The saddest thing about prejudice is that even firsthand experience doesn’t always make people understand its injustice. No matter how downtrodden one race is, they always feel the need to step on the heads of another. Rather than uniting in the face of centuries of bigotry, the Jews and the Rastafarians in Brooklyn Babylon lash out at each other in pointless anger. But don’t worry; the power of love is strong enough to shatter all manner of outrageously stereotypical cultural barriers.
Brooklyn Babylon’s storyline and themes are more than a little commonplace: boy meets girl, cultures collide, boy and girl must fight to save their love. It’s like Jungle Fever, only with more yarmulkes. Nonetheless, aspects of this film are surprisingly fresh. Sarah, played by the charming Karen Goberman, is from a strict Jewish family. She is engaged to marry the jealous and possessive Judah. When Sarah and Judah are involved in a car accident with a group of young black men from the other end of the street, a war of cultures begins. But look out world! While the bellicose boys posture and threaten, sizzling eye contact ensues between Sarah and Solomon (Tariq Trotter) – a Rastafarian rapper with a fine collection of dreadlocks. Between the car bombings, Sarah and Solomon become romantically involved, which – predictably – makes absolutely everybody just hip-hopping mad.
For the most part, the film seems to be a showcase for the prodigious talent of lead actor Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter’s underground hip-hop band The Roots. And indeed, their groovy groove and Trotter’s delicious rhymes are deserving of all of the screen time they get. But an excellent soundtrack alone doth not award-winning cinema make. The focus of the film is on style and mood rather than character and story. The images are rich and evocative but a lack of attention to character development leaves the viewer unconnected and drifting through space. An excellent soundtrack combined with a shallow plot and liberal, steaming helpings of style essentially describes your average rock video, which is pretty much what Brooklyn Babylon amounts to.
Although the film has the chance to explore two unique and complex cultures, what emerges is mostly stereotype. Solomon’s Rastafarian boss smokes acres of weed and mumbles incoherently about Jah while Sarah’s Jewish family sits around the dinner table spouting endless proverbs. Although it makes for entertaining viewing, it’s a little disappointing to see such a wealth of material mined so superficially.
Ultimately, Brooklyn Babylon tries a bit too hard to turn what is essentially a shallow romance into something more substantial. It may have had greater success if director Marc Levin had made more of an effort to explore the relevant issues and spent less time on the rock video montages. Melodrama and cheap tear-jerking technique take the place of meaningful dialogue and a satisfying resolution. Despite its flaws, however, this is an entertaining and watchable film. Just don’t expect answers to difficult questions. And most importantly, don’t forget to pick up the soundtrack.
