MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

More than just the capital of Japan, Tokyo is indeed one of the ‘world cities’ and a global centre of finance, fashion and popular culture. It has engrained itself on the Western psyche, be it through videogames, anime and manga, to the popularity of Japanese food and its influence on fashion particularly the kawaii culture in the form of brands such as Hello Kitty.

To the bewildered visitor, Tokyo is an extraordinary sensory overload; they are overawed by the rushing subways, garish neon lights, the energy of daily life, the pulsating noise of arcades and karaoke bars, the tranquillity of ancient shrines sandwiched between skyscrapers etc. Tokyo captivates the imagination and challenges stereotypes and prejudices and indeed, one’s own relationship to and with oneself. But, what if one were unable to fully engage with what Tokyo had to offer and what are the ramifications of this inability to engage, the ensuing loneliness and alienation? Are these the consequences that Tokyo has succumbed to through globalisation? Two movies exploring these ideas are Lost in Translation and Babel.

This paper will aim to examine how both films demonstrate effectively the idea of alienation and isolation in globalised metropolises such as Tokyo particularly through the idea of language and miscommunication. We will consider factors such as mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound to further analyse how this factors are emphasised and particular attention to use of colour throughout both films (particularly in Babel). Finally we will conclude by discussing how these ideas of alienation and redemption were conveyed so successfully by the use of Tokyo as the backdrop to these stories. Indeed, why Tokyo and would the trials and tribulations of our protagonists been so dramatically and profoundly depicted had they been placed (or in the case of Lost in Translation, ‘displaced’) elsewhere?