"Babel" (2006) – Movie Review – “A Dark and Moving Poem”

(The movie is Rated R for violence, some graphic nudity, sexual content, explicit language and some drug use.)

Alejandro González Iñárritu acclaimed director of “Amorros Perros” and “21 grams” has presented his new creation “Babel” with the same style of non-linear editing and four stories that happen in different regions across the globe. The ripples of one particular event forming the spine for all the other events within the plot is something the current audience is used to, through previous movies from the same director and also from movies such as Oscar-winning “Crash”. Still, Alejandro presents a heart-throbbing script in a novel fashion, which fills the audience with anxiety and pathos throughout the course of the movie.

“Babel” depicts lots of issues and emotions ingrained in human society in general, regardless of the geographical location. The slips and dips of normal human beings of different ages have been portrayed through astonishing stories. There is no strong dialogue or striking twists; rather the movie plays with the viewer’s emotions while he/she is fastened to a roller coaster. The viewer gets into the screen along with the diverse characters as the movie progresses. This is the strength of “Babel”, on how well it connects with the audience.

The impressive performance by Rinko Kikuchi as the physically challenged Japanese teen girl, who is deaf and mute, stands apart in the movie. Her emotional distress and frustration and the guilt associated with it are so disturbing and touching. The rest of the cast definitely gives a solid performance as well and the movie stands on their shoulders.

The colorful Mexico, the bright deserts of Morocco and the blue-tinted Japan revolve as if it were a literal Kaleidoscope showcasing life around the world. Editing is astounding and compelling. The movie can be described as four short films blended together with a remote connectivity. The link between these stories seems merely to provide closure for the audience as well as the director himself. Each of the four stories could have been watched individually with the same substance but the scene-shifting between them is what gives the touch of elegance and a mesh of moods.

Some of the poetic scenes in the movie worth mentioning are the marriage party in Mexico, night life club sequence in Japan and the unusual romantic piece involving Brad Pitt as Richard and Cate Blanchett as Susan.

“Babel” will be set apart as a piece for genre audience who has the patience and the artistic involvement as generally termed by the common world, but it is purely entertaining and classy in its own way for all audience.

(Thanks to Mathangi for Proof Reading and Corrections)