ipl-logo

Universal Pain In The Cinematic Tower Of Babel

2016 Words9 Pages

Universal Pain and the demonization of the other.

Much like Babel, the film Crash presents characters with seemingly separate lives but end up being linked in some way. This intersection is an attempt to demonstrate how people can be separated by many things but are united by pain. The title Babel is an allusion to the Biblical story of how God made people start speaking different languages so that they would not be able to continue building a tower so tall that they would consider themselves greater than God. By making this the title, Iñárritu is creating a sort of “cinematic tower of Babel” with a foundation of a “universal language” to unite those all over the globe (Shaw 23). Although the characters are from different walks of life, their live are intersected through suffering. This is an admirable sentiment; however, this idea of universal pain can be problematic. Using the films Crash and Babel as well some of the the films covered in the course, this essay will attempt to argue how the idea of universal pain can be toxic.
In order to understand …show more content…

This idea can be seen in Rendition (2007)where Anwar is as American as he can possibly be. He is highly educated, in compliance with the standard, and is married to an American woman. Most of the films dealt with in this course have the same trend where the person of colour is educated and is involved with a white American. In the film the Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012), there is the same kind of checklist for the perceived “other” to fullfill: educated and involved with a white woman. In Babel it is almost as though being associated with a white person is the best thing one do in order to survive, the John’s nanny has to specify that the children she is with are American on order to get

Show More
Related

  • Matthew Frye Jacobson Analysis

    494 Words  | 2 Pages

    Reading Response 4: “Introduction: The Fabrication of Race” by Matthew Frye Jacobson Manvir Kaur July 10, 2017 History 17A: U.S History The term “race” is one of the major aspects of one’s identity which tends to completely change over time. The primary source, “Introduction: The Fabrication of Race,” is part of a book called “Whiteness of a Different Color: European Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race” which was written by Matthew Frye Jacobson in the twentieth century. In this source, he expands on the topic of “whiteness” with its relation to European immigrants in the United States and also, on the different perspectives of how other races are seen.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Happy

    1709 Words  | 7 Pages

    He explains that naturally an individual must undergoe various emotions in order if the indivual wants to become conscious of experiencing happiness. As the professorexplains, humans must experience pain on oreer to make the distinction to recognize happiness. Once again the director, cleverl fails to correlate how the scientists were able to conclude to such results without necessarily presenting factual data, but do present the next emotionally-charged stoty in order to evoke one’s emotions and not

    Read More

  • Summary Of Peter Berger's The Sacred Canopy

    717 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is a convenient and comforting respond to unfortunate and even devastating ‘fate’. The pain becomes bearable to those who suffer because it is all part of a bigger plan, it is more than ‘you’. This concept is also built upon an irrational fundamental attitude, “the surrender of self to the ordering power of society.” (54) The problem of theodicy does not end at that.

    Read More

  • Crimes And Misdemeanors Themes

    1603 Words  | 7 Pages

    Philosophy in Literature and Films (HS3033) Assignment Sashank K EE11B124 3 November 2014 1 1 An Introduction to Moral Philosophy and some of its Theories Most humans judge the moral consequences of what they and others do. They classify everything as good or bad. Thus, ethical philosophy is a branch of philosophy which is relevant at some level to even laymen, who are not philoso- phers. All of us make moral judgments based on some preconceived or preexist- ing moral principle.

    Read More

  • Good Will Hunting Film Analysis

    1311 Words  | 6 Pages

    The film ‘Good Will Hunting’ directed by Gus Van Sant is a movie which follows the life of Will Hunting who is gifted with astonishing skills for maths but whom suffered with a fear of abandonment. He developed a defense mechanism which affected his ability to create long lasting relationships. An important extract from the movie is the scene ‘ It’s not your fault’. This scene conveyed the impact of childhood traumas, the effects of suppressed emotions and the idea of soulmates. These ideas were manifested through the use of various film techniques, such as camera shots and movements, music and dialogue.

    Read More

  • Jaswinder Bolina's Essay: Writing Like A White Guy

    212 Words  | 1 Pages

    Jaswinder Bolina uses his identification as Other, to describe difficulties within the writing and speaking community related to what is commonly identified as “white” English in his essay, Writing Like a White Guy. Bolina’s audience is people whom identify as “Other” or “non-white”. He emphasizes, “The first perhaps essential step in assimilating into any culture is the successful adoption of the host country’s language. What’s unusual in America is that this is no different for the immigrant than for the native-born nonwhite.”

