Two topics for this thread, will be addressed as seperately as possible. Lost In Translation: Sophia Coppola wrote it and directed it. Bill Murray and Scarlet Johanson star in it. It involves Murray, who plays a past-his-prime movie star that travels to Japan to shoot commercials, and meets Johanson, a newly wed who is traveling with her husband while he does a photo shoot. (He is a photographer.) The cinematography is pretty good, the writing is pretty good, the acting is decent; I mean the two main actors were just very reserved and non-involving. I didn't care about them at all, they could die as far as I was concerned. At least they didn't do a noticeably BAD job. The story is pretty cliche... and pointless. This movie is VERY overrated. Rating: C Second Topic: The racial double standard. Lost in Translation is probably the most racist movie I have ever seen in my entire life. Yet since it picks Asians to ridicule and stereotype, it probably won't come under any heat whatsoever as opposed to if it was a movie aimed at poking fun at African-Americans. The entirety of the movie's humor is basically aimed at savaging the Asian race and culture. Yet the movie has been embraced as a masterpiece, even garnering an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. It's pretty telling that a movie which presented Asians and Asian culture in a positive light (The Last Samurai), and in a light that could be interpreted as superior to American culture (Gasp!) was snubbed by the Academy, while a mediocre film that ridiculed Asians garnered a much undeserved nomination. Regarding the film itself: Yes making fun of the Asian accented English, very funny. Yet how many white or black Americans can speak Japanese/Korean/Chinese in ANY capacity. I'm pretty sure our accents would sound just as "silly" and "hilarious". Also; people can ridicule the "bizareness" of Japanese culture all they want. The facts remain. Japan has a rich warrior tradition that can't even BEGIN to be matched by America. Principles of honor, bravery, sacrifice. A small island that existed in perfect harmony within itself, and when eventually breaking out of isolation, warred successfuly upon countries many times larger. Now, the Japanese economy is among the three most powerful economies in the entire world. All from a tiny little island in Asia with ridiuclous game shows that we can all mock. But thats okay, we have shows where our shallow culture can be exposed for what it is. (Average Joe, Temptation Island, etc.)
From what I've heard of Lost In Translation, the humor is supposed to come from how out of place the two american characters are in another culture. I'm not sure Coppola really matters here: didn't her previous work not gather much praise? I don't know. But I will make this point: I'd read that Last Samurai is considered just as erroneous in Japan? Historically speaking, current Japanese culture has begun to learn the Samurai is not the noble, honorable creature that LS made them out to be. They were nothing like that at all, supposedly. IN fact, the only movie here recently that has not garnered negative press in Japan? Kill Bill. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/ae/movies/2385862
Suddenly you have an affinity for the Japanese, thank you Last Samurai. Before you pass judgement on this movie being racist, why don't you go to Japan yourself.
nomar...not trying to sound like i am being an ass but you really need to read more about japan. i love the japanese but their society has some serious faults to it...like no other society in the entire world. i don't say that as hyperbole either. read a book called Japanese Society by Chie Nakane http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0520021541/103-6143410-7905410?v=glance its almost like a key map to how japanese society works and it truly is completely different from anything else. she had it translated to english so some of the meanings may be lost in translation but it still gets the ideas across very clearly.
I'm asian and I loved Lost in Translation. The Last Samurai was HORRIBLE. The great white man going to Japan to save the samurai... and becoming a better fighter in a few months than guys who have practiced their entire lives? yeah right. The entire premise of that movie is flawed and completely rediculous. I liked it better when it was called Dances with Wolves.
What in the hell are you talking about? Have you even been to Japan? Reading and watching about it, courtesy of pop-culture doesn't count. I am Asian-american and I've lived in Japan and Korea for years...I didn't find anything offensive about it at all. YOUR "review" of the movie is more offensive than anything. quit while your behind and keep your day job
Funny that you should choose one of the least controversial statements in this thread with which to argue. Japan's warrior tradition rivals or suprasses just about any nation in history. The States are babes is swaddling, in comparuison, from a historical perspective.
