Realism in Lost in Translation

It is well known that the story lines for most major Hollywood films of today are a bit out of the ordinary.  They tell stories of vampires, werewolves, super human characters, and of course the perfect love story.  Although the movie may be great as a whole, we the viewer’s know that  the plot line for some of these movies are so far from reality that we can’t really identify with the themes or characters the film makers are trying to portray.  It feels as though Hollywood film makers have pretty much thrown the concept of realism out the window.   I am not saying that all Hollywood movies completely lack realism, there are instances in movies where you can catch small glimpses of realism, but then it’s back to the same unrealistic plot line.   I think that it is refreshing to watch a film that is completely centered around the portrayal of real emotions of characters that seem to be realistic.  The movie Lost in Translation is one movie that absolutely compelled me to feel with the main characters in the film and relate it to my own life.

Lost in Translation is about two strangers, a disheartened movie star and a lonely housewife, who meet in Tokyo.  Now, if this film were a typical Hollywood style film the plot line would be predictable, they fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after.  But this movie is not one of those tall tales with a typical happy ending.  At the beginning of the movie we see both characters in their own domains; we see them in a depressed state and watch them struggle to make some form of connection with the people around them.  As the movie progresses the filmmakers show us the instances that push these characters to feel the way they feel.  Then when the two strangers finally meet, they both make light of their sad attitudes and find comfort with each other, until the movie star leaves Tokyo.  These two characters, although they seemed to be compatible, did not get married and live happily ever after.

There are many examples of realism in this movie which allow this film to touch the hearts of its viewers.  One major example of realism in this film the film makers use of emotions.  In most major Hollywood movies, the characters are typically happy, exuberant and in some cases even eccentric; whereas in Lost in Translation  the characters are presented as “lost” individuals meaning that they are isolated, depressed and lonely which shows realism because in real life, not everyone is content with the way their lives are going.   Also, even though the movie is about two Americans meeting in Tokyo, the places portrayed in the film seemed to be very typical which made the story more realistic.  Finally, the fact that they didn't live happily ever after together is an excellent example of realism because in real life, people don’t always get happy endings.

Overall I feel that the realism in major Hollywood films is lacking.  Some major companies have developed ways to make their stories seem more realistic by making their movies in 3-D and 4-D to make the audience feel like they are actually experiencing what the characters are experiencing.  But even with these added affects which can cost millions of dollars to create, they can easily give the viewer a more realistic experience by making the story lines as realistic and unique as possible.