Lost in Translation: Sharing Space
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Sofia Cappola’s Lost in Translation takes the audience through the bustling life of Tokyo, all the while maintaining an exchange of silence and shared space between the two protagonists: Bill Murray as Bob Harris and Scarlett Johanson as Charlotte. Though the motif of silence in relationships and interactions is what’s often associated with the film, I personally found myself lingering in Cappola’s projection of space; its initial loneliness and then its eventual shared experience.
Both protagonists appear inhabiting spaces individually, in silence. The space and silence are soon translated into a shared mutual experience which embodies a sense of comfort, as opposed to longing. This juxtaposition of disconnect with a silent bonding helps discern the concept of relationships and the sneaking isolation that accompanies them.
The nature of Tokyo as a metropolitan city adds to the concept of space and perhaps the lack of it. The idea od physical space seems to account for the metaphorical distance and lack of real connection when it comes to love and relationships. The two protagonists are eventually seen inhabiting physical space together, when they start inhabiting each other’s emotional worlds.
