Found in Translation:聽 A review of Last Life in the Universe
Last Life in the Universe is a cinematic collaboration between artists in Thailand and Japan released in 2003.聽 This enigmatic film is directed and co-authored by the famed Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, dubbed the hipster filmmaker of Thailand.聽 The co-screenwriter is the prolific Thai media personality, artist and author, Prabda Yoon.聽 Beautifully filmed by the rouge Australian-Hong Kong cinematographer Christopher Doyle, the film features Asano Tadanobu, a Japanese actor known for his roles as tough gangsters, infamous samurai, and even Genghis Khan (in Mongols, 2007).聽
In this film, Asano plays an obsessive, compulsive librarian with suicidal tendencies and an over active imagination.聽He gets tangled up with a pot-smoking woman from a small village鈥攑layed by Thai actress --when they both witness her sister鈥檚 sudden death.聽Drawn together by this incident and other surprising events, the two find a way to connect with very little dialogue in a mix of Japanese, Thai and English as they deal with their grief and confusion.
The lack of dialogue gives the film a slow, languid pace, but not too slow.聽The cinematography, using a brilliant pallet of warm and vibrant colors keeps the pace moving.聽Doyle is a master at concealing certain scenes to allow the viewer to use their full imagination.聽Just like being in a foreign country, it鈥檚 the spaces in between the dialogue and imagery that carry the most weight; the body language and the pregnant pauses become extremely meaningful.
This foreigner perspective was likened to the film Lost in Translation, which was released the same year.聽However, while Tokyo was merely the backdrop for Lost in Translation and could have arguably been filmed anywhere, the cultural scenery in Last Life in the Universe is integral to comprehending the story in its entirety.聽
The visual motifs played out on the screen make you want to watch the move again and again.聽The opening scene is of a small gecko clinging to an interior wall.聽This lizard imagery is carried throughout the film in subtle ways.聽And there are plenty of inside jokes for the cinephile of Japanese and Thai films.聽There are even several key cameos, if you know what to look for.聽And if not, that鈥檚 OK.聽The disjointed nature is part of the cross-cultural experience.聽 Just like being the foreigner, you know you鈥檙e missing something; you鈥檙e just not quite sure what it is.
Some westerners might not appreciate the open-ended nature of the film鈥檚 ending as we are left to question what is real and imagined.聽There is no black-and-white happy (or sad) Hollywood ending.聽 This vague quality was likened to the style of the contemporary Japanese author Haruki Murakami.聽But as Doyle stated in an interview in 2003, 鈥溾�ever ask what does it mean.聽It is what it is. You don鈥檛 ask a painting to explain itself. You don鈥檛 understand world music. You just enjoy the rhythm.鈥�
The screening was followed by a lively discussion with Japan Foundation Los Angeles Director, Hideki Hara and Asian Languages and Civilizations (CU-B) Assistant Professor, David Atherton.聽 Prof. Atherton, having lived in Thailand, was able to enlighten the audience to some of the key aspects of the Thai experience.聽While Director Hara shared some details about the filming, some of which actually took place in the Japan Foundation鈥檚 Bangkok office.聽 In fact, he said, some of the characters were based on office staff.聽However, he was quick to stress that none of the staff were suicidal--that was just the director鈥檚 creative license.聽
This free campus screening was sponsored by the Japan Foundation Los Angeles, the Center for Asian Studies and the International Film Series on the 羞羞视频 Campus.聽 Look for more interesting events on our News and Events page!
by Carla Stansifer