It certainly wasn't horrible, IMO, but it took a lot of quality to overcome the extrem Tootsie factor, true.
i wouldn't say the last samurai sucked... it was really very entertaining. the hollywood twist is pretty apparent though. but nomar's read on Lost in Translation is a little off. I thought it portrayed Japan very very accurately. That the Roger Moore 007 is more popular, the ridiculous over the top TV shows, strip clubs, temples, cool arcade games you can't find here, they really have everything very accurately. i agree the movie might be a little overrated, i went in hearing all the great reviews but wasn't wowed. but it was interesting and quirky. the racial thing seems to be overanalyzed. i watch a bunch of foreign films, esp. HK, Japanese, and Korean, and lot of times they have white people speaking the native language and tons of puns come up and it's funny. we're not the only people doing that.
The means to racial harmony is not by putting up walls of what can and can't be talked about and what's funny and what's not. If the collective chips were removed from all of our shoulders I promise you we would all get along better as people. It would be nice to see that in my lifetime.
I know, but I don't know what kind of general, critical response that movie received. Personally, I didn't care for it. I know what the critical response was for her acting in Godfather III, though.
Lost in Translation was a B+ at best, it's definitely overrated. Nomar I think you went a little overboard, I didn't really see anything racist in the movie? They obviously use the language barrier for comedy, but it's an old bit. I enjoyed the Japanese actors almost more than Murray. Specifically the friends that they partied with. I admire what Sophia did though on such a small budget and a very quick shoot. I believe $4 million in about 30 days in Tokyo.
I dunno, I think any country that's willing to die for it's country is full of tradition (within good reason to die for it's country. Just want to clarify that.) Sure America never really had a history for it's craftsmanship on katanas or style, but I think American tradition is just as rich as any, albeit a lot younger given how young the nation's existence is. While no nation whose been a major power country in the history of the world has a clean slate as far as morals are concerned, Japan's been just as guilty of barbaric massacres as much as any major country (America included). Rich tradition or not, I just tend to think any foreign culture that isn't well known to someone is interesting and thought of more highly then our own if only because it's all pretty much new experiences to us oppose to the traditions we've all grown up in being in an American society ( or Canadien if your into that sort of thing )
To save the samurai? Way to get the completely wrong message from it. It was the SAMURAI who saved him from an aimless and meaningless life of alcoholism and dispair. And a better fighter? He was a decorated veteran war hero with tons of combat experience. And he barely fought the one guy to a draw on his best effort ever. I wouldn't say he was better. UTweezer - Quit doing what exactly? Keep my day job? Thanks, but writing posts on here isn't my night job. To clarify: I'm in no way insinuating that Japanese culture is some holy grail that can't be discussed or compared or anything. But when you base an entire comedy movie's humor on making fun of a race/culture, it's racist. Period.
A) Longevity plays a key role in tradition, by definition. B) This isn;t just a grass is greener thing; military history is sort of my field, although I admitedly stress ancient times more. That said, the Japanese militart tradtition has a depth we have never approached; picture Spartan ideals spread over a nation of millions upon millions. Virtually no culture has strssed the role of the military for as extended a period of time as Japan did from the Feudal age forward. They were the only, repeat, only nation to fight off possibly the most devastating and unstoppable offensive force in military history, the Mongols, and they did this largely due to their military commitment and prowess.
Disagree, Nomar. Yeah, you are right about the spiritual undertone...that Cruise learned a new way of looking at the world. But it is also correct that he became a great samurai in one winter. Yeah, he had a military career, but mostly firearms and cavalry actions...to suggest that that background and 1 winter made coming on a par with people who have been learning this, each and every day, since they were children was silly. It was the Tootsie factor. Ninja train non-stop too, and the samurai who also train their lifetime had problems with them, but Cruise fought off several Not realistic, unless he had been using his weapons of practice, revolvers, or from the top of a horse.
Oh I definitely agree that it was Hollywooded up. But it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that a cavalry officer, (they train extensively with sabers because their carbines are usually single shot weapons right?) could do well with a katana.
