An American in Japan

Rating: 6/10 (14 May 2007)

It took me awhile to get around to watching this Academy winning film. It certainly was not because of director Sophia Coppola or lead Bill Murray. But judging from what I had read about the movie, it seemed to be rather depressing, especially so for me. In 1989, I went to visit my girlfriend in Japan for three weeks. Americans there are gaijin, foreigners. Non- Asian foreigners stick out especially because you are tall and white, and have hair other colours than dark brown. A Japanese child will stop and point at you like you are a clown. If you walk into a shop, everyone will look at you.
In this movie, being a symbol of the West as seen in movies and on television works to your advantage. Big celebrities, who don't want to appear selling out in the U.S.A., will appear in liquor ads and other products in Japan for millions of dollars. When I was there, I saw billboards and ads with Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Mickey Rourke. Bill Murray plays an action movie star, but really plays himself to a degree. He doesn't speak Japanese, and has a hard time coping with Japanese culture. Scarlett Johansson is also stranded in the same hotel, and they strike a platonic relationship.
There were moments while watching the film that I could feel exactly what the main characters were feeling. My girlfriend also felt a similar disconnect from the surroundings while she lived there teaching English. The main past-time of singing Karaoke or playing games in noisy arcades was not my idea of fun. We spent a good deal of time watching movies instead. Of course, Japan wasn't always depressing, and my heart jumped during the scenes when Johansson visited Kyoto. Kyoto is mythical in it's beauty, and it was the most memorable part of my visit. In a way, I connected with both of these characters, because I was visiting while my girlfriend was working, but I also was the Lost American, trying to make nice with the natives. It was a sad time for me, I ended feeling like I couldn't wait for the 3 weeks to end and go home. I stayed the 3 weeks but we broke up the day before I left.
**MAJOR SPOILER ALERT** In the final scene, there is some speculation about what Murray says to Johansson as they hug. I easily could tell, just by the tone of his voice. I believe he gave her the assurance that when she came back to the U.S. that they would get together again. That quiet and simple enough of a statement would elicit the smile and the comfort on her face. But it also allowed her to be comfortable with him leaving at the same time. **END SPOILER ALERT**
Sophia Coppola wrote this story based on her own time in Japan while she was with music director Spike Jonze. She does a great job showing a rarely seen aspect about being a Gaijin in Japan. Murray gives us enough deadpan humour to offset the twilight zone time they spend acting like goldfish stuck in a fishbowl. For me, this movie translates well the feeling of being a foreigner.