Babel

Babel tells four intertwining stories set over four continents. When I went to the theater to see the film, I admit that I was a bit pensive. Having seen director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros and 21 Grams, I was somewhat worried how he would pull off another tragic tale of interconnected lives (especially one which runs across the globe, his others were more focused in one place) without beating the horse to death. Repetition sometimes gets old, but Iñárritu beautifully connects the overarching narrative in a film where powerful supporting actresses Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi doubtlessly steal the spotlight from the big-name likes of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Linking the stories through a single gun, Iñárritu’s Babel argues against stereotypes, prejudice, and injustice in a powerful and emotional manner by allowing viwers to identify with people who soon become victims of the ignorance of others.

The theater experience watching this film was an extremely interesting one. Perhaps it’s only because I saw it in the American South, but the reactions from other viewers were disturbing and absolutely disgusted me. In a film that blatantly shows the tragedies of prejudice and hate, viewers still balked at the cultural differences in an obvious attempt (be it conscious or unconscious for them) to maintain an “us versus them” attitude. Anything that wasn’t consistent with southern culture quickly became a reason to dislike the non-American characters portrayed. For example, when Iñárritu shows the Moroccan family eating dinner using their hands and no utensils, at least half of the audience responded with groans of repulsion. No one, however, vocalized any disdain when Brad Pitt’s American character insolently chastised his wife or when she disrespectfully showed her distaste for Moroccan culture during a meal. The most tragic and disenfranchised characters were not the American ones, yet this audience stubbornly reinforced American hegemony. During the more emotional moments, several viewers shed tears, but unfortunately this film-going experience made me further agree with the film’s harsh portrayal of the unabashed ignorance of Americans.