Have you ever met someone with whom you connected instantly?
As if you shared an unspoken and undeniable bond.
A conversation seems easy, second natured and so absorbing that the world around you
disappears into the background.
Until it's just the both of you.
And the flow of time is unnoticeable, minutes and hours are interchangeable.
An effortless kinship.
But one that is not meant to last.
Not because of a fading mutual appreciation, but because the external circumstances that
brought you together will soon separate you.
A chance encounter in a frustratingly wrong place at an inopportune time.
Nothing more than a beautiful moment where two pieces of the same puzzle almost seem
like they could fit together.
Knowing this...would such an ill-fated encounter be worth it?
Would you entertain the thought of starting a relationship with someone, knowing full
well that it's not going to last?
In today's video, we will be looking at how Lost in Translation portrays Bob and Charlotte's
short-lived relationship.
Another couple joining our series of essays on Doomed Romances in movies.
-You know I got to get out of here as soon as I can
-Alright your scheduled to leave Friday but we will hold it for you Saturday
-Alright hold it...You're breaking up Fred...there is no reception in this... studio...forget
it...call me back...
Bob and Charlotte are two people, on the opposite ends of the matrimonial spectrum.
Bob is a middle-aged actor that is shooting commercials in Japan mostly because of the
money, while his family is back home.
Charlotte is a young philosophy grad that tags along with her husband of two years while
he works as a photographer.
Both are at a point in their respective lives where they feel lost.
They each find themselves without an emotional anchor in a sea of doubt amidst a trip to
a foreign land.
The hotel, and Tokyo by extension, is the embodiment of the purgatory they are stuck
in.
A waystation between the reality of everyday life and the uncertainty of what comes next.
Every aspect of the trip is made to keep the protagonists off balance and disoriented.
They are surrounded by constant reminders that the world they are in isn't their own.
-...and...ahh with intensity.
-Is that everything?
I mean it seemed like he said quite a bit more then that.
The language and customs are different, the streets have no names...everything about the
city is alien to them.
Simple everyday activities like, showering and sleeping become tedious.
Even a sexual encounter that should be straightforward and transactional is complicated.
In addition to their new environment, their connections to their normal lives are made
difficult and are no longer a source of comfort.
Bob's phone calls with his wife occur at inopportune moments due to the time difference.
Their conversations are also strained by miscommunication.
-Whatever you like...
I'm completely lost...
-It's just carpet.
-That's not what I'm talking about.
Bob is trying to express something that's bothering him, but his wife is only picking
up on the negative aspects of their conversation.
-Do I need to worry about you Bob?
-Only if you want to.
It's the same with Charlotte.
She feels distant from her own husband even when they are in the same room together.
He is not really noticing her only until she does something he doesn't like.
-Would you please stop smoking...
At one point, he seems to have more chemistry with Kelly than with her.
-...ah oh cuz I thought you were an anorexic too.
-Everybody does!
Everybody thinks that.
-Yeah cuz you look...you know...so...
-Thank you!
I know... but it's-I mean I eat whatever-I really have a high metabolism!
Charlotte is longing to feel something deep, but when she reaches out for help and understanding,
the person on the other end of the line doesn't recognize her need...
-I don't know who I married- -Can you...wait a second...just hold on I
will be right back.
-Okay sure...
They are out of sync.
Bob and Charlotte are left unheard and unseen...alone in a sea of people.
Without any of their known comforts, they can't find an emotional refuge.
They are left with themselves and the mounting introspection that isolation can bring.
-I'm trying to organize a prison break.
I'm looking for like an accomplice.
[laughter] -We'd have to first get out of this bar, then
hotel, then the city and then the country...
Typically, in romance movies, you would have the couple experience a meet-cute where the
limits of believability are tested, but that isn't the case here.
Bob and Charlotte acknowledge each other a few times at the hotel and gradually begin
conversing.
As opposed to their respective experiences in Japan so far, this is the first interaction
that is easy and free of complication.
There's no language barrier, no time zone difference, no distractions...it's just the
two of them.
It's very direct and authentic, and oddly enough, each question frames exactly the difficulty
each character is currently facing.
When Charlotte asks: -So, what are you doing here?
It resonates with Bob's current mid-life crisis.
It's not just about "here" in Japan or in the hotel but "here" at this point in his
life.
After being a movie star why is he here doing a job he doesn't really like?
Why isn't he with his wife and kids?
