A Reflection On The Film Lost in Translation
I've been meaning to write a film review for a while now, so I figured I'd start with my favorite, Lost in Translation. Written and directed by one of my favorite film directors, Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation touches on various themes and ideas surrounding love, loneliness, and human connection. That's probably as formal as I'll sound all blog to be honest, aside from some character and plot filler. I just think this film has so many complicated aspects of the human experience, making it difficult to put into words, and I think that's exactly what this film is all about. There are some things we just can't explain regarding the way we feel, and on a broader level, this film really portrays what it's like to feel lost in life.
I remember watching this film for the first time back in 2021. It was a Sunday evening, blue hour. My parents were outside, my brother sleeping upstairs. For some reason, I remember this day so vividly. Maybe its because Lost in Translation ended up becoming my favorite film. It still is to this day and over the last five years, I've of course watched it more than once. The more I watch it, the more I begin to understand what the movie is about. I think this goes for any film you find meaningful. As you grow up and change, you begin to see the film differently, even though the film itself never changes. There are certain scenes and conversations in the film that five years ago flew right over my head, now they mean something to me. Or maybe those conversations meant something different to me back then compared to now. That's what makes this film so special to me. There will always be a bottom line or overall lesson, but there is always something new to learn and appreciate as I grow older.
For some context, the film follows Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a young woman who travels to Tokyo to accompany her husband, a photographer. We are then introduced to Bob (Bill Murray), an aging movie star who travels to Tokyo to shoot a commercial for a whiskey brand. They meet each other through a chance encounter in a hotel bar. Both find themselves feeling isolated and disconnected from the lives they feel they should be living, but both experience that isolation in different ways.
There's a moment in the film where Charlotte is overlooking Tokyo from her hotel room, and this is where the cinematography plays its part. As she looks out over the city, she feels trapped in a place she feels she has no connection to, and she feels disconnected from what's going on down below. I think that is one of the reasons that scene has always resonated with me. Seeing people I used to be close with but no longer am close with, it's like watching life move on from a distance rather than actually being a part of it. So I look at scenes like the one with Bob and Charlotte in the back of the taxi, driving through neon-lit Tokyo as the song “Sometimes” by My Bloody Valentine starts playing, and I see it as a symbol of the connection they have made. It's this idea of being able to find someone who understands you, and I truly think the city plays an important part. What initially feels like a place of isolation and disconnection, becomes a place where both of them can find comfort in each other.
I think the notion of love is one of the most debatable things about this film. The more I revisit this film, the more I stand firm in my interpretation. They were never in love. They were simply two people who felt the same way at the same time. I'd argue this was a platonic friendship, but if you were to show me the ending scene, where they say goodbye and The Jesus and Mary Chain starts playing, I think even I’d have to admit it would be hard to argue something that definitive. But their connection not being so overly romantic just shows you how much someone can open up when they finally feel like they are talking to someone who understands them, even just a little bit. You start to believe that finding genuine connection is really hard to find in this society. To me, the film doesn't regard love as something necessary for a meaningful connection. Sounds harsh, but every rewatch makes me appreciate the little things more. The scenes where they go to clubs and bars, running through the city at night, taking taxis, and just enjoying each other's company. They're experiencing these moments together and in doing so, it's an escape from the loneliness and disconnect they have been feeling.
The most interesting part is that although they are fond of each other, they are both married. I don't feel it's naive to simply ask how they are both so lonely. There are many ways to interpret it, but I think the best way to put it is that they are both at completely different points in life, yet, as cringey as it sounds, they find themselves in the same place emotionally. Charlotte has her whole life ahead of her, whereas Bob is much older and has experienced a lot more. In the scene where they are both lying on the bed, Bob is trying to comfort her about her insecurities regarding the future, but it's clear Bob is questioning his own life as well. He has a whole life waiting for him back home, but this proves that even at his age, there is still so much uncertainty.
A lot of the films I watch leave me with questions that I only begin to understand as I get older. So, are meaningful relationships meant to last? It's a weird question because it sounds like I'm holding "meaningful relationships" to some predetermined fate. Maybe the better question is simply, do they have to last? If what Bob and Charlotte share is temporary, does it diminish what they shared and felt? Sofia Coppola said the film is about "those moments in life that are fleeting but the impression stays with you." I believe that finding true connection and solace can just be as meaningful or even outweigh relationships that have lasted for years. It's all subjective, sure, but the length of a relationship shouldn't be what determines if what was felt was real or not.
Before I conclude, please check out the soundtrack for this film. plz.
(The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Phoenix, etc) like c'mon.
These are ultimately the things that I take away from this film. We spend so much of our lives trying to figure out where to go or who we're supposed to be. Maybe we'll be asking those questions forever, maybe there just isn't a direct answer to those feelings or questions. As mentioned above, Bob and Charlotte are at completely different stages in life, and none of them have it figured out. But they will take what they shared in their brief time together and move on, because life just seems to move faster than we can handle. Maybe that's just the way it'll always be. Life will always be a case of figuring it out as we go, moving on, because that's all we can do.
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