Lost in Translation
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[edit] Blurb
Bill Murray plays Bob Harris, a Hollywood star, well past his prime, but still a big enough international name that the Japanese are willing to pay him handsomely to film a commercial to promote whiskey. Adrift from a family he rarely sees because of travel, he drinks heavily and suffers from sleeplessness. At a bar in his Tokyo hotel, he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johanssen), a young, recently married woman, also an insomniac, who is beginning to realize how little she knows or likes about her superstar photographer husband. Relieved to have found someone equally dislocated, the two strike up an odd friendship, which is by turns charming, whimsical, reflective, and quite humorous.
On the surface, the title refers to the inability of the American characters in the film to translate Japanese speech or strongly accented English into intelligible English. Bob and Charlotte are frequently at a loss in the midst of an alien culture. Communicative gaps such as those caused by foreign languages are rich sources of comedy and Murray is more than up to the task here. As the wry and befuddled Harris, Murray confirms his status as one of our best comic actors. In one stretch of humor, covering the numerous takes involved in Bob's recording of the whiskey commercial, Murray does very little talking. Mildly frustrated at the director's absurd demands that he mimic the "rat pack," he simply plays along with mock imitations of Dino and Sinatra.
Like his character in Groundhog Day, Murray's character here is trapped, unable to move forward, living parasitically off his own past success. He ponders images of himself — in dubbed Japanese versions of his films and on advertisement posters — with bemused sadness rather than triumph. His married life has followed the arc of his career. His wife sends him faxes at 4 A.M. and FedEx mailings with suggestions concerning the color coordination of his home study. A conversation with his wife, during which he expresses his desire for change, ends with her saying, "Do I need to worry about you?" to which he responds, "Only if you want to." She responds matter-of-factly, "I got things to do."
In their sleeplessness, Bob and Charlotte share a bed. She admits, "I'm stuck" and asks, "Does it get easier?" When he says, "Yes," she responds, "Yeah, right. Look at you." In a grave tone, he confesses that his life became more complicated once he had kids: "The day your first child is born is the most terrifying day of your life. Your life is gone, never to return." Just as seriously, he adds, "but they're the most delightful people you would ever want to meet in your life." After some moments of motionless silence, he puts his hand gently on Charlotte's foot and comments, "You're not lost."
Charlotte studied philosophy in college, is mildly attracted to Buddhism, and is reading a book, A Soul's Search, which teaches that "your soul selected your life's purpose before you got here." Yet, this, too, seems beside the point. The movie is not burdened with pretentious philosophical speculation; in fact, it takes a nice shot at Hollywood's shallow, opportunistic embrace of Eastern thought, amply on display in American Beauty. A hollow soul of an actress, who insists that she's not anorexic even as she takes the suggestion as a supreme compliment of her looks, drones on in an interview about her love of Buddhism and reincarnation. Then she gushes about how much she loves working with Keanu and how much they have in common, since they both live in L.A. and have dogs. [1]
[edit] View from Nowhere
[edit] Other Views from Nowhere
Some Enlightening Lessons from the Film:
01) Lost in Transition
Lost in transition, Bob experiences the mid-life crisis of a successful but marriage-weary man, while Charlotte lives the quarter-life crisis of a newly wedded girl unsure of her future and career. Both are at different ends of the spectrum of life, discovering themselves to be foreigners to others and themselves in a foreign land. But better an existential crisis any time than never, right? Only when we question our life can we find the answer to truly live, and seek greater enlightenment.
Can two lost people help each other find each other? To some extent perhaps, as they might be lost in different ways, with their own helpful experience and relevant advice for each other. At least they know they are lost and need to get out of their predicament! In a sense, they were like spiritual “hungry ghosts” with no real solutions for each other, other than the pleasure of each other's platonic company, offering each a listening ear. (They were flirting, experimenting with life more than each other.) But then again, maybe that was good enough for the moment. Their short chance meeting becomes a valuable friendship, leading them to misadventures in discovery of Tokyo life and rediscovery of their lives and life's possibilities.
