Babel
We rented two films yesterday evening – Man of the Year and Babel. The Robin Williams comedy was entertaining, but the Oscar-nominated Babel was a mental trip. It reminded me of Crash, another exceptional movie, only this one emphasized language barriers instead of racial tensions.
I loved the way it focused on the difficulties that humans have trying to communicate across different languages, and it was especially interesting to have a glimpse inside the world of a deaf person. It’s easy to forget that all audible language is foreign to them and they must feel very lonely.
The portion of the film that dealt with the illegal Mexican caretaker in charge of two white, American children was very moving. It gave me a whole new perspective on the issue of illegal immigration. It’s a very complicated matter, but most of those people are simply in search of a better life and you really can’t fault anyone for that.
