I just finished seeing the film Lost in Translation on this rather blustery, rainy day that we are having today. It looks like I am getting a cold so at first I was just really annoyed by the editting but by the end, I was glad that I saw it. Sofia Coppola has a remarkable way of setting up the images on film...
My photography instructor once told us that we are all just media babies in that we have grown up with the media and we have a very distinct way of presenting the images that we see. I have to agree. We live in a very graphically driven world. This film supports this. Coppola, although I sometimes think that she is lucky because she has a very famous father, creates beauty from the mundane.
The film itself could have been staged in any non-English culture that westerners see as bizarre in comparison with their own so I found myself a little disappointed that the usual Japanese generalizations were used. However, I was happy that I could understand all of the Japanese language bits. It made it more amusing than just thinking about the silliness of the main character just confused about what was going on.
I'd have to say that my biggest criticism is the use of so many of the the stereotypes of Japanese culture that were included. However, to balance that all out, I noticed that Coppola herself perpetuated an American stereotype as well. Was this her intention? I don't know. We tend to use our own cultures as a measuring stick to judge other cultures. The audacity of ridiculing something that we do not understand has always irritated me but it worked here. It had a very western feel.
For the most part, I enjoyed the film. However, if you are going just to get a insight into Japan, you may be disappointed. Tokyo is just the stage. The two leads in the film had an interesting chemistry which, along with the cinematography, created a delightful film about human nature in a world that we do not always understand.
Check it out. You might be surprised!
My photography instructor once told us that we are all just media babies in that we have grown up with the media and we have a very distinct way of presenting the images that we see. I have to agree. We live in a very graphically driven world. This film supports this. Coppola, although I sometimes think that she is lucky because she has a very famous father, creates beauty from the mundane.
The film itself could have been staged in any non-English culture that westerners see as bizarre in comparison with their own so I found myself a little disappointed that the usual Japanese generalizations were used. However, I was happy that I could understand all of the Japanese language bits. It made it more amusing than just thinking about the silliness of the main character just confused about what was going on.
I'd have to say that my biggest criticism is the use of so many of the the stereotypes of Japanese culture that were included. However, to balance that all out, I noticed that Coppola herself perpetuated an American stereotype as well. Was this her intention? I don't know. We tend to use our own cultures as a measuring stick to judge other cultures. The audacity of ridiculing something that we do not understand has always irritated me but it worked here. It had a very western feel.
For the most part, I enjoyed the film. However, if you are going just to get a insight into Japan, you may be disappointed. Tokyo is just the stage. The two leads in the film had an interesting chemistry which, along with the cinematography, created a delightful film about human nature in a world that we do not always understand.
Check it out. You might be surprised!
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