In their random exploration of city life, there is hinting of the absurdity of the colourful masses and its indulgences of the senses. Though seemingly short-lived, they touched each other, and we know their friendship will last forever. It does not matter how temporal our encounters with strangers are, as long as we treasure its value in the moment. This movie is indeed a gem on unconditional human connection - to others and to ourselves. Without any particular heavy messages, it is a story like life... No... it is life itself.
02) Bardo of Becoming
”The paradox of modern business travel is that it can make you feel brutally anonymous while scraping you down to your truest self. The airport lobbies and hotel bars, the rooms pregnant with waiting: They replace the details of our regular lives with uniform dislocation. This is limbo, or what the Buddhists call ‘bardo’, and it can be a terrifying form of grace. Sofia Coppola's (Director) lovely, lapidary ‘Lost in Translation’ is about this stateless state of being, and about two lost "souls" who find themselves waltzing together in the void. It's not a love story, or, at any rate, the sort we expect from movies. It's something deeper and simpler.” -TY Burr
Phrases that come to mind as I watched the movie floundering... existential alienation... adrift... floating... don't speak the language... don't understand the way of life... don't understand life itself... unaccustomed to the lightness of being... suspension...
03) Mono No Aware
”The Japanese phrase ‘mono no aware’, is a bittersweet reference to the transience of life. It came to mind as I was watching "Lost in Translation," which is sweet and sad at the same time it is sardonic and funny.” -Roger Ebert
04) Having Married a Stranger
Charlotte tells her friend on the phone, "... John is using these hair products and I just… I don’t know who I married." Marriage is a union of minds, or it would merely be bodies being together! The more connection there is, instead of only physical togetherness, the more spiritual it is. How well do we know the ones we love?
05) Absent People Present
Charlotte is surrounded by "absent" people - her husband John and her friend on phone who does not really listens. John is more interested in Kelly, the self-absorbed starlet, than his own wife. Are you mindfully present for those around you? How do you love someone when you are "there, but not there"? It doesn't even matter if you are merely "always there."
06) Extreme to Extreme
Bob’s unasked for “premium (sexual) fantasy” became horror instead. It was probably meant to be a “token of appreciation”. We see the "otherworldly" beings of Tokyo swinging between the extremes of restrained ultra-conservative politeness and restraint to no-holds barred intense wild partying. Is this good? If not, what is the Middle Path?
07) Accidental Pilgrimage
Charlotte repeatedly peers at the busy colourful world outside of her hotel room. Perhaps she felt out of place, a stranded and alienated misfit. She wanders the streets randomly, in search of nothing in particular, perhaps looking for herself, looking for hints as to what she should do. Being in a strange place surrounded by strangers and strange phenomena can be the strangest yet most effective way of finding oneself, as you understand yourself afresh and in-depth from your unprecedented new interactions. Even a brief holiday for pleasure can become an accidental spiritual pilgrimage of sorts.
08) Feeling Numb
Charlotte explored Japan on her own, becoming thoroughly disoriented by the extremes of Japanese life - ranging from the hullabaloo of loud neon lights and arcade games to the solemn ness of a Buddhist temple, where she overhears some monks chanting. Calling a friend home in America, she tells her that "I didn't feel anything." Then she blurts out: "I don't know who I married." She wanted to feel touched, to feel gladness? She did feel her numbness at least, which is good. This is part of experiencing the First Noble Truth - of our existential disorientation and dissatisfaction - even if we cannot seem to pin in down readily yet.
09) Victim of Circumstances
Disinterested, Bob nonetheless works professionally for his commercial shoots. Ironically, he is paid a large sum not to act as himself, but to mimic other actors. Then again, he is an actor after all. But he is discontent with doing what he does not really wishes. Do we definitely have to do what we do not want to? Who or what is forcing us? Our circumstances? Or our lack of strength in dealing with our circumstances in the way we really prefer?
