The story of the Tower of Babel is about when God scattered men across the earth and gave them all different languages. The movie Babel shows us that across all those countries we are still similar in how we deal with pain and need each other, despite our inability to communicate effectively.
It’s somewhat impossible to give a brief synopsis of this film; however I will offer a viewing tip. There are three main stories and they do not occur at the same time. There is a story taking place in Morocco that is told throughout the movie but actually takes place in time before the other two stories. This is the strongest most effective story in my opinion. The second story consists of a Mexican nanny who takes her charges across the border for her son’s wedding. This culture clash is done really well and is interesting to watch until it falls apart without a really compelling reason. Finally, there is a Japanese teenage girl who is deaf and we watch her struggle with loss and acceptance. This last story is the weakest, both in its extreme melodramatics and loose connection to the rest of the movie.
That was my critique on story, now let’s talk film. All three stories are told beautifully and almost silently. I feel strongly you could turn of subtitles and just watch this film. Some of the Japanese story is actually told without sound and it’s incredibly powerful. The score was very moving and well utilized and a strong contender for the academy award. I also feel that the non-chronological editing style, a signature of the director’s movies, will give Children of Men a run for its money. Finally, Iñárritu stands a good chance of winning the Oscar for best director.
All of the acting is excellent, but I believe Adriana Barraza as the nanny should take home the Oscar. As for Best Picture and Best Screenplay, I don’t believe this is the strongest film of the year. Sadly, I think it’s actually the director’s weakest film and recommend everyone check out 21 Grams. While I found this film fantastic in its execution, and worthy of a good discussion, I think it failed to be what it could have been, given the incredible talent of the director and screenwriter. I’ve seen more powerful movies than this, sadly most of which do not get nominated for Best Picture.
I find it ironic that the director has called this film his most hopeful. Given that this was his intent just indicates to me even more that it failed on some level. The American couple in Morocco does find some reconciliation through their tragedy and it seems that the Japanese teenager decides against suicide…however I did not feel that her troubles are resolved in any way. The native family in Morocco is now devastated by the loss of one son to death and another to prison. The nanny is deported back to Mexico; having to leave the children she has essentially raised herself since their births. I actually found the ending to be quite sad and without hope. It did not appear to me that any of the cross cultures learned to communicate better with each other. Perhaps the hope lies in our desire to improve these communications after the film…but that seems like a stretch.
