Babel

(source: tmdb.org)

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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Español

Hola a toda la Comunidad Hive. Bendiciones, En esta ocasión traigo una Película, dirigida por ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ IÑARRITU, se trata de BABEL 2006.

¿De qué trata?

La historia inicia con la venta de un rifle entre Hassan y Abdulah, el rifle lo usaran los hijos de Abdulah para matar a los chacales que se estaban comiendo las cabras, uno de los hijos, el menor de ellos Yussef decide probarlo para ver el alcance, disparando hacia un autobús que venía, he hiriendo a una turista Norteamericana llamada Susan que iba con su esposo Richard. Luego sale otra escena en Estados Unidos una señora Mexicana de nombre Amelia cuida dos niños Norteamericanos, pero su hijo mayor se va a casar en Tijuana, y ella no tiene con quien dejar los niños y decide llegárselos a la boda. Ahora estamos en Japón una chica sordomuda llamada Chieko Wataya, quien vive en rebeldía con su padre después del suicidio de su mama, se siente aislada por su problema y piensa de los chicos la ven como un monstruo. Mientras tanto en marruecos los chicos esconden el arma para no ser castigados, Richard le pide al chofer que se dirija al pueblo más cercano y le buscan a un veterinario que es lo más cerca de un doctor que hay, este la cose para que no se siga desangrando. Vuelve la escena donde el sobrino de Amelia los va a buscar para llevárselo a Tijuana para la boda y cuando termino la boda Amelia se regresó con los niños Santiago su sobrino bebió demasiado y los paro la policía de regreso, cuando la policía le pide el permiso firmado por los padres para andar con los niños, Santiago se da a la fuga y comienza la persecución, Santiago los abandona en plena noche en el desierto, ellos están cansados de caminar, agotados Amelia los deja debajo de un árbol y emprende ella la búsqueda la encuentra una patrulla la detienen y la esposan y rescatan a los niños. En marrueco la policía está investigando y encuentran al señor que vendió el rifle, él dice que ese rifle se lo regalo un japonés y enseña una foto. Mientras en Japón las autoridades investigan y verifican la historia del arma- Bueno amigos los invito a verla.

Personajes de la Película

BRAD PITT: Interpreta a Richard Jones, esposo de Susan mujer herida.
CATE BLANCHETT: Interpreta a Susan Jones, mujer Norteamericana herida en el autobús.
ELLE FANNING: En el papel de Debbie Jones hija del Matrimonio Norteamericano.
NATHAN GAMBLE: En el papel de Mike Jones hijo del Matrimonio Norteamericano.
ADRIANA BARRAZA: Interpreta a Amelia, mujer Mexicana que se lleva a los niños a Tijuana donde su hijo mayor se va a casar.
GAEL GARCIA BERNAL: Interpreta a Santiago sobrino de Amelia.
ABDELKADER BARA: Interpreta Hassan hombre Marroquí que le vende el Rifle a Abdulah.
MUSTAPHA RACHIDI: Interpreta a Abdulah hombre que compra el rifle, ya que los chacales estaban matando sus cabras.
SAID TARCHANI: Interpreta a Ahmed hijo de Abdulah
BOUBKER AIT EL CAID: Interpreta a Yussef, hijo de Abdulah, dispara el rifle hiriendo a Susan.
MOHAMED AKHZAM: Interpreta a Anwar el marroquí que presto su casa para que llevaran a Susan.
RINKO KIKUCHI: Interpreta a Chieko Wataya chica sordomuda, rebelde y falta de amor.
KOJI YAKUSHO: Interpreta a Yasujiro Wataya , padre de Chieko y persona que le regalo el rifle a Hassan.

Banda Sonora

La partitura Original y las canciones fueron compuestas y producidas por Gustavo Santaolalla, Ganadora el Oscar 2006 y Globo de Oro 2007 entre algunas tenemos: Cumbia sobre el rió, Tu me acostumbraste, Deportation.

Opinión Personal

Bueno señores para mi es una tremenda película donde se mezclan varias situaciones que al principio parecen descabellada. Pero que poco a poco se van mezclando y vamos cayendo en cuenta que es una historia, no me gusto la parte de Chieko pienso que estuvo demás ciertas escenas que no hacían peso en la película. Yo la he visto varias veces y me sigue gustando principalmente la actuación de Adriana Barraza se la comió, trasmitió la desesperación de estar ante el inclemente sol y sin encontrar la salida y con unos niños ajenos, pienso que la irresponsabilidad enmarco esta película, porque los niños fueron irresponsable al dispararle al autobús full de gente, la Mexicana se portó irresponsable al llevarse los niños y por último el papa de Chieko fue irresponsable al descuidar a la muchacha sabiendo el trauma que tenía por el suicidio de la mama y la falta de amor. Me encanto la película se las recomiendo.

