film analysis

Aiwen tao’s Lost in translation
People come into a totally different country, strange language and unsuitable lifestyle by themselves. Therefore, people lost themselves, lost in translation. Lost in translation is a low cost film was made by director Sofia Coppola. It describe a pure soul feeling in modern people’s heart was different from other Hollywood film.

The whole film was filled by loneliness and contradiction and sex. Audience according these to feel film and find some part same with their life. The director and screenwriter choose the best mise-en-scene , cinematography, actor’s line, lighting effects even the clothing and face-printing to make the film more perfect. There are many details worth “tasting” by us.

The mise-en-scene is value mentioned in lost in translation. People who know well about scenario also know that first scene of film is really important: start—the key point, it is the important element that can catch audience’s attention. Audience via the around 10 minutes can know what is the film said and decide should they continue watching the film. In the first 10 minutes of lost in translation, we see the multicolored Tokyo, see the outdat Hollywood star also see an unhappy wife. The best part is we see the star was tormented by the terrible translator when they take advertising. Lost in translation, the scene is interesting and points the topic. This start of the film is successful; the key characters all show up and tell the relevant environment. Throughout the film gives out the loneliness between each person, moreover show some small funny things.

How to make a wonderful start lead to an amazing end is a difficult thing for every screenwriter. No excepted Sofia, the best way is she choose Tokyo—the place she know well about and choose Hollywood’s star as the story’s Bob. This is because her family and life that gives her a big help in this film. A perfect film should have one or two scenario turning point to let audience feel excited about film. When the film show around half hour, the Bob and charlotte have the first official meeting they are chatting in the pub. Before this, they just communicate by sight. In order to make this meeting more suitable in moral, screenwriter arranges a marriage without love for the Bob and arrange an irresponsible husband for charlotte. Everything is ready, so the first turning point was set in here.

However, pass this night the life of Bob and Charlotte both have new change. As a scenario to see, when characters turn into can’t back drama conflict this mean the good show will start. How they play this dialogue, the director set a long distance between them and the background is the dark night of Tokyo. This scene use almost 4minutes also is the most important dialogue scene since film start. The following, Sofia use heavy share to describe the relationship become closer between them. They start the crazy travel in Tokyo. Compare the quiet and lonely hotel with lively and boiling pub. The follow take moving scene in Japanese game room to give voice to their relax mood. The singing scene at friend’ home also take a long time to show the progressive relationship between them and start flirt.

In later stages in the movie, Charlotte and Bob are noticeably more intimate. The climax happens when Charlotte and Bob are at the hospital. Actor’s speaking become much and the smile of actress also more. On the one hand, story provider more material to romance this point but toward the thing for lost in translation this aspect is less. Stay in different culture environment, the life bring the conflict and people have the conflict with marriage are the two major element consist of this wonderful film. In the middle and end part of film, the director minus the first conflict and add the second conflict. The second scenario turning point is 2/3 part of whole film. It is a show on the bed but the director just gentle let them chatting on the bed, actually it is a dialogue show. It is same as the first dialogue in pub, via the dialogue they touch other person’ heart slowly and clearly know about their life and position. This scene is same as first turning point but the environment is changed to bed that make more ambiguous. After this scenario the life about Bob and Charlotte are changed to another phase, develop toward to the end they already imaged.

Also, the cinematography is important in this film and film use many shot skills. The first shot is a recumbent only wear underpants woman’s shadow, long reach 30 seconds, no dialogue no music just the breath of the women bring the quietness. There have purpose to wear—there no people always visit personal home she can wear underpants at home。No move, no environment just an immobile shot show to audience.

The cameras shot the street scene outside the car window for many times and shot Bob’s silent expression inside car. The car window becomes the voile between audience and film is truth but cloudiness. The braveness outside the window is the different world of the silent inside the window. The strong contrast causes big fall in audience’ heart. Many people have the same experience, the same feeling cause reins resonance.

The raining day in Tokyo Street, Charlotte walking slowly in crowded people and bring the plastic umbrella, the camera take the long shot for actress. We can’t sure that director deliberately make or accidentally make, the rain beat the crystal surface of umbrella that cause the bead reflect the beautiful shine. That foils the unhappy face of Charlotte under the umbrella. The camera uses a nature angle to shot the nature feeling of Charlotte.

The camera like eyes hides the corner. The special eyes always find different visual of the world. Camera not only is a shot tool but also is a man, the man use his special vision follow the actors and record the one move one action of actors. It hides the place where people most ignored place to take the nature part of them. Like behind the light in pub, above the big bed in this film.

The lighting effects play an important role in this film. The scenes in film always stay at street, hotel, pub and shot locale. Most of these scene use the soft light, at one time use the fill light. Use fill light that further can use around dark serve as a foil to show the looming face expression and contour in the camera lens. At the same time, these contour and expression behave not clear under the soft light effects. All kinds of light adorn the night piece and more show the alone sadness behind the fantastic night. People’s soul always like that light even if it flickers colorful that just the life makes a joke to destine.

One scene in the film is Bob and Charlotte sit beside the desk in pub one left one right. Here, director not gives more light on their faces; maybe deliberately use the light outside window make a contrast with light of pub. Drink and cigarette all reflect more sore color under the dark light.

For the face-painting and clothing in the film have it own meaning. First is weak make up, the weaker make up more close to life. However, as a film can’t without make up, hence, the film give audience the image about make up is you can see it but you know it. This is the highest level of make up. Second is clothing, the film show the modern life lead the clothing should close to life. The Charlotte wear the pink underpants in the beginning of film is the deep clothing effects of director. With the follow scenes, Charlotte wear pink coat and white shirt is catch the eye in the group. But it gives us a nature feel. These original clothing can make film really close to life like the post said:” Everyone wants to be found”.

About the actor’s line. There are two sentences give me deep impression. One is “Your life as you know it is gone never to return” said by Bob. This line represents Bob face the middle age crisis and worry about the family trivia and responsibility. Other one is “The more you know how you are and what you want the less you let thing upset you” said by Bob. This describes Bob’s thinking and acknowledge about life.

Whole film gives us many thinking and moral. It is a perfect film deal with any conflict well with original story. The cinematograph shot any scene is suitable and give audience big space to image. Director and screenwriter arrange well about the location and property within the mise-en-scene. The lighting make a wonderful environment for many special shots also the face-maker play a super amazing role in this film. Many brilliant lines can give audience deep impression in their memories.