It’s fair to say that as we mature, our perspective of a particular work of art also grows and changes. I recently re-watched a film called “Lost in Translation” — which I first saw 11 years ago as a 10th grader. Back then, I didn’t understand much and thought this film was super… lame and confusing.
This time around, I’ve got to say that I have gained an entirely new appreciation of the depth and beauty of the film. It is now in my definitive list of favourite movies ever. Make no doubt about it — this is a masterpiece of filmmaking and absolutely deserving of the highest accolades (it almost received a couple of Oscars too!).
A Different Perspective
A bit of backstory: back in 2008, I was a 10th grader and having a crush on Scarlet Johansson. I saw her in a movie called Home Alone 3 and thought she was irresistibly cute. I looked for other movies she starred in. Lost in Translation caught my attention, not just because Scarlet was the lead actress but also because of its mesmerising poster — a beautiful girl standing in the rain with a deeply melancholic look on her face, against a dazzling Tokyo street corner as the backdrop.
I downloaded the film and watched it. Being a 16-year-old, I didn’t really understand much of what was happening. The entire movie was just… people talking to each other. I got bored half-way through. By the time the film ended, I was completely dumbfounded. How does this slow-paced, confusing, anti-climactic movie get so many praises??
Fast forward 11 years, and yesterday I decided to give this movie a re-watch. And I was completely blown away. This film is a freaking masterpiece. From the way I see it, through masterful filmmaking, Lost in Translation accomplishes three incredible effects:
- perfectly captures the feelings of loneliness and loss that we all experience at some point;
- examines the complexities of human relationships;
- provokes the question of the sense of identity and meaning that we all, regardless of age, are always seeking and pondering.
Loss and Loneliness
The overarching theme of Lost in Translation is the sense of alienation that the two main characters feel as they are placed in an unfamiliar world (Tokyo), unable to connect with anybody on a meaningful level — even the people they are supposed to be the closest to. They are, essentially, out of sync with the world and the people around them. Until they meet each other.
Scarlet Johansson’s character, Charlotte, is a young college graduate married to a travelling photographer. They both visit Japan for her husband’s business trip, though he seems to be obsessed with his work and rarely pays attention to her. As Charlotte’s major is Philosophy, she is always searching for deeper meanings in her life. However, the people she is surrounded with all seem superficial. Their conversations seem like nothing more than vapid gossip to her, and she feels left out.
Bill Murray’s character, Bob, is a washed-up movie star who goes to Japan for one week to shoot a commercial. He detests this job and wishes that he could be doing plays instead. He is completely bewildered by the way Japanese people act towards him. It doesn’t help that he has a mid-life crisis, and his relationships with his wife and children at home are strained.
So we have two characters who are completely alienated from the physical, social, and emotional worlds they live in. This sense of alienation is further amplified and juxtaposed through the setting of Tokyo — a city always teeming with people, and yet our protagonists are still left lonely and disconnected amidst this sea of people. It also does not help that they are both jet-lagged and cannot sleep, thus frequently staying awake at night thinking about their life.
I think anyone who has spent time living in a foreign town can relate to this. The language barrier, the culture shock, the lack of social connections, the lack of familiarity — it is hard not to feel like an estranged alien at one point.
Identity and Meaning
The movie heavily touches on the theme of an identity crisis. Neither Bob nor Charlotte knows what they are doing, even when both are in vastly different stages in life.
Charlotte marries young — a tad too young actually, and now after doing a series of odd jobs, she still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. The director actually draws inspiration from her own experience, being a recent college graduate living in Tokyo trying out different career fields. That period in our early 20s struggling to find our path in life — we all have been there haven’t we?
At the other end of the spectrum is Bob who, in his 50s, finds himself doing commercials for money. There is no talent, no skills required here. He used to do challenging and fun movie roles, and he even says he would rather be doing a play. Instead, he is stuck in a strange place, jet-lagged and culture-shocked, posing for a product for $2m while seemingly dead inside.
Both the characters are in an identity crisis, trying to figure out what it is they want in life. I find it quite interesting that these two defy what we conventionally think of as people who are “lost inside” — Charlotte is a young, beautiful, and intelligent woman married to a successful man, while Bob is rich, famous, and also good-looking. On the surface, people envy them as they seem to have their lives together. And yet as we the audience see, deep down inside they are completely lost, scared, and confused.
The Complexities of Human Relationship
I keep wondering this question throughout the movie: are Bob and Charlotte in a romantic relationship? They are two lonely people deeply dissatisfied with the current relationships they are in, and who find instant chemistry with each other in the setting of a beautiful city. That is all the ingredients for a typical romantic movie. They could easily have a quick affair at least, and no-one would be the wiser.
But no — it just seems like all they are looking for is connection and understanding. All they do throughout the movie is talk and enjoy the short time they have with each other. There are plenty of opportunities where Bob could have initiated sex with the young and beautiful Charlotte, and Charlotte would seem perfectly happy with it. But he never does that. Their relationship is purely platonic and emotional.
At one point, Charlotte gets jealous at Bob. And at the end of the film, they share a deeply emotional goodbye before leaving each other. It seems to me that they both understand the fleeting nature of their relationship: the short-lived romance is over, and now they must return to their former lives.
The film does a phenomenal job at portraying the complex, multi-faceted nature of human relationships. At least, it touches on our secret desire for that sense of deep connection with somebody, especially a stranger we just met. There is something strangely beautiful about that right — having an instant spark with someone you barely know? But at the same time, you understand that you can never build a life with them — that we like to keep it as nothing but a ephemeral romantic fantasy.
Also, I fully believe Lost in Translation has one of the best movie endings ever. I was left deeply satisfied with how the movie ends. The director also deliberately and masterfully leaves an ambiguous detail for the audience to interpret themselves.
Final Thoughts
This is a bit hard to put into words, but I could clearly feel that watching Lost in Translation I feel transported into a dreamlike world permeated with a melancholic ambiance of loneliness and loss. Through an artistic combination of cinematography and soundtrack, the movie creates a very particular mood for the viewer.
I now completely understand why this film is so highly praised and beloved. I guess people just find a piece of themselves in either Bob or Charlotte. Also, the film is simply a beautiful short-lived romance with a perfect ending to its story.
In short, Lost in Translation is a deeply human story about humans doing human things and feeling human feelings. Watch it if you can; you will not regret it.