Babel

Babel (2006)

Timing: 2:23 (143 min)

7.185/10
3633

7.563/10
79577

7.4/10
328000

All about film

Video 3

Photo 18

Actors and characters

Release date

2006-10-26

Country

France, Mexico, United States

Production

Anonymous Content, Central Films, Zeta Film

Genre

Drama

Budget

$25 000 000

Revenue

$135 330 182

Website

Director

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Actors

Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal, Koji Yakusho, Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi, Said Tarchani, Boubker Ait El Caid, Elle Fanning, Nathan Gamble
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Guillermo Arriaga

Producer

Steve Golin, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Jon Kilik, Ann Ruark, Corinne Golden Weber

Operator

Rodrigo Prieto

Composer

Gustavo Santaolalla

Artist

Audition

Editing

Stephen Mirrione, Douglas Crise
All team (33)

• Brad Pitt turned down one of the leading roles in "The Departed" (2006) (of which he was a co-producer) in order to participate in this film, as he had long been a fan of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s films.
• Rinko Kikuchi went through a year-long audition process for the role of Chieko before finally being cast.
• Babylon is written as Babylon in English. However, the film is originally titled «Babel» – this is the English spelling of the word Babylon as pronounced in Arabic or Hebrew.
• Bobker Ait El Kaid was invited to audition for the role of Youssef (the little Moroccan boy who got into a lot of trouble with his father's rifle) after film director Alejandro González Iñárritu saw him playing football in a local town square.
• In the final part of the film, a helicopter with the wounded Susan flies past the main attraction of Casablanca – the Hassan II Mosque.
• Filming took place from May 2nd to December 1st, 2005.
• Brad Pitt turned down one of the leading roles in "The Departed" (2006) – which he was also a co-producer on – in order to participate in this film, as he had long been a fan of Alejandro González Iñárritu's work.
• Rinko Kikuchi went through a year-long audition process for the role of Chieko.
• The scene with Rinko Kikuchi and her father in the car was filmed without official permission from the city authorities (due to local bureaucracy). The filming attracted the attention of the police.
• Seventeen days before filming began in Morocco, the filmmakers still hadn’t cast the actors. Announcements were made on local television and radio (aside from the mosques) seeking actors. Over 200 people offered their services in the following 24 hours. Almost all of them participated in the filming – either in significant roles or as extras.
• Cate Blanchett considered withdrawing from the project, but ultimately decided against it, tempted by the opportunity to work with director Alejandro González Iñárritu.
• Adriana Barraza gained almost 16 kg for the role of Amelia.
• Director Alejandro González Iñárritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga had a falling out over the crediting of names. It began during their previous collaboration – the thriller '21 Grams' (2003). Arriaga argued that everything in cinema is interconnected, and that both he and Iñárritu should be credited as directors, while Iñárritu insisted that he alone should be credited as the director. As a result, Iñárritu did not take Arriaga with him to the 2006 Cannes International Film Festival, which drew a wave of criticism.
• Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto faced a problem while filming the scene in which the wounded Kate Blanchett's character is carried up a slope. He tried several times to get the necessary shots by walking backwards, but each time he tripped and fell on something. The director forbade the use of a 'Steadicam', insisting on handheld camera work. In the end, Prieto filmed the scene sitting on a chair carried by four people.
• Boubker Ait El Kaid was invited to audition for the role of Youssef (a young Moroccan boy who caused a lot of trouble with his father's rifle) after director Alejandro González Iñárritu saw him playing football in a local town square.
• Actress Adriana Barraza actually has heart problems and has even had two mild attacks. Despite this, she herself carried her co-star Elle Fanning for two days of filming the corresponding scene in the desert.
• Brad Pitt turned down one of the leading roles in 'The Departed' (2006) – of which he was also an executive producer – in order to participate in this film, as he had long been a fan of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s films.
• Babylon is written as 'Babylon' in English. However, the film is titled 'Babel' in the original – this is the English spelling of the word 'Babylon' as pronounced in Arabic or Hebrew.
• Seventeen days before filming began in Morocco, the film's authors still hadn't cast the actors. Announcements were made on local television and radio (excluding mosques) seeking actors. Over 200 people offered their services within the following 24 hours. Almost all of them participated in the filming – either in significant roles or as extras.