Babel (2006)

Director:

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Writers (WGA):

Guillermo Arriaga (written by)
Guillermo Arriaga (idea) ...

Release Date:

10 November 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

If You Want to be Understood...Listen

Plot:

Tragedy strikes a married couple on vacation in the Moroccan desert, touching off an interlocking story involving four different families.

Plot Keywords:

Depression | Children | Cultural Misunderstanding | Shot In The Back | Swinging

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 25 wins & 74 nominations

Cast

Brad Pitt	...	Richard
Cate Blanchett	...	Susan
Mohamed Akhzam	...	Anwar
Peter Wight	...	Tom
Harriet Walter	...	Lilly
Trevor Martin	...	Douglas
Matyelok Gibbs	...	Elyse
Georges Bousquet	...	Robert
Claudine Acs	...	Jane
André Oumansky	...	Walter
Michael Maloney	...	James
Dermot Crowley	...	Barth
Wendy Nottingham	...	Tourist #1
Henry Maratray	...	Tourist #2
Linda Broughton	...	Tourist #3

Also Known As:

Babel (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, some graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

France | USA | Mexico

Language:

English | Arabic | French | Spanish | Japanese | Japanese Sign Language | Berber

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

UK:15 | Netherlands:12 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Denmark:15 | USA:R (certificate #42677) | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | South Africa:16 (LN) | Germany:16 | France:U | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Hong Kong:IIB | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | New Zealand:R16 | Malaysia:18PL | Argentina:18 | Ireland:16 | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | South Korea:18 | Iran:18+ | Brazil:16

Filming Locations:

Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The shallow depth of field in Chieko's sequences is a nod to the photography of Mona Kuhn. Most of Kuhn's photos have shallow focus, a concept used by the filmmakers to emphasize Chieko's deafness and isolation.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Mexican lady is lost in the desert with the kids, she decides to stop under a tree so the kids can rest. At this moment, one can clearly see that the women is barefoot. Once she talks to the boy and starts walking away (leaving the kids behind) one can see that she is wearing shoes.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Hassan: It's almost new. Three hundred cartridges. The guy who gave it to me said you can hit as far as three kilometers.

Movie Connections:

References Winchester '73 (1950)

Soundtrack:

Tu Me Acostumbraste

Excellent performances, superb direction, wonderful script!

Babel is my film of the year, and probably the best film I've seen in quite a few years. The film looks at relationships, from husband/wife, parent/children, brother/sister and plays around the themes of love in adversity. The characters are all interlinked in a very random way, it's a little like 10 degrees of separation. The film is set in Morocco, Mexico, Japan and the US, and the director makes full use of the different backdrops to bring the picture alive. The characters are deep and insightful, each has a problem to face up to and the subtle, naturalistic way their issues play out make for truly emotional cinema. This is not a film about heroes, it's a film about trying to make the right choices when your back is to the wall, and the doubts that go with this. Great movie, especially if you're a parent as your protective instincts will kick in at least once during this movie!