Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9170 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-05-21
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Box set, Collector's Edition, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 138 minutes

Synopsis
BABEL is the crowning achievement in the trilogy from the unstoppable creative pairing of screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga and director Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu, which also includes AMORES PERROS and 21 GRAMS. High up in the Moroccan mountains, two young boys--the sons of a local herdsman--are randomly test-firing a rifle their father has entrusted them with. As they take aim at a vehicle in the distance, they are blissfully unaware of the chain of events they will set into motion as one of the brothers pulls the trigger. Moments earlier, Richard and Susan (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett)--a wealthy couple from San Diego--are seen travelling across the desert when their coach is shot at and Susan is badly injured. Distraught and panic-stricken, Richard calls home to inform their Mexican maid Amelia (Adriana Barraza) of the situation and to ask her to look after their two children. However, this couldn’t have come at a worse time for Amelia, who is expected at her son’s wedding in Mexico that same day. Torn between her responsibilities to her employers and her familial obligations, she decides to attend the wedding with Richard and Susan’s children in tow. But disaster strikes when she is stopped at the border control, suspected of smuggling illegal immigrants into America. Meanwhile, the shooting in Morocco has escalated into an international incident, with the media crying terrorism. Half way around the world in Tokyo, another story is unfolding, this time involving the original owner of the rifle (Koji Yakusho) and his rebellious deaf daughter (Rinko Kikuchi). Building upon its predecessors’ method of weaving together disparate storylines, BABEL reaches new heights of ambition with a tale that, in the absence of traditional narrative and protagonist, relies on numerous incredible performances to evoke an affecting relevance by framing contemporary issues in very human struggles and mistakes. The result is an intimate, emotional experience that would approach melodrama were it not rendered so realistically. Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto’s colour palette masterfully captures the muted tones of the harsh natural landscapes of Morocco and the Mexican border, as well as the fluorescent lights of Tokyo that denote another, equally barren, end of the spectrum. The misunderstandings born of cultural, language, and class barriers are on par with those that occur between family members, depicting a world that, while connected in the least expected of ways, is also faced with a deep-seated crisis that threatens to alienate humanity from itself.

Customer Reviews

Genesis Chapter 11
'Babel' is a film of overwhelming depth and power, a truly miraculous achievement. It takes three seemingly unrelated stories and weaves them together in such a masterful and compelling way, to where you find yourself deeply invested emotionally in these characters situations without actually realising when you began caring - it's done so seamlessly, it just creeps up on you, subtly and organically.

The film is not just ambitious for the sake of being ambitious, either. There's a genuine depth here, real characters in all their humanity, and the ultimate achievement is indeed on the purest human level. There's an astounding amount of political subtext going on - some stated, some implied, some even more subtly inferred - but the film, in the end, is not about any of it. It's the human element that's at the core of this near-masterpiece - it's as humans, after all, that we are connected, regardless of our cultural, race, class and/or intellectual differences. 'Babel', like '21 Grams' before it, is a film that most assuredly knows where the heart is located.

From what I hear, the second disc of this DVD is a feature length making-of video diary, can't wait to see it.

Babel (2 Disc Collectors Edition)
'Babel' is a slow paced, slightly melancholy film that follows four different stories and the links between them. It is a lot more coherent to watch than '21 Grams' which was made by the same director and makes this more enjoyable as a result. The stories are a touch aimless at times and the endings, whilst linking up well, aren't very powerful. But I guess life is like that, you have events that have a major impact and then you keep on going, plus we are a lot more connected than we first realise. I guess that is what this film is trying to put across. The performances were excellent, especially Chieko, the japanese deaf-mute girl, where you really feel her frustrations and vulnerability and Brad Pitt who is better than I thought he'd be. The soundtrack, which is quite sparse, allowing the atmosphere of the film to permeate through, was moving when it had to be and was far enough in the background when most appropriate. The ending piece of music was especially moving and added perfectly to the final scene. This is a good film and worth a watch, it has no definite beginning, middle and end, but that in no way detracts from the various stories and their impact, although I feel that may have disappointed other reviewers here. Give it a view and decided for yourself, especially if you like the feel of '21 Grams' but not the convoluted or confusing storyline.

Iñárritu tackles another amazing film
It is difficult to make one good film, but director Iñárritu manages to make three good short movies. I expected the stories to be connected in a strenuous manner. Instead, I was treated with an interesting and emotionally satisfying production that succeeds in making a point that the world is a very small place. Brad Pitt is barely recognizable with a beard and several wrinkles. But the imperfection of his features doesn't matter when compared with the realistic passion behind his performance as the husband to his wife, Cate Blanchett, that mistrusts him. When his wife suffers from a bullet wound, you forget all about his stardom and focus on his love. Blanchett has less of a role to play as the wounded wife, but she effortlessly conveys the layers of her relationship with her husband behind the pain and anguish of her suffering.

The two Moroccan boys who shot her are part of a separate but interlocking story about a rural family in Morocco that just purchased its first rifle. When one of the boys shoots at the bus Blancett is on, it sets off a chain reaction that sends Morocco and America into political turmoil, not to mention their family. There are no-name actors here, and they are not particularly stunning, but their story is touching. Another storyline, possibly the least memorable of the four, involves the children of Pitt and Blanchett and their Mexican nanny who takes them across the border. Gael Garcia Bernal is terribly underused in this portion of the movie, but when he is on screen he steals the show.The best and the most disturbing storyline is that of Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi), a deaf-mute Japanese girl suffering from unsatisfied sexuality. The lengths to which she goes to fulfill her desires are pitiful and moving, and her character is the most nuanced in the movie.

This film does show a global class system where Americans are treated with more respect than those from third world countries. The goat-herders are brutalized by their own police, and the Mexicans are viewed with suspicion and contempt by the U.S. border patrol. The film wants us to sympathize with the underdogs. I've enjoyed most of Iñárritu previous work and this film isn't any different. The adaptation of each segment of this film has a respective regional style. The Moroccan track looks like an Arabic drama, the Mexican scenes have a flavor that is but too familiar to Iñárritu, while the Japanese story is told in a style and filmed in colors that remind the Japanese thrillers. Nice idea. The plots twist and curl around each other to form an amazing vine, a vine with an important message.