line. This confuses the stories more.
However, I did find that the individual segments were well directed, even if the movie did not tie together cohesively as a whole. There are memorable scenes that leave the viewer tense and anxious for the characters portrayed within them. In particular when children are lost in a desert as their nanny desperately seeks help. They are lost, crying for their parents, dehydrated and badly parched by the Sun. Or when a traveler (Brad Pitt) desperately seeks medical aid for his wife (Cate Blanchett).She has been seriously wounded by a bullet and they are stuck in a remote township somewhere in Morocco (a traveler's worst nightmare).
However, this movie's main theme (although subtle) is about miscommunication. The misunderstanding between a married couple trying to sort out their problems whilst on holiday. The fear generated in tourists in a foreign country after a shooting occurs. The misunderstanding between the police and the people they serve, where the policy in Morocco appears to be 'shoot first and ask questions later'. The misunderstanding of a Hispanic man crossing the U.S. Mexican border, where deeply felt suspicions lead to disastrous consequences. A deaf, mute girl's inability to hear or speak shows us what irreparable damage can occur to a person's psyche, when they are isolated from the 'norm' of this world. There are other sideline themes of how unsupervised provision of firearms to children can have devastating consequences.
Brad Pitt's performance is good. However, his on screen time is mostly limited to panic over his wife's shooting. I'm not convinced that this will be enough to net him an Academy Award nomination. Cate Blanchett is always excellent and does not disappoint in her limited role as the wounded wife. However, I do not feel that this movie hits the mark that it aims for. However, there is enough good acting, moments of tension and anxiety to keep it afloat for the viewer.
Timothy Voon
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