Tower of Iñárritu

As the story goes in the Bible, long ago all people spoke the same language and lived in a giant tower that pushed toward the Heavens. God, who feared what his own creations might accomplish -- and seeking to punish mankind for its blind ambition -- struck down the structure and made everyone speak different languages so they would be unable to communicate with one another. \nFor director Alejandro González Iñárritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (who wrote Iñárritu's previous two works: "21 Grams" and "Amores Perros"), an idea was conceived on this story of old and placed into the contexts of the 21st century. Like the previous two films, "Babel" is a hyperlinked weaving of four stories across four countries that all come together in brilliant fashion.\nTo be concise and to avoid spoiling much, the basis finds a couple played by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett on the outs of their marriage while on a trip in Morocco. Inside their tour bus, a bullet shatters through the window and into Blanchett's shoulder, causing her to bleed all over and require dire medical attention. All the while, the two young kids who shot at her are hiding from the law, and the couple's own kids are illegally in Mexico with their nanny. Oh, and then there's Japan…\nThe Japanese segments of "Babel" are my favorite. Rinko Kikuchi plays Chieko, a deaf-mute girl whose mother committed suicide and father can never seem to communicate with her all too well. Iñárritu's genius shines in how he presents her condition to the audience. While at a rave, the sound constantly cuts in and out, and reminds us that even though she cannot hear anything, she doesn't let it hinder her. And at the same time, it is this condition that makes her feel like a monster; that she is sexually inadequate for men and even a sense of guilt that perhaps she was one of the causes behind her mother's suicide. The performance is heartbreaking and the stand-out role in the film. \nAs others have noted, "Babel" bears some resemblance to last year's unfortunate Oscar-winner, "Crash." Whatever made "Crash" so great, "Babel" ultimately is far superior. Subtlety works wonders. Some may remember Brad Pitt explaining the biblical Babel in the trailer for the film, yet it is omitted in the final cut, adding a much finer touch than Don Cheadle's bloated monologue about life in Los Angeles. In Iñárritu's world, silence can move mountains. When people are constantly talking, then nobody is actually listening. So when we find people who say nothing, they are probably saying the most. \n"Babel" approaches the post 9/11 world with stark realism. While in Morocco with Blanchett possibly on her deathbed, the other tourists suspect terrorism and feel they could be attacked by these Middle Eastern "savages," prompting them to hop in their bus and abandon the couple. In Japan, when a teenage boy is told to talk slowly so Chieko can read his lips, he responds as if she was "retarded," and laughs at her with his friends. I can't even begin to speak about the horrors of the border patrol in Mexico...\n"Babel" isn't the feel-good movie of the year. It is a sobering experience that will hit you like a train and leave some with questions. Others will undoubtedly feel enlightened. All of these qualities make "Babel" one of the best films of 2006.