2018 was a landmark year for me when it came to my movie viewing habits and tastes. Being a student in a Communication and Media Studies course suitably generated conversations more than ever regarding film practices, techniques and of course, recommendations.
My interests and tastes in film broadened. I began watching films that I had heard of or come across years before, but was never really enthusiastic about watching them.
Thankfully, my perspective had greatly matured and I was now able to appreciate the films to a greater extent.
Introduction
Of the many, many films that I had watched that year, two films greatly stood out for me. I had decided to watch them in a whim, not having done any background reading and relying on the positive word of mouth.
I was left having fallen in love with movies, all over again.
Lost in Translation and Her are two beautiful pieces of storytelling, of cinema, that are perfect in every way. They are equal parts funny and equal parts moving, taking the audience on a journey that is merely simple, yet so profound.
Featuring the portrayal of atypical romances, Lost in Translation and Her can be seen as painting a picture on modern day relationships; as an exploration of the simple yet fragile nature of relationships; coping with the emotions of grief alongside loss and loneliness, and yet finding the light in darkness, specifically through connections and friendships.
Lost in Translation, written and directed by Sofia Coppola and released in 2003, is the story of an unlikely friendship between Charlotte, a young woman and Bob, an aging movie star that blossoms during their stay at a Tokyo hotel.
Her, written and directed by Spike Jonze, released in 2013, narrates the story of Theodore, who has separated from his spouse, and goes on to form a bond with Samantha, an artificial intelligence-cum-companion, eventually falling in love with her.
Well received and acclaimed upon release for their unique, emotional and heartfelt narratives, direction, gorgeous visuals and memorable performances, Coppola and Jonze both went on win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for their works in 2004 and 2014, respectively.
Though it is reductive to do so and may come in the way of the intentions of the directors, the two films can be seen as companion pieces to one another, upon further or deeper reading of the films.
Critics, scholars and viewers have often debated whether Lost in Translation and Her are connected. This theory was reached upon due to the fact that the two directors – Sofia Coppola and Spike Jonze were married and had divorced by the time the former film had released. Therefore, the two films can be looked at as narrating two sides of the same story.
Armed with this knowledge, along with my inner desire to experience these films once more, I revisited Lost in Translation and Her a few weeks back, and it is evident that the movies are indeed connected and is hard not to ignore the similarities between the two. This is not only due to the shared nature and themes of the storylines in both films, but also via similar imagery that is employed.
Two Different Points of View
Coppola’s idea for Lost in Translation stemmed from her personal experiences of staying in the Park Hyatt hotel in Tokyo (where the movie is also set), promoting a prior film. This experience, coupled with the strains she was facing in her marriage makes their way into the film, with both of her protagonists Bob and Charlotte (played by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, respectively) feeling out of place in their new surroundings whilst undergoing a tumultuous time in their individual relationships.
Coppola’s pseudo-characterization of Jonze in the film occurs in the form of John, played by Giovanni Ribisi. Within the film, John is a photographer (a mirrored reference to Jonze’s own career as a photographer and videographer) in Tokyo for an assignment. Due to his focus on his career, he is often emotionally unavailable and distant from Charlotte, stranding her in the hotel, leaving Charlotte to explore the city and its culture on her own.
While Coppola’s interpretation of Jonze’s character is a product of their strained relationship, Jonze’s characterization of himself in his film, Her, represents a matured perspective.
The film’s protagonist, Theodore (played by Joaquin Phoenix), is a lonely man, still reeling from having been separated from his wife, Catherine (Rooney Mara), and wishes to hold on to the relationship, evident by the fact that he does not sign his divorce papers at the start of the film.
As the film progresses, we learn more about their marriage through what Theodore tells his AI companion Samantha (voiced by once more, Scarlett Johansson). The audience gets to know that Theodore was emotionally incompetent to deal in his marriage with Catherine and that he pushed her away (a trait that Catherine later calls out in the film), causing a rift in their relationship.
Through the words of Theodore, Jonze expresses what can only be understood as introspection. Jonze, through Theodore, realizes his flaws and accepts them, yearning for forgiveness and by the end of the film, apologizes to Catherine, finally having moved on to a new beginning.
Seeking A Connection
Lost in Translation and Her both take place in cities and a time period where society has become heavily dependent on technology.
The former takes place in present day Tokyo, known as one of the global hubs of innovation, while the latter presents to the viewer a realization of a near future Los Angeles with booming technological advances.
The presence of being in such a landscape in Lost in Translation, though awe-inspiring and marvelous to look at, is also intimidating and only exacerbates the feeling of loneliness that Bob and Charlotte go through, alongside the cultural shock and language barrier. The crossing of their paths, therefore is a fortunate one, and the two are able to find comfort in one another, and makes their relationship far more meaningful.
Jonze, on the other hand, takes a decidedly novel approach, having been inspired by instant intelligent messaging, and putting a science fiction spin to the romance genre.
While technology is known to have disrupted human interaction, his neo-futuristic vision of Los Angeles sees technology progress to immeasurable heights, where people are now able to form a companionship with artificial intelligence, and both parties get to know each other and have endless conversations, as is what happens with Theodore and Samantha.
Jonze, nonetheless, seeks to remind the audience that technology sure has its limitations and it can never truly supersede actual and physical human connections, bonds and interactions. The climax of the film sees Theodore having been changed positively through his relationship with Samantha, and following her departure, is ready to seek out a proper human bond, through reconciling with his old friend Amy (portrayed by Amy Adams).
A Sought After Escape
The protagonists of both films, Charlotte and Theodore, are shown to have extreme repercussions and reactions to the trials and tribulations they face in their relationships.
Both characters are shown to be confined and almost comforted by their loneliness and melancholy, never finding satisfaction or happiness in their day to day activities. the two of them additionally face difficulty sleeping at night, never really being granted an escape from their demons and being forced to confront them all the time.
It is only after their respective acquaintance and later friendship with Bob and Samantha that both Charlotte and Theodore, have their faith renewed in life and relationships, venturing out to explore their surroundings in a truly enthusiastic manner, and at last, being rewarded with a peaceful sleep.
Thus, both Bob and Samantha play an important role in sparking positivity to their newfound friends, becoming a reliable comfort and escape of theirs.
Epilogue
The numerous similarities in terms of characters, stories, themes, setting and visuals all point to the fact that Sofia Coppola and Spike Jonze underwent similar journeys as they struggled with their marital relationship, either during or in the aftermath of their separation, and have attempted to convey their experiences through their films.
Being a wonderful depiction of the human condition and our ability to be resilient in the darkest of times, Lost in Translation and Her teaches us that every positive relationship, whether romantic or platonic, regardless of how long it may last, will have a lasting impression, will uplift us, and can help us through the darkness.
The films tells their audience to cherish and hold on tight to their closed ones, for it has abundant rewards, in a manner similar to how watching these beautiful, heartfelt and emotional movies, which are near perfect works of art have their own rewards.
Texts of A Pop Culture Buff 