Reviews

In this website, I wrote for "The Last Samurai" that I very much enjoyed the movie regardless of some of the minor "inaccurate" depictions, and even went on to say that the movie gave me the impression that it may have infact been dedicated to the Japanese viewers from the start. By contrast, this "Lost in Translation" movie gave me the impression that the movie may not have had the slightest idea of the impression that the Japanese viewers may have after watching this movie.

The only message that this movie can deliver to the Japanese is "I have spent some time in Japan and this is what I find so ridiculously strange and funny about your people. Yes, I know I haven't spent enough time in Japan to know better about the REAL Japan. Yes, I know I did blow up the situations to make it an easier laugh for the American viewers. But I don't really see why not. After all, I don't really care what you think about what I think about you, because you're not the main subject of this movie. This movie is about two Americans who just happen to be in Japan at the time, and not about you at all. Therefore, don't take it too personal." How can viewers in Japan, after gradually digesting the above message in the course of watching through this movie, still be able to fully appreciate the main story of the movie concerning these two lonely Americans and connect with them?

Imagine this, a Japanese version of "Lost in Translation which goes on in the following manner:

All Americans appear wearing cowboy hats, eating hamburgers everyday and are extremely overweight, with no lines in the movie. The situations are being blown up and they are acting very silly, providing Japanese viewers an easy laugh. The only American who gets to speak in the movie is Hulk Hogan, the wrestler (playing the "Matthew Minami" role in the movie) who does his usual performance on the ring. Can American viewers still be able to appreciate what the movie was actually trying to deliver (i.e. two lonely people)?

Meanwhile, I have nothing against Bill or Scarlett. I think they did a decent job.

All I can say is that this movie is definitely NOT for the Japanese viewers to watch. Coppola may say "If you don't want to watch, you don't really have to and I wasn't expecting you to." and that is everything that she is.

Sophia, grow up and stop pretending to be a cosmopolitan when you are only more American than anyone else. Show some respect to the other parts of the world for a change.

I am a native japanese residing in Tokyo, very familiar of the actual history that took place in Japan towards the end of the 19th century.

In short, by all means, this movie moved me and had me crying at certain moments. What I wanted to shout out after watching this movie was, "Thank you Tom Cruise and Edward Zwick!!"

From a Japanese viewer's point of view, it is evident that the story is all fiction, inspired by what actually happened. We all know there really was no American who stood for the final samurai rebellions, nor was there an American who took sides of the government. The movie also has its clear flaws if one looks at the details (e.g. there would never be any palm trees in the forests of mainland Japan, the wife of a samurai would never wear such heavy western make-up, the samurais would never be so fluent in English, etc). However, these issues are never irritating, as we could always sense a very strong, pure and innocent message coming from Tom and Ed, which I felt as a message coming from certain caring and intelligent American individuals to the nation of Japan and the Bushido (Samurai) spirit which still continues to live and influence our Japanese culture and our Japanese way of life.

It is no wonder American viewers have mixed feelings about this movie, partly unaware of (and lacking true interest in) the history of Japan and partly noticing the similarities between this movie with other movies made in the past. From my perspective, however, being a Japanese national born and raised in Japan and knowing the dramatic history our country has gone through, I could not help but cry feeling the respect and sympathies coming from a very successful movie star (Tom) and movie director (Ed), bothering to spend a "Hollywood Budget" on what is a very "personal" story for the Japanese. It is the fact that this film was made by Hollywood which makes this film all the more important for Japan, as it would have been just another corny self-appraisal film if created by the Japanese themselves.

Again, we know this is all fiction inspired by a true story and can't escape its small flaws, but I love the film all the same, and would like to thank from the bottom of my heart, Tom, Ed and others who deserve credit for thinking of creating this film in the first place.

I don't think a film of this nature would ever be able to receive an oscar (as I can imagine how difficult it may be for an average American viewer to appreciate the true and deep meaning of this film, not being Japanese), but I believe this is a film which should deserve some kind of a "Thank you" award from Japan. I would certainly like to offer one on a personal basis.