Question

In Lost in Translation, how are the characters of Bob and Charlotte used in establishing the parallel story structure of the film?

Answer 1

Lost In Translation is a profoundly personal portrait of life , relationships and loneliness set against the backdrop of the beautiful scenery of Tokyo. We watch Bob Harris, played by Bill Murray expertly offering one of his career 's finest dramatic turns. Bob, in his twilight as an aging Hollywood star, lives a profoundly miserable life full of disconnection from his wife and children. The world changes as he encounters Charlotte's similarly lost spirit. The two develop an extraordinary emotional relationship as they learn to live their lives to the full and gradually let go of the things that make them sad.

The Lost In Translation setup adds to the reflection of our character. A metropolis of millions of inhabitants, Tokyo is reduced to a view through a window of a hotel. The hotel itself is an artificial life microcosm contained within. It's full of odds about Japanese society, healthy jazz music and people there to visit Japan without experiencing something. The hotel suffocates Bob and Charlotte, and it turns into a luxury prison that keeps them from enjoying their lives. In addition, the fact that our characters are practically surrounded by people who speak a foreign language, who are unable to interact adequately with almost everyone outside the hotel contributes to their enforced silence.

When Bob says farewell to Charlotte in the final scene, realizing that their circumstances mean they will never really be together. The last words they exchange are intentionally left silent. He leaves in the same way he came, in silence, while Bob is driven to the airport. And he's changed by the world, by Charlotte and by himself, and as the cityscape of Tokyo envelops him, the screen fades into darkness, leaving us in silence..