Babel portrays communication across cultures

Films that weave parallel narratives are becoming increasingly common each year, with 2005 bringing us Syriana and Crash, among others. Babel joins that group this year, as it uses a similar technique to a new and fascinating degree.

Babel follows the same parallel narrative style that The Fountain follows and it seems to indicate the popularity of this evolving technique in modern film.

But make no mistake, neither film resembles the other. Furthermore, Babel director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu has employed this cinematic device in two of his previous films, Amores Perros and 21 Grams.

Babel's story is developed around four narratives: an American couple on vacation in the Moroccan desert, a Moroccan family living in the same location, a Mexican nanny attempting to attend a wedding across the Mexican border and a deaf Japanese girl trying to fit in with her peers.

The plot and connections between the narratives are tied up neatly throughout the course of the film, with no loose ends or ambiguity at its conclusion.

Yet Babel sets itself apart from other films that might appear to fit the same mold. The clarity with which Inarritu fits his plot lines together is a mere decoy for the real essence of this film. The plot is easily comprehendible because it acts as a backdrop to the actual direction of Babel.

Those familiar with the biblical tale of the Tower of Babel will immediately recognize what the film is particularly aiming for. The story from the Bible details God's punishment of mankind for their efforts to reach the heavens by creating many languages to inflict confusion and discord amongst those of the world.

Inarritu presents the varying cultures in precise detail, displaying the inherent differences in the way humans communicate and interact.

The differing languages become only one contribution to the miscommunications between the characters in the film.

As with his previous films, Inarritu's changes in tone, rather than visible directorial style, are what differentiate each culture and present them in such exquisite detail.

Instead of utilizing different color schemes or camera movements to separate the cultures, he uses a much more subtle technique of allowing the pacing and situational content to shape his subjects, making the differences much more obvious.

Each of the four narratives has its own specific cultural reference: the Americans alone in the desert pleading for help, the Japanese crowding in every location, the danger of even simple things in the Middle East and Northern Africa, and the Mexican emphasis on families and togetherness.

The most fascinating story is that of the deaf Japanese girl who appears incredibly isolated despite friendships with her deaf peers.

Her difficulty in communicating her thoughts, and her resulting anger and loneliness, symbolize the trouble each of us has in relaying our thoughts and feelings to everyone else.

Beneath the thick plot and heavy characters, Babel ultimately fascinates as a resounding exposition on human communication and interaction in the modern world.