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:

Cultural Misunderstanding | Hospital | Actual Animal Killed | Child Uses Gun | Video Phone

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 25 wins & 75 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. July 24

10:00 PM

TMC

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:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Actress Adriana Barraza gained 35 pounds for her role as Amelia.

Goofs:

Continuity: The tour guide's badge which is around his neck inside the village house disappears when he goes outside.

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:

Featured in 2007 MTV Movie Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Charge of the Herd

A Bit Of Teaching, A Lot Of Preaching, Oodles of Talent

I loved "Amores Perros" It was revolutionary in so many ways and smelled like the real thing even if I couldn't quite put my finger as to what the real thing really was. "21 Grams" had gigantic intentions and superb performances but didn't feel quite revolutionary because we had kind of seen it before - and better - in "Amores Perros". Now "Babel" and, my goodness, the first thing that comes to mind is, what an extraordinary filmmaker Inarritu really is. I suspect that his universe, even if it feels infinite, it is framed - beautifully so - between the walls of biblical references. His methods may be way ahead of the times but the roots are as ancestral as fire itself. I'm not sure where I want to go with all this but the question is, Inarritu is taking me places and that's what I long for in a filmmaker. He's not taking any of us for granted and I'm very grateful for that. His movies are experiences and I for one can't wait for the next one.