Babel (DVD)

I bought this DVD after watching it on TV, which is a recommendation in itself.
I was unfamiliar with the director, Alejandro Iñárritu, and it took a while to get used to his jumps from situation, but as the film progresses everything falls into place. A young Morroccan goat herder fires a rifle shot in the desert and this has repercussions for the boy's family; American tourists (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette; a Mexican nanny (Adriana Barraza), her family and the 2 children she is minding)and a Japanese business man and his deaf mute daughter (brilliantly portrayed by Rinko Kikuchi). Some might find this strand of the film a bit disconcerting, but it probably is even more effective than the other strands in showing the major problems caused by inability to communicate. I found the whole film thoroughly gripping, and liked it even more when I watched the DVD. It is not without its lighter side, and is not at all 'heavy going' despite the plot, and I am sure I will rewatch it from time to time. Peter Chavuma