How did he get to this place?
And as for Charlotte, Bob asks two questions, "What are you doing?" and:
-What do you do?
Ironically this is exactly what Charlotte is searching for.
These are the type of questions that you can imagine keep her up at night.
She's unsure of what she is supposed to do in life.
She doesn't know what the next step is in her career and in her marriage.
Another interesting thing with their first interaction is that usually when having two
married characters meeting at a bar, far away from home, we would see one attempt to impress
the other or someone lying about their reasons for being at the hotel or omitting the fact
that they are married, but that's not what happens.
They don't try to hide who they are, they are honest and open.
Neither are we led to an argument over morality and faithfulness.
It's just two people recognizing something familiar in the other.
For the first time since they've arrived in Japan, they feel seen and understood.
Bob isn't just "the aging American actor" and Charlotte isn't just the "wife that tagged
along".
They're people in need.
Amidst their emotional turmoil, Bob and Charlotte begin to count on each other.
Their shared company makes the insomnia more bearable.
It also makes it easier to go out around the city to eat and visit with Charlotte's friends.
It gives Bob a reason to stay for a few more days, without it being solely for the money.
Bob and Charlotte's relationship helps them find enjoyment in their situation and surroundings.
Once again, Coppola subverts our expectations as to how the relationship progresses.
She stated that she wanted the relationship to feel innocent and old fashioned.
Their interactions aren't based on a sexual need but an emotional one.
-I'm stuck...does it get easier?
When they lie in bed together, it's not for physical intimacy but to connect on a level
they've been missing in their current relationships.
-...she just doesn't need me to...be there-the kids miss me but they're fine...
They become each other's much needed point of reference in this unclear and surreal state
they find themselves in.
-Let's never come here again because it would never be as much fun.
-Whatever you say, you're the boss.
More than what we see and hear in the dialogue, the way the movie was shot infuses the film
with a look and feel that is unique.
It has an almost dream-like quality.
The cinematography gives the film a very ethereal look.
The shallow depth of field adds an otherworldly element to what we see.
The array of red lights blinking in the background evokes the red of a traffic light signaling
a momentary stop.
It's as if everything that happens in Tokyo is part of a bubble universe, connected yet
removed from Bob and Charlotte's daily reality.
A world created out of their shared loneliness and maintained by their uncertainty of what's
to come.
A nebulous moment often found before an important life decision is taken.
Bob and Charlotte know that the time they spend together in this world will end eventually
and they'll each have to return to their former lives.
Bob verbalizes it when he's singing "More Than This" at the karaoke bar.
-More than this... oooooo there's nothing...
Their journey together began as they were lost and aimless.
As they spent more time in each other's company, they were reminded of what it is to enjoy
life amidst the confusion.
They were spontaneous and adventurous while also being attentive to the other's insecurities
and needs.
Bob serves as the foresight Charlotte needs to make sense of what happens next in life
And Charlotte rejuvenates Bob and reminds him of what a relationship should feel like.
The short time they spent together in this foreign world helps bring into focus what
it is that they each want out of life.
Before leaving, Bob whispers something in Charlotte's ear.
[whispering]
We don't get to hear what they say.
It's not in the script either and it doesn't really matter.
We are not supposed to know the content of what was said but reflect on what it represents.
The whisper is like their time together: faint, fragile, simple, intimate, momentary and only
meant to exist between them.
As they separate the light finally turns green signaling the moment has ended and they can
finally move on to their next step in life.
Sofia Coppola wrote Lost in Translation around the time that her marriage to Spike Jonze
ended.
She has stated that there are elements of Spike and of lived experiences in the film.
Later on, Spike Jonze went on to write Her.
Both films are similar in mood and could be watched as companion pieces.
They both deal with lonely characters in a short lived and emotion-based relationship.
The interesting thing is that they don't portray doomed romances in a negative light.
No one is made to look like a villain.
It's about people trying to connect and having difficulty to do so.
It's a very mature perspective on failed relationships based on their own experience.
They don't bury the fact that it happened but acknowledge its formative importance.
These films and characters are a way for them to reconcile those past emotions.
Circumstance change and paths cease to intersect.
A doomed romance can at first feel like an unfortunate obstacle in life but once it's
over, it can become an essential steppingstone on the way to moving on.
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We really hope you enjoyed the fourth entry in our Doomed Romance series.
Please let us know what other cinematic relationship you would like for us to analyze in the future!
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