Babel

The Complete Works of Isaac Babel
$25.00
Vignettes on life in the Red Calvalry during the days when the Russian Revolution was still 'The Russian Experiment' rather than the disaster it became, and of life in Odessa where a culture is being swept aside for the new.
These stories are often humourous and frequently brutal;a flavour of life in Eastern Europe and all the clues of what lay in store for Soviet Russia are (unwittingly perhaps) contained in all these stories. 'Oil' sees Babel critical of the hopelessly unrealistic 5 year plans and 'End of the Old Folks Home hints at the growing tyranny of bureaucratic officialdom.
This is classical Russian literature, below the level of Tolstoy but sitting comfortably close.

Babel [Blu-ray]
$29.99
This is trilogy of stories that slowly evolve into a common theme and connections. Languages, cultures, classes, and countries weave into a fabric of common connections.

A rifle is the center of the film. It becomes part of a local goat herdsman's property in Morocco. He has two young sons (Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Caid) who take care of the goats but also play with the rifle. During target practice with rocks one son inadvertently takes a shot at a tour bus. Both sons see the bus stop and realize something is wrong. They run back to their home and hide the gun as they realize what trouble they started.

Traveling in the tour bus in the back roads of Morocco are Richard and Susan (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett). They are a wealthy young couple who have just lost a child. Their other two children are at home in San Diego with their illegal Mexican housekeeper and nanny, Amelia (Adriana Barraza). Susan has been irritable and upset most of the trip. After a meal she does not enjoy they get on the tour bus and start down the winding back roads of Morocco. Susan leans against the window and the gunshot comes through hitting her in the shoulder near the neck. Richard and the Tour Bus passengers panic and try to find hospital or help near by as Susan is bleeding and in much pain. Finally they find a small town nearby, but still need competent medical care.

Richard calls home to tell Amelia she needs to stay with the children longer than expected. Amelia is upset as she was planning on attending her son's wedding in Mexico. She makes a decision to go anyway and take Richard and Susan's children with her. They have great fun at the wedding and Amelia's son does not want her to leave Mexico. She says she has to return with the children - and her nephew drives them back. Immigration officials cause a problem and near disaster in the desert when trying to come back to the United States.

Then the film zips to Tokyo and a rich widower (Koji Yakusho) who is tied to the rifle that shot Susan. He worries and is torn about his deaf daughter (Kinko Kikuchi). She is angry she has no hearing and no mother. Her anger at a sports game upsets him. He seems to talk to her about her attitude (There are no subtitles). She is upset when boys back away from her when they realize she cannot hear. She wants to be loved and have a life of fun and boyfriends like other young girls. She is bold, promiscuous, determined and angry. Her actions are both shocking and sad.

This is a very intimate peek into each life. It is deeply, darkly emotional and yet very thoughtful on the love of families as well as cultural misunderstandings. We see humanities connectedness and how we all make mistakes whether rich or poor. Life is complicated as is this movie.


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Babel: A Film by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Photo Books) (Spanish Edition)
$39.99
The story told by the extraordinary collection of photos is destined to be classic. The images are fit for any Magnum or National Geographic publication. It is certainly one of my favourite photography books, even after a year.

Babel (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
$29.98
This is trilogy of stories that slowly evolve into a common theme and connections. Languages, cultures, classes, and countries weave into a fabric of common connections.

A rifle is the center of the film. It becomes part of a local goat herdsman's property in Morocco. He has two young sons (Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Caid) who take care of the goats but also play with the rifle. During target practice with rocks one son inadvertently takes a shot at a tour bus. Both sons see the bus stop and realize something is wrong. They run back to their home and hide the gun as they realize what trouble they started.

Traveling in the tour bus in the back roads of Morocco are Richard and Susan (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett). They are a wealthy young couple who have just lost a child. Their other two children are at home in San Diego with their illegal Mexican housekeeper and nanny, Amelia (Adriana Barraza). Susan has been irritable and upset most of the trip. After a meal she does not enjoy they get on the tour bus and start down the winding back roads of Morocco. Susan leans against the window and the gunshot comes through hitting her in the shoulder near the neck. Richard and the Tour Bus passengers panic and try to find hospital or help near by as Susan is bleeding and in much pain. Finally they find a small town nearby, but still need competent medical care.

Richard calls home to tell Amelia she needs to stay with the children longer than expected. Amelia is upset as she was planning on attending her son's wedding in Mexico. She makes a decision to go anyway and take Richard and Susan's children with her. They have great fun at the wedding and Amelia's son does not want her to leave Mexico. She says she has to return with the children - and her nephew drives them back. Immigration officials cause a problem and near disaster in the desert when trying to come back to the United States.

Then the film zips to Tokyo and a rich widower (Koji Yakusho) who is tied to the rifle that shot Susan. He worries and is torn about his deaf daughter (Kinko Kikuchi). She is angry she has no hearing and no mother. Her anger at a sports game upsets him. He seems to talk to her about her attitude (There are no subtitles). She is upset when boys back away from her when they realize she cannot hear. She wants to be loved and have a life of fun and boyfriends like other young girls. She is bold, promiscuous, determined and angry. Her actions are both shocking and sad.

This is a very intimate peek into each life. It is deeply, darkly emotional and yet very thoughtful on the love of families as well as cultural misunderstandings. We see humanities connectedness and how we all make mistakes whether rich or poor. Life is complicated as is this movie.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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