This movie made by Sofia Coppola at 2003,this movie describe a old movie star meet a new marriage woman at Tokyo, Japan. The different cultural environment, and unhappy marriage life make their close.


At the whole movie, the background view always is the bustling night view of Tokyo,
make the two main characters seem waxy and alone. Especially at the Tokyo luxury hotel, high quality equipments , different kinds of entertainment, but the for the two main characters, Chatlotte(Scarlett Johansson) always sit at front of window and see the outside of hotel and waiting for her husband, for the Bob(Bill Murray) ,he just busy his advertisement ,talk with the strangers and attend the entertainment program which is so terrible for him. Back to the beginning of the movie ,Bob first come Tokyo, at the taxi, hi surprise with what he is seeing .
So that the biggest of Mise-en-scene of this movie is the alluring,hilarious,and always elusive city, Tokyo.In this movie ,the director shows a lot of Japanese staff for audiences, like the Japanese Temple, Japanese wedding, likebana, crowded people ,building groups. Director use lots of long shots to show the special view and cultural of Japan.

I still remember a scenes which is Chatlotte stand at street of Tokyo.Stare the great dinosaur in the screen of building, the strangers round her ,at here ,director use long shot to show Chatlotte how lonely she is. Before this , director have put another two scenses, one is Chatlotte call her friend to complain her life in Tykyo,but her friend did not mention it, and the other one is she talk with her husband, they do not have any common in communication . All of this show Chatllotte’s lonely heart.

For Bob ,he come Japan for his carrer, but it is not easy to understand the requirement of Japanese. At the scenes of the shoting advertisement, director use close-up to show him expression, the audiences can watch his face is lost, his expression make audiences feel funny, but I feel this kind misunderstanding make him afraid, even though scared. And the hooker at hotel ,director use the long shot to show the whole room, this is really funny scenes, misunderstanding again!! “Lip” or “rip” ,this is a question!! When the photographer take photo for him , he always request Bob to act other famouse actor, Bob just respect the photographer’s request, but direct use the medium shot to show Bob is so disappointed cause no one is real him.

This movie name is lost in translation, actually the characters do not say “lost”, but this is one scenes use some special way to show audiences what director want to say.
It is Chatlotte sit on the floor of hotel room to listen a CD, this man’s face use POV shows to audience, I did not find the real author of this book, but in this rodio he said * “Did you ever wonder what your purpose in life is? This book is about finding your soul’s purpose or destiny. Every soul has its 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 youe soul…”*

When the two main character first meet is at lift, Chatlotte just smile for Bob, but shi did not mention it. They are beginning to interesting to each other is at the bar of hotel, the background music is a slow music –Scarborough Fair, maybe, I guess this song make this two people find the lonely soul same with themselves.
From then on ,the other mise-en-scene of this movie become more and more clare: relationship .
Charlotte and her husband, her husband and Evelyn Waugh, Bob and Chatlotte, Bob and his wife, ect.

When they first talking, Charlotte asked what are you doing here, Bob’s answer is ver interesting , I think. He said: “Uh, a coupe of things, taking a break from my wife, forgetting my son’s birthday and getting paid $2 million to endorse a whiskey when I could be doing a play somewhere.” * Bob tell his life for Charlotte with comedy way ,when they begin to communicate to each other, the just take care and still strange for each other ,just say hi or talk few sentences . Director use medium shot to show their relationship. After Charlotte’s husband left, they become closer, at here, director use long shot to show they are very happiness in the strange environment. They join the party of Japanese , run on the street of Tokyo , singing at the Koraoke . The seems find the way at desert , and get a shot happy time. If we mention, the background music change to rock and pop music, not the Jazz or blues . After they revelry, and back to hotel , they seems back a jail or cage.
Bob get her wife’s package , all of the samples of rug, her wife care about decoration of house more than Bob, their talking can touch his soul.
There is one scense ,director use extra long shot , Bob play golf at the big golfcourse
,the background is Fujiyama under the cloud ,we can not see Bob’s face , but Bob’s back looks so lonely.

There is important mise-en-scene is cultural different, it is work at all of this movie ,for example , hospital, Charlotte hurt her toe ,and need to go to hospital, although the doctor say a lot to her, but she can not get anything. And the restaurant , Karaoke , bar, gameshop, these is all different for this two people.
Director use long shot to show this mise-en-scene.

Acturally It can change any strange city, the only requirement is unfamiliar, must have the obstacles must be unable to communicate to protect themselves. Charlotte and to Bob, as long as it's culture and life is full of heterogeneity, enough to show because too familiar and strangeness need. The telephone at the moment in the end was abandoned because of strange and familiar, can be arbitrary disposal, become no scruples about language and behavior of the oppressed.
At the end of movie , Bob will left , when he see the back of , he just catch
her and give her a hug, although I do not know what Bob talk talk with Charlotte, but I can see the smile on their face. This is enough for their lonely soul. And at this scenes, director use close-up ,than long shot ,and the background music change mass music to soft, slowly music. It seems tell the audiences then find their lost soul.

At this movie, there are not many dialogue between main character, they just use a smiling or expression ,then they can understand each other.

For the color of this movie ,most use the grey color, even the Tokyo bustling night view seems cover a lightly cloud, this kind of color shows a lonely feeling.

For the clothes of characters, although Charlotte is a young woman , but she just wear the simple, even a little mass, and Bob, he usually wear suit, but at the night they were revel together. Charlotte dress up, and Bob change his black suit to yellow t-shirt, because both of them are introvert beside the meet the people who really know them, they will show real them.

What is lost? What they lost?
Charlotte lost in her unhope life, no work, no friend, not very close with husband , Bob lost in his mass life, he lost his famous, his wife, his son.
And at the end of movie ,they both lost their soul mate.



*the video introduction of a book what Chatlotte read.
*the dialogue of Bob and Chatlotte at the film lost in translation