    Read More

  • Essay On Being An American

    474 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to the dictionary, the definition of Americanism is a custom, trait, belief, etc., peculiar to the United States of America or its citizens. In 1776 when the United States was established and we declared independence from Britain, we got many rights and freedoms. Those rights and freedoms are still very important today to making Americans who they are and what they believe. To be an American to me is not about your ethnicity, religion, or language you speak.

    Read More

  • Arthur Schopenhauer's Philosophy That Life Is Full Of Suffering

    1760 Words  | 8 Pages

    Philosophy: Schopenhauer’s Philosophy that Life is Full of Suffering Introduction Across the universe, nearly each person living on Earth will experience suffering at least at a particular moment in his or her lifetime. Suffering involves the pain people feel due to disruptions in an individual’s life, health misconduct or injury. Arthur Schopenhauer, the German Philosopher, suggested that life is packed with suffering, and this suffering is solid as a result of the individual’s will (Berger, 2004). This paper will discuss this argument and attempt to clarify why Schopenhauer perceives that life is filled with suffering and the way he considers that the suffering can be overwhelmed.

    Read More

  • Romeo And Juliet Movie Vs Play

    829 Words  | 4 Pages

    The movie ties in more brutality and violence to appeal to a modern audience that demands intense appeal to the senses. The play uses the simplicity of setting elements such as the balcony and common acting techniques to communicate Shakespear’s original message. Given the time period of the text, Shakepear’s use of these strategies are as modern as those unique techniques used in the movie. The movie and the play attract their audiences based on what appeals to them. Most importantly, both deliver the message to the audience that “For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her

    Read More

  • The Valley Of Childish Things Literary Analysis

    2131 Words  | 9 Pages

    The novel analyses the impact of misery and pain when society establishes the false

    Read More

  • Analyzing Interpersonal Relationships In The Movie 'Crash'

    640 Words  | 3 Pages

    The majority of characters had so many barriers between each other to the point that they couldn’t solve any conflict. Their attitude full of fear, prejudice, premature judgment and anger leads to more conflict, and to so many “Crash “. Example1: the conflict between the gun seller and the Iranian men, full of prejudice the gun seller called the Iranian men “Osama”, what leads to a negative and aggressive reaction from the Iranian who argued that he is an

    Read More

  • Reflection Paper In Sociology

    1876 Words  | 8 Pages

    What is sociology? Before taking this class, I honestly had a very limited understanding of what sociology meant. However, because of the great diversity of people living in America, I have now realized how viewing the world with a sociological perspective can help me grasp the reality of many beliefs and practices in society today. Starting off with understanding the origin and purpose of sociology and transitioning into major topics such as race and ethnicity and education, I have gained new perspectives on how to observe the world around me.

    Read More

  • The Help Movie Analysis

    3436 Words  | 14 Pages

    1.0 INTRODUCTION The Help is an example of American drama film. It was released in August 9, 2011 and its length was 146 minutes and directed by Tate Taylor. The film was adapted to a novel, where there has been a long tradition of African- American women serving as “The Help” for upper-middle class white woman and their families. Descriptions of historical events of the early activities of thecivil rights movement are peppered throughout the novel, as are interactions between the maids and their white employers.

    Read More

  • Reaction Paper About Pain And Love

    1281 Words  | 6 Pages

    In this study we shall consider language as the biggest factor in defining such terms. C.S. Lewis may characterize pain as something that is distinguished by a particular kind of sensation and as a sensation of dislike i.e. suffering, anguish, tribulation, adversity or trouble. C.S. Lewis concept of love is consisted of four kinds: affection, friendship, eros and charity. This is the love that was taken from St. John’s conception ‘God is love.’

    Read More

  • The Intouchables Movie Analysis

    1723 Words  | 7 Pages

    Adapted from real-life events, this French biography was applauded for succeeding in painting a touching and resonating picture of the events that led to the birth of a strong relationship between the two protagonists, Driss and Philippe. Winning multiple awards, this movie has achieved the status of being one of the greatest French movies ever made. Throughout this entire movie, the effects of adversity on an individual’s decisions, lifestyles, perception, and so on have been emphasized. For these reasons and more, this movie has managed to capture the hearts and minds of a wide demographic. More than just a simple made-for-money film biography, The Intouchables, presents and effectively portrays the real-world forms of and responses to adversity, specifically in terms of handicaps, loss of family, and depression.

    Read More

More about Universal Pain In The Cinematic Tower Of Babel

Open Document