I love the smell of cherry blossoms in the morning

Discuss the fabulous movie Lost In Translation!

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silentguest
Evelyn Waugh
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I love the smell of cherry blossoms in the morning

#1 Post by silentguest » Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:25 pm

Apocalypse Now and Lost In Translation....eerie similarities....striking parallels....unexpected juxtapositions....


Francis Ford Coppola wanted to set "Heart of Darkness" during the Vietnam War.
Sofia Coppola decided to set the story in contemporary Japan.

Coppola had to lobby President Marcos to let him use Philippine Army helicopters.
Coppola had to convince Park Hyatt management to let her shoot in the hotel.

Typhoon destroyed sets causing long delays.
Typhoon forced cast and crew indoors.

Coppola's family came over to provide emotional support.
Roman flew in to do some 2nd unit shooting when Sofia fell behind schedule.

Coppola was worried that Brando wouldn't show up.
Coppola was worried that Murray wouldn't show up.

The whomp--whomp--whomp of the helicopters.
The vrooommm of the street traffic.

Bright orange napalm explosion.
Bright pink underware.

"This is the end..."
This is her rear end.

Ceiling fan
Ceiling cherry blossoms

"Saigon, sh--. I'm still only in Saigon."
"It's great here, it's really great."

Willard hardly said a word to his wife until he said yes to a divorce.
Charlotte hardly says a word to John until she says yeah to his talk about the band fitting.

Willard looks at a picture of his wife and burns a hole in it with his cigarette.
Charlotte looks at photos of John and herself and, well, she does smoke.

Willard poses in front of the mirror, cuts his hand on it, breaks down and cries.
Charlotte weeps after the phone call, primps in front of the mirror, bangs her foot.

Willard is a soldier--assassin--errand boy.
Charlotte is a photographer--philosopher--writer.

Kurtz abandons the army and heads off into the jungle.
Bob ditches the Suntory people and heads off into Tokyo on his own.

Kurtz broadcasts a message: "I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream. That's my nightmare."
Bob broadcasts a message: "For relaxing times, make it Suntory time."

The Army sent an assassin to terminate Kurtz with extreme prejudice, when he fails they offer the mission to Willard.
The Suntory people send a Premium Fantasy Woman to titillate Bob with extreme pleasure, when she fails they give the assignment to Charlotte.

Willard studies the dossier on Kurtz to better understand his mission.
Charlotte listens to "A Soul's Search" for guidance.

Willard is escorted by a patrol boat crew.
Charlotte is escorted by Charlie and friends.

Ethereal female vocals accompany the Hueys as they take off to attack the village.
Ethereal female vocals (Beth Orton) accompany Bob and Charlotte as they leave to take on Tokyo.

"Charlie don't surf!"
Charlie does surf.

The napalm strike lights up the jungle.
The neon lights up Tokyo.

The patrol boat crew come under fire and escape up river.
Charlie and friends come under fire and escape up the alley.

The tiger leaps out of the foliage.
The tiger skin design rests on the wall. Or is that zebra skin?

The Playboy playmates entertain the troops.
The strippers entertain Charlie and those guys.

Political banners along the river bank.
Political candidate and campaign van roll by on the street.

Lance adopts the puppy.
Woman in the fire alarm scene cradles her small dog.

Willard meets the French colonists.
Bob meets the French speaking Japanese guy.

Most of the patrol boat crew is killed off.
Charlie and those guys get left behind.

Willard destroys the dossier and Kurtz becomes a mentor/father figure to him.
Bob tosses aside the "Soul's Search" cd and takes on the role of mentor/father figure for Charlotte.

Willard finds what he's looking for at the temple complex.
Charlotte searches for insights at the shrines.

Kurtz gives Willard a gift: Chef's head.
Bob gives Charlotte a gift: the owl plushie.

The photojournalist mercifully gives Willard a drink of water and a drag on his cigarette.
John rudely snuffs out Charlotte's cigarette and declines having a drink with her.

Kurtz has Willard nursed back to health.
Bob takes Charlotte to the hospital.

The hyperactive photojournalist irritates Kurtz.
The hyperactive tv host irritates Bob.

Kurtz asks Willard where he's from.
Bob asks Charlotte where she grew up.

Kurtz talks about the children his troops inoculated.
Bob talks about his kids.

Kurtz doesn't think Willard has any right to judge him for his actions.
Bob doesn't like Charlotte judging him for sleeping with the lounge singer.

Kurtz and Willard embrace in death as the sacrifice ceremony goes on outside.
Bob and Charlotte embrace in love as the Shinjuku district carrys on around them.

Kurtz whispers: "The horror. The horror..."
Bob whispers.......

Willard and Lance set off to return to base. Air strikes destroy Kurtz's compound---Or do they?
Sofia and Lance Acord return to the States. Godzilla destroys Tokyo!

Congruous
Suntory Time
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#2 Post by Congruous » Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:58 pm

Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't Harvey Keitel originally supposed to play Willard? It seems that he had some kind of breakdown, so they brought in Sheen.
"Are there no more arrows left?"

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Cryogenic
Mr. Kazu
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#3 Post by Cryogenic » Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:43 pm

Fascinating links!

And here's another:

In the "Lost In Translation" shooting draft, dated September 2nd 2002, located here, Sofia Coppola states that the shabu-shabu restaurant that Bob and Charlotte go to starts playing The Doors' "This is the End", which is the song that famously opens "Apocalpyse Now" as the napalm strike occurs.

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