Brad Pitt's Heartbreaking 2006 Drama on Prime Video Receives Perfect Score from Roger Ebert
Paramount Pictures
When Alejandro González Iñárritu's film 'Babel' was released in 2006, beloved movie critic Roger Ebert, who passed away in 2013, wrote a glowing review praising the film's interconnected international stories. What did Ebert have to say about 'Babel,' a film set in Morocco, the United States, Mexico, and Japan, featuring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and Gael García Bernal in pivotal roles? Ebert awarded the film a perfect score of four stars on his website (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/babel-2006).
The movie tells four distinct stories that seem unrelated until they intertwine. For instance, Pitt and Blanchett's characters are on vacation in Morocco after a tragedy, but their children in California, left with a nanny, encounter trouble. Blanchett's character, Susan, is grievously injured, forcing Pitt's character, Richard, to find a way to help her. Ebert's review highlights Iñárritu's masterful technique, where the writing and editing seamlessly move between the stories with logical and emotional clarity, building to a stunning impact.
Ebert concludes that 'Babel' showcases Iñárritu at his best, emphasizing the filmmaker's ability to make the audience empathize with all characters, each with their reasons and limited information. The film's acclaim extended beyond Ebert's review, earning nominations for best picture and best director at the Academy Awards.
'Babel' is part of a trilogy by director Alejandro González Iñárritu, known as the 'Death trilogy,' created with screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga. The first film, 'Amores perros,' released in 2000, is entirely in Spanish and features vignettes that converge due to a car crash, involving characters with diverse backgrounds, from missing dogs to assassins. Gael García Bernal plays a pivotal role in both 'Amores perros' and 'Babel.'
The trilogy continued with '21 Grams' in 2003, starring Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio del Toro, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Melissa Leo. This nonlinear tale, focusing on addiction, a hit-and-run accident, and karmic punishment, earned Watts and del Toro Oscar nominations. Both 'Amores perros' and '21 Grams' are highly recommended, especially for experiencing the trilogy, though viewers should be aware of the dark themes.
Ebert's review of 'Babel' highlights Iñárritu's talent, but sadly, he passed away before experiencing the filmmaker's later successes. In 2014, Iñárritu released 'Birdman,' a fast-paced dark comedy presented as a single take, starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts. 'Birdman' won best picture at the 87th Academy Awards and earned Iñárritu his first best director trophy.
The following year, Iñárritu's 'The Revenant' brought Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar, despite not winning best picture. This film marked Iñárritu's second directing Oscar in two years, making him only the third director in Oscar history to achieve this feat after John Ford and Joseph L. Mankiewicz. For a deeper exploration of Iñárritu's work, 'Babel' is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, offering a compelling reason to revisit Ebert's rave review.