10) Golf Retreat
Bob takes a brief respite of solo golfing in a sudden silent scene away from the hustle and bustle of city life, against the serene backdrop of mountains. We all need spiritual retreats of some kind now and then, to spend time with ourselves, to give ourselves wide open spaces, to reconcile with ourselves. The golfing in this case is inconsequential - an excuse perhaps, to getaway, to do something somewhat meaningful (getting exercise?) yet not demanding and inherently purposeless? Almost immediately, the scene switches back to "normal". Do your retreats make you more "normal" in a good way when you return to life's usual routines?
11) The Purpose of Your "Soul"
Charlotte hears the following on her self-improvement CD - "Did you ever wonder what your purpose in life is?... Every ‘soul’ has a path. But sometimes, that path is not clear. The inner map theory is an example of how each ‘soul’ begins with an imprint all compacted into a pattern that has been selected by your ‘soul’ before you’d even got here."
In true "soul-searching", we will realise we actually do not have fixed "souls", as we change from moment to moment, whether we like it or not, as we hanker on previous identities and ideal ones. Your path and every one of its detours and backtracking are always continually chosen by you in this very moment. We have tendencies and preferences due to past lives' karmic imprints, but we can always break free of undesired habitual patterns to evolve spiritually.
12) Hope in Reincarnation
Kelly said, ”There’s hope in reincarnation, I think.” (In Buddhism, we prefer the term "rebirth" to emphasize on constant change of the consciousness.) Yet there is also the dread of "eternal recurrence", should we not break free of our old selves to become more free. Rebirth, than, is neither specifically good or bad, but up to us to make the best of as a chance to break free.
13) Zen & the Art of Ikebana
Charlotte stumbles into an Ikebana class, a Zen-inspired art which trains mindfulness. In the abstract yet exact and purposeful arrangement of each stalk of flower and leaf, nothing is random, even if it might seem so naturally. Isn't this a lot like life?
14) What Are You Doing?
Bob: What are you doing? Charlotte: My husband's a photographer, so he's here working.
I wasn't doing anything so I came along…
Bob: What do you do? Charlotte: I'm not sure yet, actually...
Charlotte (another occasion): I just don't know what I'm supposed to be. Bob: You'll figure that out.
The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.
What do you really do? Do you only do your job? Is your job your life? What do you do beyond your job? Who are you supposed to be? The Buddha tells us that though we are at times lost, we all wish to be truly happy, and this is possible only when we become fully Enlightened, while the process itself, as a path of increasing Compassion and Wisdom for one and all, can be a path of increasing joy.
15) Why Talk to a Stranger?
”These conversations can really only be held with strangers. We all need to talk about metaphysics, but those who know us well want details and specifics; strangers allow us to operate more vaguely on a cosmic scale. When the talk occurs between two people who could plausibly have sex together, it gathers a special charge: you can only say "I feel like I've known you for years" to someone you have not known for years. Funny, how your spouse doesn't understand the bittersweet transience of life as well as a stranger encountered in a hotel bar… They share something as personal as their feelings rather than something as generic as their genitals.
Most of the time nobody knows where they are, or cares, and their togetherness is all that keeps them both from being lost and alone. They go to karaoke bars and drug parties, pachinko parlors and, again and again, the hotel bar. They wander Tokyo, an alien metropolis to which they lack the key. They don't talk in the long literate sentences… of the characters in "Before Sunrise," but in the weary understatements of those who don't have the answers.” –Roger Ebert
16) Perfunctory Relationship
We hear Bob's wife speaking perfunctorily to him on the phone, repeatedly calling at inconsiderate odd hours, even faxing questions and reminders in a way obviously more interested in getting her things done than showing concern for him. Somewhat a wife on an autopilot (and patronising) mode, communicating yet not truly connecting. Do we do that sometimes? She asks Bob whether she needs to worry about him, and he replies, "Only if you want to." True love comes without question and is always there without the need for prompting.
