My friend called it the windshield/fishbowl effect.  I called it being self-centered, but ultimately, we were talking about the same thing.  What we were discussing after many beers and possibly other mind-numbing substances was the phenomenon that happens when you get behind the wheel of a car.  For many folks, the act of driving is a very singular, isolating thing.  Once that door closes, your world exists within the confines of those doors and that steel framing.  Everything happening outside takes on an unreal quality, like its playing out before you but that you aren’t really involved in it.  Thus when you turn up the radio and sing along, you’re not conscious of the people next to you watching and laughing.  The same goes with the guy you just cut off in your hurry to get to work.

What happens to that guy is something you don’t care about.  Actually, that’s overstating it.  What happens to that guy is something you’re not even conscious of.  He was just another player on the game screen. Your path lies ahead.

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s masterpiece film Babel looks at that guy you cut off… and the guy he pisses off, and the person the guy he pissed off pisses off.  It’s a movie about consequences and the ripples we create in the fabric of existence when we make a decision however small it may be. 

The film follows four separate stories that are all related or influenced by one defining event, the shooting of an American tourist in Morocco.  The ripples that flow out from that action will touch four different countries and none of the stories involve terrorists or arms dealers.  These ripples touch everyday people, each experiencing their own issues.  Some of them don’t even know that the shooting is affecting them.  Ultimately, each one has to resolve their issue (or have it resolved for them) and find some solace.

Iñárritu has used a similar format in his previous two films, Amores Perros and 21 Grams, both excellent films.  However with Babel, Iñárritu has hit the perfect balance of strong writing, strong performances and breathtaking cinematography.  The main faces on the poster belong to Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, but their characters share equal time with the other four stories.  The story of the young deaf Japanese girl (played exquisitely by Rinko Kikuchi), struggling to find someone just to connect with is absolutely heart rending.   Another story involving a Mexican woman working in America (Adriana Barazza) who goes back to her son’s wedding is equally gripping.  Gael García Bernal is great in his role during this story also, playing a nephew too cool for his own good. 

Additionally, the film’s story is helped along by good pacing and outstanding visuals.  Director of Photography Rodrigo Prieto fills the screen with some awe-inspiring visuals.  The Mexican woman standing in the desert with nothing but blue sky behind and above her, the Moroccan boys standing on the ridge top, arms spread wide and leaning into the wind, the Japanese girl staring alone from her balcony at the lights of Tokyo spread out below are all examples of Prieto and Iñárritu combining their talents to create one seamless masterpiece. 

Incidentally, this was the one film in the 2007 Academy Awards race that I hadn’t even cared about seeing initially.  Now that I have, I can see why it’s been nominated for Best Picture.  I’d be highly surprised if it didn’t win.

Presentation
The film is presented in 16:9 and looks very good (as expected).  The audio here is also top-notch and the 5.1 mix is used very well.  Again though, that’s what you would expect from a big budget film released mere months ago.

Extras
And here’s the bad news.  This disc couldn’t be any barer if it were Larry Flynt production.  There is absolutely nothing on here but the theatrical trailer and some previews.  If you know movie companies then you know this spells double-dip in a big way.  Hold out for the exclusive edition with some commentaries or documentaries instead of buying this one.

The Bottom Line
Babel is an incredible feat of filmmaking.  Alejandro González Iñárritu has proven he’s more than just a talented filmmaker but in fact may be considered a true master once he gets a few more films under his belt.  In my opinion, Babel is his first true masterpiece and it’s a film not to be missed.