BABEL
US/MEXICO, 2006
Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu
Ecumenical Jury Prize, Cannes 2006
SHORT REVIEW
A sad and harrowing tale which expertly weaves three seemingly disparate family stories together into a global tapestry and as a result sheds some light on the interconnectedness of the human condition.
The three stories consist of an American couple traveling in Morocco, a nanny returning to her native Mexico for her son’s wedding, and a deaf Japanese teenager desperately searching for a human connection of her own in Tokyo.
Babel, like the story from the Old Testament, is ultimately a portrayal of just how difficult it is to honestly communicate with one another in an increasingly shrinking world.
LONG REVIEW
A sad and harrowing tale which expertly weaves three seemingly disparate family stories together into a global tapestry and as a result sheds some light on the interconnectedness of the human condition.
The three stories consist of an American couple traveling in Morocco, a nanny returning to her native Mexico for her son’s wedding, and a deaf Japanese teenager desperately searching for a human connection of her own in Tokyo.
Each of these stories focuses in some manner on a relationship between a parent and a child. The relevance and apparent lesson is that we first learn to communicate through our connection to our parents. Babel is ultimately a portrayal of just how difficult it is to honestly communicate with one another in an increasingly shrinking world.
A goat-herding Moroccan father acquires a high-powered rifle for his sons in order to keep predators at bay. His two young sons begin the film by setting off a chain of events that will resonate for the viewer for the remainder of the film. A bullet from this gun pierces the metal shell of a tourist bus, hitting an innocent victim.
The Tokyo story is particularly heartbreaking and could even exist on its own if extended to a full-length feature film. The deaf teenage girl yearns for a connection with anyone as her internal anger resonates from serial rejection manifesting itself in several instances of social misbehavior. This slice of the story is psychologically accurate and quite compelling.
If anything negative can be said for this film it is that there is no beginning and no end, rather it is more a snapshot in time, and then life goes on. Instead of witnessing one hero on his journey, the emotional power of the story is diminished by having us peer into the lives of several people we don’t get to know all that well. But this results in another of the film’s central themes — not only does every action have a consequence, but every inaction does as well.
Both writer Guillermo Arriago and director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (also collaborators on Amores Perros and 21 Grams) are at the top of their game here. This production is of the highest standard, with excellent music, cinematography, and performances, making this an all-around, compelling work of art.
It is a film that will stay with you long after the credits finish rolling.
CRITERIA FOR FILM REVIEWING
A good film must above all else move me. This is just a plain and simple truth, which in reality, is a very difficult thing to do.
What I mean is that I respond first and foremost to a film from an emotional point of view. Many people go to films as an escape, some go to have a laugh, others are looking to explore. Me? I go to be moved. And the first question I ask myself after experiencing a film is, “Did this film, in some manner, in some way, pierce my heart?”
What does it really mean to move someone? It’s more than simply inducing a deep emotional reaction. It’s more akin to connecting emotionally with what Jung calls the “collective unconscious” — that aspect of humanity that we all share that responds in a more or less similar way to the basics of love, empathy, pity, anger, joy, remorse, gratitude, frustration, jealousy, regret, desire, etc. Think of it as viewing the film through a catholic lens — that’s catholic with a small “c” — denoting universality and man’s shared humanity.
A good film is more than just a series of moving images. It’s comprised of so many complicated and complex elements, like parts of a car, that if any of them are not working properly, or are missing, or are incorrectly placed, then the entire film suffers.
Think of the various parts of a car that are necessary for it to run properly. These parts must be expertly assembled and well integrated for it to be an automobile that is received well by the buying public. It is the sum of these parts.
The same can be said for a film.
The most important part of the car — the frame — serves as its foundation, that part of the car on which all of the other important parts must attach themselves to. It is the core, its central strength. And in a film this frame is the script. A well-made film must first begin with a strong script.
The engine of a car provides the horsepower that propels the frame. A car can have an engine too small for its size and suffer in performance or the engine can be too large and cause stress on the frame. A film’s engine is its ensemble of actors. Actors rely on emotion to fuel their performance. We’ve all seen acting performances which have elevated otherwise sub-par material and vice versa with an otherwise great film that is lacking because of a lead performance gone astray. An excellent film contains acting performances that are truthful, compelling, and deeply emotional.
The transmission and steering wheel are integral components of a car. The transmission converts the engine’s propulsion and allows the wheels to turn. The steering wheel controls the car’s direction. In a film these two components are represented by the director. He or she closely monitors and helps shape the actors’ performances as well as determines the direction of the story.
The headlights and windshield on a car provide illumination and visibility, especially with respect to the external influences of Mother Nature. If either is dirty or marred then the driving experience will be hampered. In a film this area of responsibility is in the hands of the cinematographer, who works with the elements of light to best capture the visuals of a film.
The tires, wheels, and suspension system of a car keep the foundation firmly attached to the road and the ground beneath. The road may be full of potholes or wet and slippery but the tires must continue to hold their traction and the suspension should keep the ride smooth at all times. A film’s editor helps smooth out any mishaps that might occur when shooting the film and ultimately protects the frame of the film, the script.
A finely tuned exhaust system doesn’t bring attention to itself. It doesn’t make erroneous backfires. Its purr should match the throttle of the engine. In a film the musical score best represents this as it runs through the whole of the film, subtly highlighting key emotional moments and never bringing attention to itself in doing so.
All of these parts must work seamlessly together to produce a rewarding product.
You may like minivans or sports cars and I may like sedans but as moviegoers we’re all just test drivers. We get into a film and let it take us for a ride. Our riding experience depends much on our preferences and what aspects of a film we appreciate and respond to the most.
The first several minutes of our film experience set the tone and we may ask ourselves — am I in good hands? If I can trust the vehicle that’s taking me on this journey then I will tend to sit back and suspend any lingering disbelief. If I cannot then I will continue to be on the lookout for glaring cracks in the narrative, picking apart specific shot selections, and shaking my head at a moment when an actor’s emotion is truly not believable.
A good film must have no false notes. And by this I mean that it should be honest according to the human condition. One false story note could begin to eat at the whole of the film like rust to the undercarriage of a car. A false acting performance is akin to one of the pistons misfiring.
Cars (and films) are being made in more countries now than ever before. Many of the traditional manufacturers have lost their ability to innovate. They’ve lost their creativity and have suffered as a result. The more interesting cars (films) are now being made by the non-traditional manufacturers who are able to create them with a unique and rewarding freshness.
Whenever I first take my seat in the theater I will continue to hope that I’ll be rewarded by a film that is well made, interesting, and provides an emotional experience that pierces the heart…
