Translated Suntory Scene

Translated dialog from the hilarious Suntory Time whiskey commercial scene from the film Lost in Translation.

Bob, who is in town to make a whiskey commercial, doesn't speak Japanese. His director (Yutaka Tadokoro), a histrionic Japanese hipster, doesn't speak English. In one scene, Bob goes on the set and tries to understand the director through a demure interpreter (Akiko Takeshita), who is either unable or (more likely) unwilling to translate everything the director is rattling on about.

Needless to say, Bob is lost. And without subtitles, so is the audience. Here, translated into English, is what the fulmination is really about.



DIRECTOR (in Japanese to the interpreter): The translation is very

important, O.K.? The translation.

INTERPRETER: Yes, of course. I understand.

DIRECTOR: Mr. Bob-san. You are sitting quietly in your study. And then

there is a bottle of Suntory whiskey on top of the table. You

understand, right? With wholehearted feeling, slowly, look at the

camera, tenderly, and as if you are meeting old friends, say the

words. As if you are Bogie in "Casablanca," saying, "Cheers to you

guys," Suntory time!

INTERPRETER: He wants you to turn, look in camera. O.K.?

BOB: That's all he said?

INTERPRETER: Yes, turn to camera.

BOB: Does he want me to, to turn from the right or turn from the left?

INTERPRETER (in very formal Japanese to the director): He has prepared

and is ready. And he wants to know, when the camera rolls, would you

prefer that he turn to the left, or would you prefer that he turn to

the right? And that is the kind of thing he would like to know, if you

don't mind.

DIRECTOR (very brusquely, and in much more colloquial Japanese):

Either way is fine. That kind of thing doesn't matter. We don't have

time, Bob-san, O.K.? You need to hurry. Raise the tension. Look at the

camera. Slowly, with passion. It's passion that we want. Do you

understand?

INTERPRETER (In English, to Bob): Right side. And, uh, with intensity.

BOB: Is that everything? It seemed like he said quite a bit more than

that.

DIRECTOR: What you are talking about is not just whiskey, you know. Do

you understand? It's like you are meeting old friends. Softly,

tenderly. Gently. Let your feelings boil up. Tension is important!

Don't forget.

INTERPRETER (in English, to Bob): Like an old friend, and into the camera.

BOB: O.K.

DIRECTOR: You understand? You love whiskey. It's Suntory time! O.K.?

BOB: O.K.

DIRECTOR: O.K.? O.K., let's roll. Start.

BOB: For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.

DIRECTOR: Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut! (Then in a very male form of

Japanese, like a father speaking to a wayward child) Don't try to fool

me. Don't pretend you don't understand. Do you even understand what we

are trying to do? Suntory is very exclusive. The sound of the words is

important. It's an expensive drink. This is No. 1. Now do it again,

and you have to feel that this is exclusive. O.K.? This is not an

everyday whiskey you know.

INTERPRETER: Could you do it slower and ?

DIRECTOR: With more ecstatic emotion.

INTERPRETER: More intensity.

DIRECTOR (in English): Suntory time! Roll.

BOB: For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.

DIRECTOR: Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut! God, I'm begging you.

Posted originally in NY Times