Following in the wake of Syriana and The Constant Gardener, Babel is a thought-provoking film examining a multitude of characters and locales.
Set in Morocco, Japan, San Diego and Mexico, the movie cuts among four interconnected tales. At the center is an American tourist couple, Susan (Cate Blanchett) and Richard (Brad Pitt). While vacationing in Morocco, a young Moroccan boy playing with his brother accidentally shoots Susan. The movie then relays the stories of the young boy's family, the couple's children, their maid who illegally takes them into Mexico and a sex-crazed, deaf Japanese girl.
This certainly makes for an interesting setup, and while the story is well-told, the strongest aspect of the movie is the cinematography. The film opens with panoramic shots of the Moroccan desert shown throughout the film, reminiscent of Lawrence of Arabia. The most memorable visual sequence, however, occurs when the Japanese girl drunkenly stumbles into a dance club. The film periodically cuts to her perspective, showing a blur of colorful lights and strobe effects (in complete silence to account for her deafness).
Additionally, the biblical title conveys the film's themes of language barriers and confusion amidst cultures. But as complex and engaging as Babel is - it won three awards at the Cannes Film Festival - it is not a film for everyone. Certain sequences run extremely slow, and the film forces the viewer to think deeply. Viewers in search of a traditional Hollywood thriller should look elsewhere; however, anyone seeking a film of high artistic quality will be extremely pleased.
