Lost In Translation (Production v. Screenplay)

It is a fact in cinema that original screenplays most often vary from the film itself, or the screenplay’s portrayal onto the screen. The film “Lost in Translation” (2003), is a phenomenal example of this. I would like to take a look at three different scenes from the movie and compare the scene to itself as it was written in the screenplay.

First, I’d like to take a look at the scene where the prostitute is sent to Bob’s room. This scene overall is a very awkward scene for the viewer. In the film, the prostitute enters Bob’s room and explains that she was sent by Mr. Kazuzo. She then proceeds to pursue Bob, and try to get him to rip her stockings. However, Bob cannot understand her for quite some time and when he finally does, the woman produces a fake struggle. This is what produces the awkwardness, as the woman attempt to wrestle Bob onto the floor. In the screenplay, there are subtle differences that highlight the idea of improvision and not producing a film that is indeed the script verbatim. For example, in the script, the woman first approaches the stereo to put on a song…then she is successful in getting Bob (who first entertains the idea of the event) onto the bed. In the film, there is nothing involving a stereo and Bob never reaches the bed with the woman as he has no intention to be sexual with her at any point. On the other hand, the dialogue is pretty spot on from the screenplay to the film.

Second, is the scene when Bob and Charlotte see each other at the bar after Bob has had his photoshoot, as he is still in his tuxedo from the photoshoot. In the movie, we see Charlotte approach, Bob, as she is clearly uninterested in what is happening with her party of people. Rather than approach and conversate with Bob as the film portrays, the screenplay simple has the two smile at each other before the scene ends, and nothing else happens. This shows that the director belived that during production, this scene required more dialogue due to the scenes possible importance, rather than just a smiling glance.

Lastly, there is a scene in the script that is completely cut from the movie. In the movie there is a scene when Bob is swimming in the hotel pool. In the film, there is no dialogue and it only shows a group of people doing water arobics. This is really all the film shows regarding “the pool”. In the screenplay however, Charlotte is the one swimming, she runs into Bob (on his way to the pool). The two then partake in small talk before Charlotte invites Bob out to a party with some of her friends that night. The two do eventually go to a party later in the film and there is a scene simialr to this one in the screenplay. However, it is interesting to see that after the writing of the script, the director decided to place a similar dialogue elsewhere and take out a scene from the screenplay altogether. It just goes to show that no script is set in stone and that a film in its process is ever evolving. This is one of the components of film making that makes the process so unique.