Lost In Translation Analysis

lost, that they have found what they were looking for. This demonstrates the importance of Tokyo city in helping the two characters make sense of their lives in a land unknown to them. Quite surprisingly, the unfamiliar nature of Tokyo acts as a platform on which Bob and Charlotte understand their lives and what they have been looking for. The strangeness of the city is no longer a barrier, which prevents them from knowing who they are and what they want in life. Undoubtedly, Lost in Translation exposes audience to the effect that a foreign city can have in helping individuals understand themselves better. The film emphasizes the role that a difference in environment can have in helping one develop an identity for him or herself such as is
Koolhass (1997) begins by comparing the contemporary city to the contemporary airport, questioning whether the former can assume the nature of the latter, being the same across the globe. Most airports are similar in their structure and functions and that is what Koolhass hints on when he talks about the contemporary city. Of major importance to Koolhass is whether it is possible to create convergence between and among cities as it is the case with airports. However, he mentions that, "Convergence is possible only at the price of shedding identity," (Koolhass, 1997). This particular statement demonstrates that, if cities across the globe were to converge, individuals would lose their sense of identity; New York residents would not identify themselves as New Yorkers as there would no distinct features about the city, which differentiates it from others across the globe. Convergence would bring about homogeneity, meaning that the experiences of individuals across the globe will be similar. However,
Thus, it is up to them to find that point of convergence in order to interact smoothly with the city; enjoying the foreign culture, without feeling that they are lost. In the beginning of the movie, it is evident that the two characters are lost and troubled; they do not know what they want in life and to add onto this confusion, they find themselves in unfamiliar territory. From the examples given about Charlotte, she had trouble navigating through the city or even adjusting to it. The challenge that she faces as pertains to her difficulty in adapting to the new environment is demonstrative of the lack of convergence between her home town and the new environment, which is Tokyo city. However, with time, she adjusts and the same is the case with Bob. Both characters are able to consciously move away from what is different about Tokyo and invest their energy in enjoying what they find similar about possibly, to where they are from. This helps them in understanding who they are better. Understandably, Bob and Charlotte demonstrate that there is no need for convergence among cities as human beings have the ability to adjust to new environments and be comfortable in them. Thus, Coppola manages to demonstrate to her audience that the identity that human beings create is dependent on their perception and relation to the environment