what we missed on BABEL
We've failed to see that many problems that arise are caused by failure to communicate effectively. Most characters in the movie did have this issue (the Japanese girl excessively so). And it might be one of the implications of the title.
We either fail to understand what the others say/do due to indifference or misinterpret the message following our own preconceptions of a situation or a person which leads to hostility and hard feelings.
And it seems to be inherent to human communication, inevitable, rooted in the nature of verbal communication or any sign/symbol system.
That's why we rejoice when we have a feeling of being on the same wavelength, of mute understanding. Maybe it is true that one doesn't need to talk so much not to mislead the addressee. But that takes us back to the problem of lack of communication as stated above. It looks like a classic catch-22 case.
To speak or to speak less?
We either fail to understand what the others say/do due to indifference or misinterpret the message following our own preconceptions of a situation or a person which leads to hostility and hard feelings.
And it seems to be inherent to human communication, inevitable, rooted in the nature of verbal communication or any sign/symbol system.
That's why we rejoice when we have a feeling of being on the same wavelength, of mute understanding. Maybe it is true that one doesn't need to talk so much not to mislead the addressee. But that takes us back to the problem of lack of communication as stated above. It looks like a classic catch-22 case.
To speak or to speak less?