2837_Anita_MovieAnalysis

Film：Lost In Translation
Name：Anita
Student ID：2837
Date：2010-4-18

The movie Lost in Translation is a 2003 American movie written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It is one of the most well-known movies that Sofia Coppola directed. Sophia has its own particular view of live and she is a genius in directing movies. All this conditions make her film career successful.

Lost in Translation (2003) is Sofia’s second feature film. It is so successful owing to its good actors and actresses, beautiful pictures, flowing and smooth plot, unusual screenplay and extraordinary sound effect. The film went on to be nominated for four academy awards which includes Best Picture, Best Actor for Bill Murray, and Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Sofia Coppola.

This article will simply present how Sofia organizes all the elements to show a successful movie to audience.

In the beginning of the movie, we hear the sound of a plane landing. Then Bob Harris who is an ageing American movie actor arrived in Tokyo to make a commercial shot. The camera turns to Bob, leaning to the car window, tired and dull. He is on the way to the hotel. The camera cuts between Bob’s tired and depressed face and the night view. However, there is a strong contrast between the background music and picture. The night view in Tokyo is prosperous and busy while the background music is dismal and sad. This indicates that Bob is numb about his career and life. And at the same time, this leads audiences into silence and makes them immersed in the atmosphere.

A wide shot presents Bob sits on the end of the bed in a too small hotel kimono and he does not know what to do. The room is big and the light is a little dark. All this settings gives us a lonely feeling. The small hotel kimono shows it does not suit Bob. This detail indicates the theme of different culture in this movie.

On the other side, a wide shot presents Charlotte who is the young wife of a visiting photographer sits at the big window at midnight. She holds herself in her arms. Through the window, we can see the busy streets and we can even feel the noise outside the window. However, inside the room, Charlotte is lonely and insomnia. Besides, when Charlotte is wandering in the streets, she is quiet. She seems to find someone whom she can speak to. She always tries to understand what the Japanese said and did. However, she failed. She feels extremely lonely when she is in the crowds.

When Bob stays in Tokyo, he totally lost himself in Tokyo. Bob suffers confusion in Tokyo because of the cultural and language differences between himself and the Japanese. When he takes a shower in the hotel, he finds the shower nozzle is lower than his height. He can not get the information from the Japanese TV program. In addition, he is not used to have lunch with chopsticks. All this details in his life shows he leads a hard life in Japan. What’s worse, He has a problem in communication with the Japanese director. Although there is a translator, he can not really understand what the director wants him to do. For example, the director speaks a few long sentences with passion in Japanese; however the interpreter just translates into a very simple and short sentence without any details. A medium close up shot shows Bob wonders whether she is leaving out or if that is the way it works from Japanese to English. He is completely confused.

In the movie, there is few shots show Charlotte goes to the temple. Temple is a place full of peace and quiet. However, Charlotte who is in her mid twenties visits the temple alone. Actually, this is a good arrange to reveal Charlotte’s personality. This is because she is confused about her life. She is wondering the purpose of life. She is always left alone in the hotel by her husband. She is bored with her life and she tries to make herself busy with the decoration of the room. All this shows her life is boring. Moreover, the director sets a good position of the object and has a good control of the camera. She can make a good combination of the environment and the object. Thus the pictures appear in a beautiful vision. This is why Lost in Translation can achieve the award of Best Picture.

The movie use good editing. The movie editor can always make two different things continue naturally so that the story can move smoothly. For example, Charlotte can not fall asleep at all and she turns on the television and watches a crazy local TV show. Then camera focuses on the television screen. The following scene is Bob watches the same channel and he flips the channel after a while. These few short scenes combine very technically without repeating. At the same time, it shows clearly of the drama based on the timeline.

Bob and Charlotte, both suffer insomnia meet each other in the bar of the hotel. And they share the information about themselves with each other. Although they are strangers, they look like old friends. From now on, their live in Tokyo change suddenly.

Charlotte is going to meet her friends in Tokyo and she invites Bob. They go out eating, drinking and singing. From this part of the movie, we can find out that both of them smile. They act as themselves. And when they go back to the hotel, the background music is rapid and active. In contrast, the background music here is completely different from the beginning of the movie. Here comes the high tide of the movie. Two strangers run to each other because of the loneliness. From now on, they become friends. For example, Bob and Charlotte always go out to have fun together. They go to the Sushi bar to have food and Bob takes Charlotte to go to see a doctor. All these things make them closer and closer and their relationship becomes more and more complicated.
They watch movie and talk together. And then they lay on the bed without any sex. They become soul mate rather than friends or lovers.

The movie also has lots of short shots showing Bob talks with his wife on the phone. He is alienated by his family. He has no idea when he is talking with his wife. They even have quarrel on the phone. And his daughter refuses to answer his phone.

The fire alarm in the hotel booms in the last night of Bob’s departure. The hotel guest and staff hurry out of the hotel and Charlotte finds Bob in the crowd of the hotel guest. Charlotte gets the news that Bob is leaving tomorrow. In other words, the fire alarm reminds that their life in Tokyo comes to the end. At night, they meet in the bar again. There is a new singer. He sings “Where or When” with all his heart. “It seems we stood and talked like this before, we looked at each other in the same way then, but I can’t remember where or when…” “Some things that happen for the first time seem to be happening again and so it seems we have met before, and laughed before, and loved before, but who knows where or when…” Actually, the song is the review of their life in Tokyo.

At the end of the movie, a medium close up shows the farewell between Bob and Charlotte. Bob holds Charlotte close to him and whispers in her ear. A close up shot shows Charlotte’s extremely sorrowful eyes. Finally, they have a kiss and Bob leaves to reach his car. The music swells. Charlotte walks in the crowd and Bob reaches his car. They head to the opposite direction and go on their way.

From my point of view, all the loneliness and alienation are caused by the lack of communication. Because go through the whole movie, although Bob and his wife have communication, they are not willing to talk with each other. Charlotte does not talk much with her husband. Because her husband is busy with his business and Charlotte is always left alone in the hotel. They are lack of communication. However, Bob and Charlotte talk a lot and go out eating, drinking as well as having fun. Moreover, they treat each other as a good friend and they share things with each other. Finally, they get along well with each other.

In conclusion, all the elements in the movie make Lost in Translation outstanding. Seen from the whole movie, the theme is obvious: loneliness, alienation and culture difference. The loneliness and insomnia drive Bob and Charlotte together. The alienation makes Bob and his family lack of family love. The culture difference makes it hard for Bob and Charlotte to blend in with the local people.

Reference

http://www.impawards.com/2003/posters/lost_in_translation_ver2.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_in_Translation_(film)

Note: The images are cut from the xbmc in AIT .