BABYLON AD
US, 2008, 90 minutes, Colour.
Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Melanie Thierry, Gerard Depardieu, Charlotte Rampling, Mark Strong, Lambert Wilson.
Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz.
Director Mathieu Kassovitz has expressed, very strongly, his disapproval of this version of his film. For fans of this kind of futuristic action film may have to wait for the Director’s Cut.
What remains is strong on locations, stunts and special effects - these locations range from an over-populated Russia, to the wilds of Mongolia and a Shangri-La? convent, to Vladivostok and the ice cap between Siberia and North America, to the wilds of Canada and a New York that does not look all that different from now. The reason for the locations is that the hero, a disillusioned mercenary now seen as a terrorist, is blackmailed into bringing a special woman, a genetically engineered creation who is to be proclaimed as a new messiah and to give credence (and financial gain) to a new religion.
One of the problems is that the mercenary is played, as much he did in Pitch Black, xXx, The Chronicles of Riddick, by a grim Vin Diesel (of the Steven Seagall school of hard, expressionless action). Melanie Thierry is the girl. But, for cinema buffs, it is the supporting cast which is the most interesting: Charlotte Rampling doing he cold, haughty and cutting thing as the exploitative high priestess of the new religion, Lambert Wilson as he estranged doctor-genetic engineer husband, Mark Strong as a gung-ho drive and, best of all, Michelle Yeoh as Sister Rebecca who is the demure guardian of the young woman - though she is forced into exercising her martial arts skills. Gerard Depardieu appears in a couple of scenes grotesquely playing a grotesque criminal.
Familiar material, not always coherent (maybe due to producer interference) with some interesting moments.
1.A futuristic story? About power, religion? Threats to democracy?
2.The director’s comments on the film, the cutting, reducing it to an action PG13 show?
3.The style of the future: Russia, bleak, Mongolia, the convent, Kazakhstan and Vladivostok? The ice and the submarines? North America, the snow? New York, modern? The countryside of Upstate New York? The musical score, atmosphere?
4.The international cast, the French perspective, the French story?
5.Toorop as hero? Vin Diesel’s screen presence, morose, the mercenary, his life, past, accusations of terrorism, being forbidden in the US? In a tough society in Russia? Preparing his meal? Gorsky and his deal, the job, Toorop accepting? Going to the convent, meeting Sister Rebecca, the arguments with her, the deal? Protecting Aurora? Going on the mission, giving his word? Aurora lost in the crowds? Aurora’s powers? The train ride? Vladivostok, Finn and his help? On the snow and on the ice? Getting into the submarine? People dying and Aurora taking control of the submarine? Toorop in the snow? Finn’s betrayal? Aurora healing Toorop and his gratitude? Killing Finn? The passport control, injecting himself, the inner passport and tracking device? The plane ride, New York, the apartment? Delivering Aurora? The high priestess and her confrontation? The doctor checking on Aurora? The thugs? Phoning Gorsky? Saving Aurora, dying with the gunshots, being taken by Doctor Darquandier? His being brought back to his death moment, realising the truth, where Aurora was? Going to Upper New York State, finding Aurora, her bequeathing the twins to him?
6.Sister Rebecca, a strong character, pleasant, the story of her life, being in the convent, helping Aurora, travelling with Toorop, her drawing on her martial arts skills? Her death?
7.Aurora, her being invented, Darquandier as her constructor, the high priestess considering herself her mother? Her father’s attempts to send people to save her but their being attacked by Toorop? The issue of religion, the high priestess going on television? Gorsky and his commission to get Aurora to New York? The convent, her sheltered life, her powers, in the crowds, lost, on the train, the submarine and her grief for those who died, the accusation that she was carrying a virus? On the bikes through the snow, the attack, her healing Toorop? In New York, the truth about her pregnancy, a virginal conception? Her fleeing New York, going to Toorop’s house, her death, the twins?
8.Doctor Darquandier, his past, with the high priestess, Gorsky attempting his death, his not dying? His experiences, trying to rescue Aurora? Toorop being revived, giving the information? The high priestess confronting and killing him?
9.The high priestess, her style, on television, the miracle, proclaiming the miracle, engineering the miracle? Her board, her anger with them, her plans, the messiah? The new religion? Wealth? Her killing Gorsky?
10.Toorop and his passport, being tracked, especially by Gorsky, becoming the victim, his opening words about his doing a good deed on the day that he died? His surviving?
11.The children of Aurora, one black, one white, the future?
12.Themes of the future, power and wealth, poverty and suffering, hope, religion, messianic hopes and exploitation?
