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Lost in translation (2003).
Written and directed by Sofia Coppola.
Starring Bill Murry & Scarlett Johansson.
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This is simply one of my favourite films of all time (I'll try not to be too biased). Not only was it filmed in my favourite country, Japan. But it has an unusual and quirky feel that makes you question what you're watching.
A Drama? Maybe. A Romance? Kinda. A comedy? In some parts. A midlife crisis? In one storyline, it could be, and more.
But that's why it intrigues me and keeps me coming back to watch at different points in my life. It's essentially 2 people who are lost, emotionally, spiritually and physically. They find themselves in a country where they're unfamiliar and then find comfort in their lost lives, with each other. Something everyone finds themselves to some degree in their life at some point.
I think this could be the underlying genius in this film, it's simply about how we as humans are complex, we're always trying to find a purpose, direction or motivation in life. And this is shown marvellously by the older Bill Murray's long term married, slightly comical and slightly sad character Bob Harris. Then On the juxtapositioned, we have a young and newlywed Charlotte played by an extremely young (17) Scarlett Johansson, who is intelligent, witty and recently graduated university, newly married to a man with a well-paid job. And realizes she has no direction whatsoever.
Of course, the intelligently written and directed story by Sofia Coppola is intriguing, thought-provoking and deeply interesting. I'd love to ask her if this was based on personal experience or part of her creative mind? Some quotes seem to point to a bit of both, and in my experience, Tokyo can definitely be easy to get lost in.
The deeply real and human way the story unfolds is fantastically written, it makes me immersed in their world as if it's a real-life story.
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| Lost in translation |
Being lost is instantly relatable on multiple levels, no matter who you are. Firstly we all have that deep feeling of knowing that we should be striving for personal meaning, something other than a 9-5 with 30 days of annual leave and a bonus once a year. No offence if that's what makes you truly happy, but in my experience, the ones who say that that is what they want, are either lying or don't have much of a choice. This "lost" is a mental, emotional and sometimes spiritual one.
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Office Space (1999)
Written and directed by Mike Judge
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Secondly, being lost is also physical disorientation, we all can remember a time when it's happened, a deeply scary moment when we suddenly lose sight of our parents and are distracted by almost anything a young child can be distracted by. We turn back expecting to find our parents and poof! Nothing, nothing but worry, fear, and anguish. Or simply walking down an unfamiliar street and realizing that you should double back and find some directions.
Being lost is innately human and why I feel this film draws us in so effortlessly.
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| lost (American TV series 2004-10) |
In the film were shown our characters in their lost states, first with Bob, an actor past his prime, living from work that simply doesn't fulfil him, advertising for brands he's never heard of, in countries he doesn't know. We're introduced to him as he's In a Japanese taxi with a beaty music track that's slightly out of touch with the surrounding Japanese metropolis flying by, while Bob is staring in somewhat of a bewildered expression out the window. I'm feeling as if this music was intended to say, you're not in Kansas anymore.
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| Lost in translation |
This lost feeling is shown again in one scene where Bob is watching an old film or episode he acted on as a younger man,(obviously from the Bill Murray's younger days) you can tell without a word that he misses it and that he simply doesn't know why he chose to come to Japan, apart from money. But it clearly doesn't fulfil him, we get the sense that he's lost his way, and may not be able to find his way back into doing what fulfils him. He has a wife, kids, a house that's being redecorated and responsibilities as a father while facing a job that's practically pushing him into mental health problems. Insomnia is what helps our 2 characters to meet and build their relationship.
Charlotte is introduced to us with calm mindful music as she sits half-dressed sitting in and staring out the window (once again) onto the grey metropolis that is Tokyo. A litter of clothes, books, and other personal belongings were strewn about the floor around her, Obviously not someone who has a clear mindset or objective, at least not for that day. A direct and rather obvious way of directing our attention to Charlotte's mental state.
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| Lost in translation |
I'll be writing more, but I think I need to watch this film again as it's been over a year since I have and I'd like to watch it as a study and not simply enjoyment, I'd like to get a more rounded version of the film than my faded memory.
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