Characterisation
Bob and Charlotte are strangers not only in Tokyo, but in their own skin.
In Lost In Translation, characters are entirely removed from their daily routines through changes in space and time. This can be seen via the let-lag and inability to speak Japanese. The relationship between Bob and Charlotte is juxtaposed with the relationship of Charlotte and her husband. Bob and Charlotte have brief moments of connection when they're feeling so disconnected and in terms of the movie structure, all the elements of a relationship are condensed into a few days. Charlotte and her husband, however, "float in parallel spaces that never intersect." How to the characters "translate" themselves? Consider connections formed, exploration of the self and surroundings, new experiences, cultural immersion. How are the characters lost? Coppola has said that the film is about "being disconnected and looking for moments of connection". This is a film about the need for continuity and connection in a postmodern world dominated by global ways of thinking. |
Scenes to consider:
What do these scenes say about the characters and Navigating the Global? What Ways of Thinking are depicted? Consider postmodernism, ennui, existentialism, consumerism.
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