17) Ultimate Prison Break
Bob tells Charlotte, "I’m trying to organize a prison break… We’d have to first get out of this bar, then the hotel, then the city and then the country.” What's next after getting out of the country? Of life itself... and death! Of the prison of Samsara, which we trap ourselves in with our craving! The ultimate release is Nirvana.
18) What's So Funny?
Bob sings the song "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" by Elvis Costello during the karaoke session, "As I walk through this wicked world, searching for light in the darkness of insanity. I ask myself, is all hope lost? Is there only pain and hatred and misery? And each time I feel like this inside, there’s one thing I want to know. What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?"
The wickedness of this world is from its collective greed, hatred and delusion, including ours. Hope is not lost as long as you yourself at least, wish to seek the light of Enlightenment, to overcome suffering. Of course, there's nothing funny about peace, love and understanding. True peace comes from Enlightenment, which is also the culmination of true love (universal Compassion) and true understanding (universal Wisdom).
19) More Than This...
Lyrics of "More Than This" (By Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music):
I could feel at the time There was no way of knowing Fallen leaves in the night Who can say where they're blowing As free as the wind And hopefully learning Why the sea on the tide Has no way of turning
More than this - there is nothing More than this - tell me one thing More than this - there is nothing
It was fun for a while There was no way of knowing Like dream in the night Who can say where we're going No care in the world Maybe I'm learning Why the sea on the tide Has no way of turning
More than this - there is nothing More than this - tell me one thing More than this - there is nothing
"More than THIS - there is nothing." THIS is THIS now. All we have is now. Live in the moment - because the future is uncertain and we can't return to the past. Bob was relishing the moment. A rather Zennish “classic” song with lyrics on the ethereality of life, which Bob sang in the karaoke, with a touch of reflective melancholy that is equally funny and moving.
20) Entertainment Hangover
All the seemingly random video games, partying, drinking, chatting and singing, what does it really express? Is it a celebration of life, or an expression of existential exasperation? It is most likely a mix of both. Does our entertainment, our colourful distractions, make us digress further and further from "soul-searching"? Do they overwhelm you, making you more numb or alive? At what expense? Is life more fully lived when jammed packed with entertainment, or with adequate space for spiritual reflection and cultivation? Do we live more fully by indulging in sensual pleasures or does it sap time and life away from us? Bob and Charlotte leave the karaoke room for a silent break outside. A hangover before the night is over? Is it not better to live through a hangover faster? So that we can snap out of it and wake up faster.
21) Are You Awake?
The note slipped under Charlotte's hotel door in middle of the night by Bob – “Are you awake?” Charlotte read the note. She had to be awake to read it. You are awake too - but how awake? How are you waking up? To what? Unable to sleep night after night, were Bob and Charlotte experiencing jetlag or "lifelag", awake to the truth that life has "left them behind" to be somewhat purposeless “zombies”? Or had they chosen to shed their “previous lives”?
22) Does Life Gets Easier?
Charlotte: I’m stuck. Does it get easier? Bob: No. yes. It gets easier...
The more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you.
Charlotte: I just don’t know what I’m supposed to be. I tried being a writer,
but… I hate what I write...
Bob: You’ll figure that out. I’m not worried about you. Keep writing.
Bob hesitated because there is no straightforward answer. Are you stuck? What is your spiritual, not merely your occupational vocation? What is your true calling, your real 24/7 job? If you are sure of your choice, just go for it and keep at it. Your work is to find your true work and work hard and well at it. The more certain you are of the worthiness of your goal, the less consequential obstacles along the way are in affecting you adversely.
23) Does Married Life Gets Easier?
Charlotte: What about marriage? Does that get easier? Bob: That’s hard. We used to have a lot of fun… Now she doesn’t want to leave the kids. And she doesn’t need me to be there… The most terrifying day of your life is the day the first one is born. Your life, as you know it, is gone. Never to return. But they learn how to walk and they learn how to talk and you want to be with them. And they turn out to be the most delightful people you will ever meet in your life.