_{Me encanto la cara de Brad Pitt y de Cate tremendos actores.}

_{Yussef era el mas impulsivo}

_{Tremenda escena}

_{Chieko Wataya}

Hasta la próxima publicación, Dios los bendiga.

English

Hello to all the Hive Community. Blessings, This time I bring a movie, directed by ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ IÑARRITU, it is BABEL 2006.

What is it about?

The story begins with the sale of a rifle between Hassan and Abdulah, the rifle will be used by Abdulah's sons to kill the jackals that were eating the goats, one of the sons, the youngest of them Yussef decides to test it to see the range, shooting at an oncoming bus, and wounding an American tourist named Susan who was going with her husband Richard. Then there is another scene in the United States, a Mexican lady named Amelia takes care of two American children, but her oldest son is getting married in Tijuana, and she has no one to leave the children with, so she decides to bring them to the wedding. Now we are in Japan, a deaf-mute girl named Chieko Wataya, who lives in rebellion with her father after her mother's suicide, feels isolated because of her problem and thinks the boys see her as a monster. Meanwhile in Morocco the boys hide the gun so as not to be punished, Richard asks the driver to go to the nearest town and they look for a veterinarian who is the closest thing to a doctor there is, he sews her up so that she doesn't bleed to death. The scene returns where Amelia's nephew goes to pick them up to take him to Tijuana for the wedding and when the wedding was over Amelia went back with the children Santiago her nephew drank too much and the police stopped them on the way back, when the police ask for the permission signed by the parents to be with the children, Santiago flees and the chase begins, Santiago abandons them in the middle of the night in the desert, they are tired of walking, exhausted Amelia leaves them under a tree and starts the search, a patrol car finds her and arrests her, handcuffs her and rescues the children. In Morocco the police are investigating and find the man who sold the rifle, he says that the rifle was a gift from a Japanese and shows a photo. While in Japan the authorities investigate and verify the history of the gun - Well friends I invite you to see it.

Film Characters

BRAD PITT: Plays Richard Jones, husband of Susan, injured woman.
CATE BLANCHETT: Playing Susan Jones, American woman injured on the bus.
ELLE FANNING: In the role of Debbie Jones, daughter of the American couple.
NATHAN GAMBLE: As Mike Jones, son of the American couple.
ADRIANA BARRAZA:** As Amelia, a Mexican woman who takes the children to Tijuana where her oldest son is getting married.
GAEL GARCIA BERNAL:** Plays Santiago, Amelia's nephew.
ABDELKADER BARA: Plays Hassan, a Moroccan man who sells the Rifle to Abdulah.
MUSTAPHA RACHIDI: Play Abdulah man who buys the rifle, as the jackals were killing his goats.
SAID TARCHANI: Play Ahmed son of Abdulah.
BOUBKER AIT EL CAID: Play Yussef, son of Abdulah, shoots the rifle wounding Susan.
MOHAMED AKHZAM: Play Anwar the Moroccan who lends his house to take Susan.
RINKO KIKUCHI: Plays Chieko Wataya, a deaf-mute, rebellious and loveless girl.
**KOJI YAKUSHO:**Plays Yasujiro Wataya, Chieko's father and the person who gave Hassan the rifle

Soundtrack

The original score and songs were composed and produced by Gustavo Santaolalla, winner of the Oscar 2006 and Golden Globe 2007 among others: Cumbia sobre el rio, Tu me acostumbraste, Deportation.

Personal Opinion

Well gentlemen for me it is a tremendous film where several situations that at first seem crazy are mixed. But little by little they are mixed and we realize that it is a story, I did not like the part of Chieko I think it was too much certain scenes that did not make weight in the film. I have seen it several times and I still like it, mainly Adriana Barraza's performance, she ate it, she transmitted the desperation of being in front of the inclement sun and without finding a way out and with some strange children, I think that irresponsibility framed this film, because the children were irresponsible to shoot the bus full of people, the Mexican woman was irresponsible to take the children and finally Chieko's father was irresponsible to neglect the girl knowing the trauma she had by the suicide of the mother and the lack of love. I love the movie I recommend it.

_{I loved Brad Pitt's face and Cate's tremendous actors.}

_{Yussef was the most impulsive.}

_{Tremendous scene}