Film Review: Babel (2006)
The advent of the 21st century brought with it a wave of globalisation, a belief that the world was becoming smaller and more interconnected. As borders began to lose their significance, filmmakers sought to explore this interconnectedness through cinema. One such film was Babel, a 2006 drama directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, which delves into the connections between various countries and cultures.
The plot begins in Morocco, where Abdullah (played by Mustapha Rachidi), a goat herder, buys a rifle to protect his flock from jackals. The weapon is given to his sons Yussef (played by Boubker Ait El Caid) and Ahmed (played by Said Tarchani), who accidentally shoot Susan (played by Cate Blanchett), an American tourist traveling on a bus. As authorities launch a manhunt, believing this to be a terrorist act, Susan's husband Richard (played by Brad Pitt) desperately tries to save his wife's life while telling Amelia (played by Adriana Barraza), their Mexican nanny in the United States, to take extra care of their two children – Debbie (played by Elle Fanning) and Mike (played by Nathan Gamble). Amelia has planned to attend her son’s wedding in Mexico, so she decides to bring children with her across the border. Meanwhile, in Japan, Chieko Wataya (played by Rinko Kikuchi), a deaf teenage girl, grapples with her mother's suicide and romantic isolation before becoming attracted to Kenji Mamiya (played by Satoshi Nikaido), one of the police detectives investigating the rifle used in the shooting.
Like his previous films Amores Perros and 21 Grams, Iñárritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga construct Babel around different plots connected by accident. In this film, the approach is expanded to a global scale, with stories unfolding on three continents and characters speaking three languages. This structure serves as both the film's strength and weakness.
The best aspect of Babel is Iñárritu's use of this structure to showcase memorable sights and sounds from various parts of the world, such as the Moroccan desert landscape, Tokyo skyline, or a Mexican wedding. The cast, diverse in its origins, is also impressive, with standout performances from Gael García Bernal as Amelia’s nephew and Rinko Kikuchi, who bravely handles difficult role that would also require her to appear nude, a detail that made some critics accuse film of being exploitative. However, some actors, like Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, seem like glorified cameos, making the film feel artificial at times due to their stardom.
The concept, however, fails to connect these stories into a coherent whole, relying on far-fetched coincidences that resemble the Butterfly Effect. Some subplots demand characters to act incredibly stupid or irresponsible in order to complicate their plots in the most melodramatic ways possible. Moreover, Babel fails to convey a general theme or message beyond its title and the biblical legend of the Tower of Babel, which suggests that the main problem in today's world is a lack of understanding.
Created after 9/11 under the shadow of Iraq and the Global War on Terror, Iñárritu and Arriaga attempt to win critics' favour through “politcal correctness”, by portraying innocent Muslims in Third World countries and Mexican immigrants as victims of bigotry and oppression. This approach succeeded in garnering positive reviews, decent box office results, and prestigious awards like the Oscar for Best Soundtrack, won by Gustavo Santaolalla a year after his similar win with Brokeback Mountain.
In conclusion, Babel is a watchable film that ultimately sinks under the weight of its ambition. It can only be recommended to hardcore cinephiles and those with a taste for arthouse cinema.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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