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BABEL (R)

Plot Summary: An American woman is shot while vacationing in Morocco, setting off an international incident is that touches the lives of multiple families

Reason for the Rating: Violence, some graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use.

Babel is a movie that is both disturbing and thought provoking. It is a story that’s intricately woven, and superbly told from many angles. It is a story of communication, miscommunication, and the inability to communicate at all.

It begins with Richard (Brad Pitt) and Susan (Cate Blanchett), a married couple who are having difficulties in their marriage. There is much to be said, but nothing is said at all. In an attempt to connect, they take a vacation to Morocco. While on a bus ride in the countryside, Susan is shot in the neck. The U.S. assumes the attacker is a terrorist, but in reality it’s a young Moroccan boy, Ahmed (Said Tarchani), whose father recently purchased a rifle to keep the jackals away from their goats. His sons, in an act of sibling rivalry, shot at the bus, accidentally hitting Susan.

In the United States, Richard and Susan’s children are being cared for by their Hispanic nanny, Amelia (Adriana Barraza), who’s son is getting married in Mexico. Unable to find anyone to care for the two children, Amelia decides to take the children across the border with her…illegally. In the early hours of the morning, after the wedding, Amelia and the children set for home. At the border, they run into trouble, and her nephew, drunk and fearful, drives their car through the barricades. Later he forces Amelia and the children out of the car and into the desert where Amelia and the children must find help before dying in the oppressive heat.

In Japan, Chieko, (Rinko Kikuchi) is a deaf teenage girl whose mother has recently committed suicide. In her attempt to find connection and affection, she begins making extreme sexual advances toward any boy or man who looks her way. She lives in Tokyo, a city shared by millions of people, but the isolation she feels is so immense she is willing to put herself in any compromising position. Her father makes some attempt to reach her, but she is unable to see past her own pain of loss to respond to his efforts.

The stories in this movie are heart wrenching, and not easy to watch. The pain of isolation these characters bring to life is something we, as humans, desperately try to avoid, and to see it naked on the screen before us is difficult. Yet, Babel is an important movie that teaches us about the necessity of reaching out, communicating, not only to those in our immediate family, but to those from cultures we may not understand…the immigrant, the deaf-mute, the person who has lost a family member. These characters are prime examples of people we often isolate due to our own insecurities. Sometimes communicating and connecting in painful situations is challenging and awkward, but this is when it is the most essential and life-altering.

Nominated for 7 Oscars, some of which include Best Director, Best Score, Best Movie, and two in the Best Supporting Actress category, Babel, is clearly a masterpiece. The writing is excellent, the acting is brilliant, and the music is magnificent. Unfortunately, some of the images and scenes are sexually graphic, and unnecessarily so. While showing the mind-set of the characters, it is distracting and disturbing. Looking beyond these uncomfortable scenes, we can see how purposefully this movie is constructed. Each interaction between the characters has meaning, and shows how easily we can be consumed with our own pain or morals.

In an interesting moment, Ahmed and his brother, Yussef (Boubker Ait El Caid), confess to shooting the American tourist. In a rush of accusation, Yussef reveals that Ahmed has also been spying on their sister while she undresses, and she has been aware of Ahmed’s motives. It is difficult to discern which their father is more upset by; his son’s murdering a woman or his daughter’s incestuous activities. We also see tourists who are more concerned with their own comfort than the woman who is dying in the next room. Overall, much food for thought.

FAMILYFANS RECOMMENDS:

Babel is not a movie for those who prefer action or comedy. If you enjoy thought-provoking, intense movies, this is one you will want to see. But, due to graphic sexual scenes, this is not a movie to see with your children.

AFTER THE SHOW: 

• What could Chieko have done differently in her situation? How might she have communicated her inner isolation and pain to her father in more healthy, less destructive ways?

• Is there a situation in which you need to communicate to someone, but are having difficulty? What are some possible solutions?

• Many times we judge others (such as an illegal immigrant) from afar. How do you think you would see these groups of people differently if you knew them personally? Explain.

JW

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