Babel (2006)
Drama |
Babel is a psychological drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga. It stars an ensemble cast. The multi-narrative drama completes Arriaga’s and Iñárritu’s Death Trilogy, following Amores perros and 21 Grams. It is an international co-production among companies based in the United States, Mexico and France. The film portrays multiple stories taking place in Morocco, Japan, Mexico and the United States.
In a desert in Morocco, Abdullah, a goatherder, buys a 270 Winchester M70 rifle and a box of ammunition from his neighbor Hassan Ibrahim to shoot the jackals that have been preying on his goats. Abdullah gives the rifle to his two young sons, Yussef and Ahmed, and sends them out to tend to the herd. Ahmed, the older of the two, criticises Yussef for spying on their sister while she changes her clothes.
Richard and Susan are an American couple who came on vacation to Morocco to get away from and mend their own woes. The death of their infant third child, to SIDS, has strained their marriage significantly and they struggle to communicate their frustration, guilt, and blame; Richard has planned the vacation to make amends, but Susan remains paranoid and hostile. When Susan is shot on the tour bus, Richard orders the bus driver to the nearest village, Tazarine.
United States/Mexico; Richard and Susan’s Mexican nanny, Amelia (Adriana Barraza), tends to their children, Debbie (Elle Fanning) and Mike (Nathan Gamble), in their San Diego, California home while they are in Morocco. When Amelia learns of Susan’s injury, she is forced to take care of the children longer than planned and becomes worried that she will miss her son’s wedding. Unable to secure any other help to care for them, she calls Richard for advice, who tells her that she has to stay with the children.
Japan; Chieko Wataya is a rebellious, deaf Japanese teenage girl, traumatized by the recent suicide of her mother. She is bitter towards her father, Yasujiro Wataya snd boys her age. She starts exhibiting sexually provocative behavior, partly in response to dismissive comments from a member of her volleyball team. While out with friends, Chieko finds a teenage boy attractive, and following an unsuccessful attempt at socialising, exposes herself to him under a table.
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Writers: Guillermo Arriaga (idea), Alejandro González Iñárritu (idea)
Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal, Rinko Kikuchi, Kōji Yakusho, Gael Garcia Bernal, Adriana Barraza, Elle Fanning, Mohamed Akhzam, Peter Wight
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 |
| Henry Maratray | … | Tourist |
| Linda Broughton | … | Tourist |
| Jean Marc Hulot | … | Tourist |
| Aline Mowat | … | Tourist |
| Liliane Escoza | … | Tourist |
| Lynsey Beauchamp | … | Tourist (as Lindsey Beauchamp) |
| Michel Dubois | … | Tourist |
| Shirley Dixon | … | Tourist |
| Patrick Lebre | … | Tourist |
| John O’Mahony | … | Tourist |
| Mary Mitchell | … | Tourist |
| Edward Lyon | … | Tourist |
| Robert Fyfe | … | Tourist |
| Abdelaziz Merzoug | … | Waiter Casbah |
| Omar El Mallouli | … | Bus Driver |
| El Hassan Ait Bablal | … | Old Man in Car |
| Sfia Ait Benboullah | … | Anwar’s Grandmother |
| Hammou Aghrar | … | Doctor – Vet |
| Mohamed Ait Lahcen | … | Sheik |
| Ali Hamadi | … | Moukadem |
| Lhacen Znin | … | Store Owner |
| Mustapha Amhita | … | Mohammed |
| Mohammed Amal El Koussi | … | Mohammed’s Friend (as Mohammed Amal El Koussi) |
| Mohamed Nait Addi | … | Mohammed’s Friend |
| Mohammed El Bouamraoui | … | Mohammed’s Friend |
| Rahmoune Abdelhalim | … | Mohammed’s Friend |
| Soukayna Ait Boufakri | … | Yamile |
| Youssef Boukioud | … | Police at Anwar’s |
| Khouyael Houssein | … | Police at Anwar’s |
| Alex Jennings | … | Ken Clifford |
| Commandant Mesbah | … | Helicopter Pilot |
| Timothy Peter Buxton | … | US Army Medic |
| Mohammed Ourjdal | … | US Army Medic (as Dr. Mohammed Ourjdal) |
| Aimee Meditz | … | Reporter – US News (as Aimée Meditz) |
| Mohammed Bennani | … | Moroccan Doctor |
| Boubker Ait El Caid | … | Yussef |
| Said Tarchani | … | Ahmed |
| Mustapha Rachidi | … | Abdullah |
| Driss Roukhe | … | Alarid |
| Wahiba Sahmi | … | Zohra |
| Fadmael Ouali | … | Yasira |
| Zahra Ahkouk | … | Jamila |
| Abdelkader Bara | … | Hassan |
| Ehou Mama | … | Hassan’s Wife |
| Rida Taya | … | Abdullah’s 2-Year-Old Son |
| Salah Mezzi | … | Moroccan Police Officer |
| Mohamed Atkliss | … | Moroccan Police Officer |
| Adriana Barraza | … | Amelia |
| Elle Fanning | … | Debbie Jones |
| Nathan Gamble | … | Mike Jones |
| Gael García Bernal | … | Santiago |
| Mónica Del Carmen | … | Lucia |
| Rosa Reyes | … | Comadre |
| Robert ‘Bernie’ Esquivel | … | Luis |
| Damian Garcia | … | Lucio |
| Barbarella Pardo | … | Amelia’s Daughter |
| Úrsula García | … | Amelia’s Daughter |
| Cynthia Montaño | … | Patricia |
| Maripaz Lopez | … | Patricia’s Mother |
| Santiago Lizarraga | … | Tambora Band |
| Ismael Gregorio | … | Tambora Band |
| Pedro Sillas | … | Tambora Band |
| Enrique García Contreras | … | Tambora Band (as Enrique Garcia Contreras) |
| Fernando Montes Avila | … | Tambora Band |
| Luis Avila | … | Tambora Band |
| Eugenio Jara Reynoso | … | Tambora Band |
| Pedro Cuota | … | Tambora Band |
| Romeo Echeverria Jimenez El Gitano | … | Musician |
| Guadalupe Quintero | … | Wedding Band |
| Mariano Quintero | … | Wedding Band |
| Eluterio Higuera | … | Wedding Band |
| Pascual Montaño | … | Wedding Band |
| Efrain Gonzalez | … | Wedding Band |
| Claudia Silvia Mendoza | … | Patricia’s Grandmother |
| Norma Samarin | … | Patricia’s Aunt |
| Polo Nuño | … | Jacinto |
| Jose Campas Agiñaga | … | Amelia’s Grandfather |
| Miguel Maldonado Tinoco | … | Amelia’s Father |
| Rosa Campos Maldonado | … | Amelia’s Mother |
| Emilio Echevarría | … | Emilio |
| Clifton Collins Jr. | … | Officer at Border Crossing |
| Aaron D. Spears | … | Officer #2 (as Aaron Spears) |
| Jamie McBride | … | Bill – Border Patrol |
| Michael Peña | … | John – Border Patrol |
| Ivor Shier | … | Helicopter Pilot |
| R.D. Call | … | FBI Interrogation Officer |
| Rinko Kikuchi | … | Chieko Wataya |
| Kôji Yakusho | … | Yasujiro Wataya |
| Yuko Murata | … | Mitsu |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia