英美电影赏析Babel

Death Trilogy
• Amores perros/Love's a Bitch 爱情是狗娘(2000) • 21 Grams 灵魂的重量(2003) • Babel 通天塔(2006)
Unavoidable connection is traced among seemingly disconnected stories to reveal the present situation of human beings covering the moral standards, modern philosophy and even the sense of life.
Japanese Father & Daughter
Chieko, deaf/mute, phisically unable to have connection with others.
Father, trying to get connected, but not enough work done
Since when and why do people stop Communication?
About the Movie
• It is the last movie of the "Death Trilogy" of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Guillermo Arriaga aiming to reveal the conflict between the disconnectedness and unity of humanity. Seemingly desperate, it is still intended to call us to the possiblity of having hope.
Imply?
US Centered Narrative
Accident occuring in Morocco caused due to a careless mistake by two boys
Terrosism
Political involvement
Global Attention
Can the Babel Tower be built at all?
Economic globalization and prevail of English as an international language --- global village --integrity on the large scale
Language Barrier
百度文库
VS
unwillingness to communicate
Mexican Nanny
• Living in US for 16 years and together with the US couple to take care of the children for 11 years, the nanny was finally expelled out of America. • In the interaction between US patrols, she was never given a chance to explain. • The suspicion seem to be out of reason.
Lacking
Symbols
• Gun • Holding hands • The local guide
Research Questions
• 1. Since it seems so difficult for us to build the Babel Tower and achieve what is intended, should we quit? • 2. Why does increasing communication across nations lead to decreased trust and interaction within ourselves? Is that doomed?
Narrative and Character Analysis
US Couple
Moroccan Brothers
the Babel Tower
Mexican Nanny
Settings
Japanese Father & Daughter
Gun
Theme
Self-protectionism Racial Holding Prejudice Disabled Indifference Modern Society Within the family Communication Having the same language Among races and nations Care Security
Lack of communication and emergence of psychological problems --- floating ark --individual isolation
Morrocan Brothers
• Pulling the trigger to test how far it can go, they shot one of the American Tourists. • When one of the brothers was shot by the local police, the other picked up the gun to shoot back, leading to a irreversible tragedy. • Seeing the other suffering death, one of them turn himself in for sake of the rescue of his brother. Lack of legal consciousness Sincere care
endless efforts making sex failure to get across
Absence of Mother suicide with father sleeping
Settings
• Morocco an underdeveloped African Country striken by poverty and terrorism • Mexico a neighboring country of US having a controversial relationship ever since • Japan an economic giant unable to find harmony between culture and economy