Marriage needs constant "work" to stay connected, to keep it alive, or it would become meaningless. We get married because we see value in a life partnership. When the value diminishes, the marriage drifts apart. Life inevitably changes when we have children - for better or worse is up to you. Bringing up children, especially your own, can be a very enlightening process of nurturing future Buddhas!
24) Just Very Different
Bob's wife tells him on the phone, "I’m glad you’re having fun." He replies, "It’s not fun, it’s just… very different." Yet our estrangement, puzzlement and exasperation with the exotic and alien can ultimately be most enlightening. The different can become the spiritually "fun". That is what Bob discovers by the film's end.
25) Always a Good Time
Bob's wife calls, first asking, "Is it a bad time?" He replies, "No, it’s always a good time." It is always the right time to connect to those you love, to find time for those we love. As the Zen saying goes, "Everyday is a good day." And "Every moment is a good moment."
26) Setting Free
With sexual tension at every turn, both Bob and Charlotte, while connecting well like "soulmates", were equally cautious not to let sex ruin their friendship and marriages. Do they long for each other? Are they victims of their circumstances? Or are they simply able to set each other free out of a greater love? Was it not an unconditional love of a kind?
27) Secret Whisper
We wonder what Bob said to Charlotte in the final heart-wrenching yet heart-warming scene, as he rushes up to her, hugs her and whispers something to her before departing, before she smiles and walks on. Sofia Coppola (Director) has said in many interviews that we aren't meant to know because it is a private moment between Bob and Charlotte. Was it "Thank you!" "See you later?" "I really love you but I really have to go?" "Don't worry, I know you find happiness?" Or what?
”We shouldn't be allowed to hear it. It's between them, and by this point in the movie, they've become real enough to deserve their privacy. Maybe he gave her his phone number. Or said he loved her. Or said she was a good person. Or thanked her. Or whispered, ‘Had we but world enough, and time...’ and left her to look up the rest of it.” –Roger Ebert
Bitter, sweet or bittersweet farewell? Is it goodbye forever or chance of a new life… together or apart? We sense great relief and hope – and we know that nothing they experienced, and nothing we experienced is ever in vain, as long as we treasure the experiences, both the good and bad, and grow from them. It's a beautiful and fitting to me because throughout the film, their problems were not clearly defined - we are left guessing to much extent as to the real anguish they felt about their lives. And at the end of the show, the secret whisper seems to be the magic solution to their questions. While some of us frown at the mystery, some of us are left smiling like Charlotte and Bob. What is my interpretation? We are all lost in our own personal ways to some extent, not unlike Bob and Charlotte, and the answer is for us to find for ourselves - you have to hear the secret whisper yourself. If no one whispers the secret solution to us, let us learn to start listening to ourselves... and learn to smile... the Buddha's sweet smile :-)
How did the film translate to you?
Is its final whisper lost in translation?
The Bittersweet Symphony of This Life
Why do we use the word "bittersweet" instead of "sweetbitter"? Most probably because nothing is really sweeter than bitter in this world, and bitter aftertastes last longer than the sweet ones. The First Noble Truth says life is prevalent with much dissatisfaction, and I can't agree more. No, not everything is dissatisfactory, but most things slant towards that, as we crave for the taste of the "sweets" to last forever, and for the "bitters" to fade away once and for all. The craving itself can make what was the sweetest the most presently bitter. But take heart! There is one sweetest "thing" that will not turn bitter - Enlightenment. So what if the journey is bittersweet, as long as we will taste sweet victory eventually, as long as we do not give up?
-Written & Compiled by shian@TheDailyEnlightenment.com of [www.TheDailyEnlightenment.com]
The above is downloadable at [www.moonpointer.com/movies/lost.doc]
