Review of Lost In Translation by Sofia Copolla.
Coppola, S. (2003) Lost in Translation is a great modern day example of the male gaze as Scarlett Johansson's character Charlotte is constantly in close up shots of her in a vulnerable state. The most notable shot being the opening shot of the film where the camera pans down her half naked body and settles on her rear. It is covered by her underwear but you can it is see-through.
http://rocanrolero.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/scarlett_johansson_lost_in_translation_01.jpg
Bill Murray's Character Bob is constantly viewing Charlotte as a soul mate, yet with the style of the shots it is made clear that he possible sees her in a more intimate way.
Her character is made to be unsettled and 'lost' in her new environment, the shots she is seen in force the viewer to see her in this way. This links in with fetishism as people can 'watch' her in her vulnerable state (almost naked) without her knowing.
Coppola, S. (2003) Lost in Translation is a great modern day example of the male gaze as Scarlett Johansson's character Charlotte is constantly in close up shots of her in a vulnerable state. The most notable shot being the opening shot of the film where the camera pans down her half naked body and settles on her rear. It is covered by her underwear but you can it is see-through.
http://rocanrolero.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/scarlett_johansson_lost_in_translation_01.jpg
Bill Murray's Character Bob is constantly viewing Charlotte as a soul mate, yet with the style of the shots it is made clear that he possible sees her in a more intimate way.
Her character is made to be unsettled and 'lost' in her new environment, the shots she is seen in force the viewer to see her in this way. This links in with fetishism as people can 'watch' her in her vulnerable state (almost naked) without her knowing.
Ashley Cox said...
ReplyDeletethis is a really good review eliciting my imagination to pave way for a lesson in film making subjective strategies , and the realisation within the genetic restraints of my being male.
timofranc said...
ReplyDeleteLOST IN TRANSLATION.
(a film by Sophia Coppola)
Comment to Marcus Bond’s review.
This review is very good at defining an aspect of cinema that is still prevalent today.
The obvious male gaze here seems inherent in some of the characters in the film. Bob, the main male role however is not used for a typically overt depiction of voyeuristic or fetishtic tendencies; .in fact only suggested at .
This leads me to question whether the director Sophia Coppola is deliberately making the viewer aware of the traditional depiction through the ‘male gaze’ and only lets it occur when she has a reason for it…..or…she is being one of the boys in her approach to film making as a lap cat of patriarchy.
As with her other efforts (The Virgin Suicides)..the Lisbon sisters portrayed through the male gaze of the neighbours…...(Marie Antoinette)..not giving full reign to the muliebrity of the female characters……and ..(Somewhere)..using the L.A. hotel notorious for the transient nature of its guests…is she just playing safe and not fully capitalising on the insight only a woman can truly give, about how a woman is portrayed and is viewed in a totally different way .
Conversely, this could also be testament to how well entrenched the male gaze is ,not just in the cinema, but in our very own psyche and we all find it hard to break out.