I saw Lost in Translation on DVD. Leading parts, Charlotte who is around 30 years old and Bob who is over 50 years old, have sorrow of life. They felt they didn't get anything and reach anywhere right now. They are in Tokyo that provides discomfort because of strange people, strange scenery and strange custom.
I'm afraid that there isn't any witty Japanese in this movie. All Japanese behaviors are queerly theatrical. I understood that. Some Japanese people who can speak English play the personality who can speak English. According to my observation, voice becomes high and loudly. Women's voice turns to high-pitched voice. I think such transformation looks flippant. But, it's a movie. Don't forget many intellectual people who can speak English well!
Anyway, this story is that lonely two souls meet in a foreign country that is out of place and they feel sympathy for each other. It's a kind of I-Novel (私小説). I-Novel is the one of traditional genre in Japan literature that novelists write their private issues and feelings. There is very few accident and incident in the story. I felt that this movie was an I-Novel of Sofia Coppola.
At the same time, the film reminds me of Yoshikichi Furui (古井由吉 FURUI Yoshikichi). I'm not sure whether Yoshikichi's novels are involved in I-Novel. His stories don't have ups and downs. The characters feel that there is nothing interesting and exciting somehow. They get bored as hard as they can.
I'd like you to read Yoshikichi Furui if you like Lost in Translation.
 | Child of Darkness: Yoko and Other Stories (Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies, No. 18) Univ of Michigan Center for 1997-06 Amazonで詳しく見る by G-Tools |
Hi, it was actually Child of Darkness that brought me to your blog. I saw it in Kinokuniya bookstore in nyc. I searched the internet on Furui Yoshikichi but in English didn't find too many reviews or biographical notes. I assume he's very famous in Japan.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, Yoshikichi Furui isn't very popular in Japan now. He got the Akutagawa Prize that is a very famous prize in Japan in 1970, however, I'm afraid that young people these days don't know him. Elder people might know him. His early novels were criticized as
ReplyDelete'aesthetic of ennui'. So, I'd like young people to find his novels more. The reason is, I think, that young people always love ennui.
Thanks for this information and insight about ennui and youth. Child of Darkness may be a somewhat recent translation into English so for some of us he's brand new.
ReplyDeleteOne book I chanced up at Kinokuniya recently is Darkness in Summer by Takeshi Kaiko. I was very favorably impressed with this novel and think it's a very original and fascinating work.
Thanks again for your interesting blog.
Kaiko Takeshi did a lot of work. And he is beloved still now, specially, of outdoor lovers and fishermen.
ReplyDeleteI will be able to post my blog sometime soon. Please visit my blog again when a new post will come.