Taglines for Babel (2006) advertisement If You Want to be Understood...Listen Tragedy is universal A single gunshot heard around the world. A global disaster. Pain is universal... But so is hope. One shot, many kills.
We can't understand each other because we don't understand each other's language. Is it true or not? This film teaches us the answer.
NOTE:this review contains some spoilers(ネタバレ), so be careful.
It's set in contemporary San Diego, Morocco, Mexico and Tokyo. Many stories come together in this film. A gun connects all the characters and causes a disaster. They experiences discrimination because of the idea of "they and we" and children are used for the benefits of adults. You will also realize that we are helpless in nature and uncivilized areas. But, there is hope and universal love. Everyone says to themselves, "Listen!" We shouldn't ignore it.
You must be excited during the whole of the film. Beautiful pictures and interesting plot. Great performances of actors and actresses. Actually, Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi were nominated for the best supporting actress at Oscar 2007.
It is a very interesting film. But, can I raise a negative point?
About Rinko Kikuchi's nudity, at first I thought it is unnatural because I felt she was naked without a context and it's strange and degrading to see a guy wearing clothes but a girl naked. I know she expresses herself being sexually provocative like showing her private parts or being naked. She is dumb and deaf, so she experiences discrimination and she has difficulty in communicating with her father. Because of her loneliness, she has personality disorder:she is an excessive flasher. I felt her loneliness and it was very sad in the apartment scene where she showed her nudity to the police detective. But, it was a little too unnatural. Plus, the ending where she was standing on a balcony fully nude and her father held her hand was really unnatural and I didn't like it. Some people say the ending was interpretable and great. But,I prefer more direct or easy-to-interpret films. Plus, I'm curious about the content of the lengthy notes she gave to the police detective. I need the answer. I don't like imagination.
Except for the ending, I liked this film. It was fantastic.