Lost in Translation - review

LOST IN TRANSLATION

Watched on: 28/5/24

Rating: 5/5

Lost in Translation is my favourite film written and directed by Sofia Coppola. I think there's something truly beautiful about Coppola's style of filming. She finds beauty in the little things, seeing them with an unapologetically raw attitude. The way Sofia captures the scenery and locations with a sense of serenity and nostalgia when most people would perceive them as mundane and melancholy is something truly captivating. But then again, Sofia Coppola isn't like most people.

Sofia tells us that even in a big city you can feel lonely and that's okay. Loneliness makes us human and I think this film perfectly epitomises this. 

 "I'm stuck. Does it get easier?"


"No. Yes, it gets easier."


Coppola presents two lonely strangers, Charlotte and Bob, who engage in an unexpected companionship in which they bond in their shared despondency. This dialogue is really important to me because it encapsulates how so many young people struggle with their identity and coming to terms with their future. Sofia is truly showing an unidealised view on the real struggles of a young adult which really speaks to the audience. 

It is true when they say "your room is a reflection of your mind". 

Charlotte's room is messy and full yet she still feels isolated. The main colour theme being grey conveys a bleak atmosphere, but the hints of pink highlight how her feelings right now are only temporary, and that she is still young with lots of opportunities. Sofia is expressing that it's okay to feel alone but you have to trust that things will work out in the end.

Bob's room is tidy and empty with a light of a warmish hue. This reflects how Bob is no longer a young adult like Charlotte, but an older, mature adult. It  suggests how he is set in his life and that there is no changing what will happen; although he feels lonely he is content in that this is the life he has led. This connects to the advice he gives to Charlotte when she tells him how she feels "stuck". Bob tells Charlotte that "You'll figure it out" because he knows that Charlotte still has time that he no longer has, so she will be able to decide who she wants to be. This could he perceived as disheartening as Bob is living a perpetually isolated life, however, I believe this is just Sofia's way of portraying a raw representation of ageing and real human existence.

This links to the final scene where the two (no longer) strangers part in their journeys. As they say goodbye, Charlotte glances back at Bob with a clear expression of sadness, but Bob smiles back with confidence, knowing that she can get through this. As this is just a stepping stone in the stream that is life. 

"I'm not worried about you."





 

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