Babel Analysis

One of the most obvious ways in which Babel presents a transnational image is through the interwoven stories of each of the individuals in the narrative, though they are positioned in vastly different geographic locations, communities, and political environments. The film is staged around the American family and their involvement in foreign geographies that result in subsequent problems spanning around the world. This is obviously a tip of the hat to the Western world constantly expressing its supremacy over all other nationalities, in a way that all of their actions are centered around the decisions of the white, western family. Kate Blanchett's character represents the imperialist American society and our disgust with things of foreign origin, as well as her fear of the dark skinned natives of the Middle East. Her disgust with their entire community peaks with her refusal to accept help from a local veterinarian to patch up her gunshot wound. Though, she needs this man's aid to close the draining hole in her shoulder/neck for fear she would bleed out, she fights him every step of the way screaming and kicking as he sterilizes the needle and begins to sew her back up.
A second topic that is directly portrayed on the screen is Massey's space-time compression in which the mobility of the white imperialist family, disallows their nanny, Amelia's, mobility. Because of the needs of those privileged enough to move and take advantage of the ever progressing space-time compression, her ability to move is lessened. By their traveling to the Middle East she is unable to leave the children and must consider the white family's needs before her own. She is ultimately deported because of her involvement with white children.
Amelia's nephew is also the victim of transnational problems when he is criminalized by the border patrol. Because he and his Aunt are presumed lying about the white children that they are returning home, he must turn to criminal action in order to flee the racist and violent border patrol. Amelia's nephew was a well meaning man, with no intent of disobeying the American laws to the extent to which he did upon contact with the border patrol.
The children that are taken to Amelia's son's wedding also represent budding, though ignorant white imperialism when one of the children proclaims, "isn't Mexico full of criminals?" When the children are mixed in with the celebration of all of the darker Mexican children, they have as good a time as any. They fit in with the family and are made to feel content. This raises the notion of an ignorant white imperialism that objectifies the migrant and the community from which they come as "savage" and "brutish."
I would also like to mention something Sierra brought up in class that it is the white woman who gets away safely with all of the support of the political institution, yet it is the Asian girl and the Latina that suffer as a result of the white family's choices.