In my city of NY, many yiddishe mamas have been with BM. More common th
an you think.
http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/brooklyn_babylon.htm
Brooklyn Babylon looks at the complexities of a relationship between two people from completely different worlds. Solomon (Tariq Trotter) is black. He's an MC. His hip-hop group is trying to succeed while remaining independent. His spiritual background is Rastafarian. Sarah (Karen Goberman) is white. She comes from a Hasidic Jewish background. Her family is very traditional; dogmatic; deeply religious. Yet Sol and Sarah share an obstinate love and compassion for one another.
The film begins by going back and forth between each character, highlighting some cultural differences: Sol and his group (The Roots) practicing, Sarah at a traditional Jewish wedding. Sol and Sarah's worlds collide at an intersection dividing the Jewish and black communities in Brooklyn when their cars crash. She is driving home from the wedding with her fiancé-whom she doesn't love-and a few other young men. Sol is driving home with his manager, a long-time friend. And while Sol's manager and Sarah's fiancé curse at one another-Sol's manager tells the Jews they are on the wrong side of the dividing line-Sarah and Sol share an enchanting moment; their attraction to one another seems apparent.
Sol and Sarah again cross paths not long after this incident in a beautiful garden that joins their respective neighborhoods. They share a mutual allure that is evident in the way they look at and talk to each other. But Sarah is scared of what may happen if the two are seen together because of the existing prejudices amongst the blacks and Jews in Brooklyn. Her fear intensifies when her fiancé's car is bombed: she thinks Sol and his manager are involved until she confronts Sol about the occurrence and sees that he is genuinely hurt that she would suspect him.
The car bombing exacerbates the already shaky relationship between the neighboring blacks and Jews; however, Sol and Sarah continue to pursue their interest in one another amidst the turmoil. "I know you," he says to her during an early conversation, pointing out a mystical connection between the two. And as their relationship grows, the conflict between the blacks and Jews grows also.
One interesting aspect of the film is how the elders of each religion respond to Sol and Sarah's relationship, and interracial relationships in general. During a family dinner Sarah asks her father why they never have anyone other than Jews in their home if their mandate is to love their neighbors. Her father can't come up with a sufficient reason. In contrast, when Sol discusses the subject with the Rastafarian elders they are much more accepting: love is love; they explain that race doesn't matter.
Some viewers might argue that the film is somewhat anti-Semitic, but Brooklyn Babylon takes the same approach as Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing by showing each race involved in the film's various conflicts as equally flawed. Both the blacks and Jews caught up in the ongoing struggles are shown as equally narrow-minded and intolerant. Neither race is favored over the other.
The film's premise is that love can overcome adversity, no matter how tremendous. And while this theme may seem cliché, or overdone, screenwriter Marc Levin (Slam) presents this story creatively; Brooklyn Babylon has an original, mystical feel and spiritual ambiance to it. The theme is brought to life through creative narration and biblical allusions. And first timer Tariq Trotter, hip-hop MC Black Thought of The Roots, seems very natural in his role as the film's protagonist. His first few exchanges with Sarah have that awkward, exciting feel of a budding relationship.
Another interesting characteristic of the film is Sol's devotion to his art form. When his manager presents him with a contract, which includes a large signing bonus, Sol turns it down, deciding instead to maintain creative control of his music. He refuses to compromise, just as he refuses to compromise his faith and love for Sarah.
