Suntory Time

Director: [in Japanese] Mr. Bob-san, you are relaxing in your study. On the table is a bottle of Suntory whiskey. Got it? Look slowly, with feeling, at the camera, and say it gently - say it as if you were speaking to an old friend. Just like Bogie in Casablanca, "Here's looking at you, kid" - Suntory time.
Translator: Umm. He want you to turn, looking at camera. OK?
Bob: That's all he said?
Translator: Yes. Turn to camera.
Bob: All right. Does he want me to turn from the right, or turn from the left?
Translator: [to director, in Japanese] Uh, umm. He's ready now. He just wants to know if he's supposed to turn from the left or turn from the right when the camera rolls. What should I tell him?
Director: [in Japanese] What difference does it make! Makes no difference! Don't have time for that! Got it, Bob-san? Just psych yourself up, and quick! Look straight at the camera. At the camera. And slowly. With passion. Straight at the camera. And in your eyes there's... passion. Got it?
Translator: [to Bob] Right side. And with intensity. OK?
Bob: Is that everything? It seemed like he said quite a bit more than that.
Director: [to Bob, in Japanese] Listen, listen. This isn't just about whiskey. Understand? Imagine you're talking to an old friend. Gently. The emotions bubble up from the bottom of your heart. And don't forget, psych yourself up!
Translator: Like an old friend. And, into the camera.
Bob: OK.
Director: [in Japanese] Got it? You love whiskey. It's Suntory time. OK?
Bob: OK.
Director: OK?
Bob: [nods]
Director: [to crew] OK!
- taken from Lost in Translation


Lost in Translation is one of my favorite movies. If I were to be asked, "What's it about," I would say that it's about a very unique relationship between two people who are in transitory periods in their life. The Bill Murray character is transitioning out of limelight of being a Hollywood star, and the Scarlett Johansson character is in the process of transitioning out Ivy League education and into the World. They are both strangers to themselves, and trying to pass the time while in a foreign country. The movie is about the time they spend together.

I've been thinking about this movie the past few days. I was in BevMo this past week looking for a new addition to the Scotch whisky line-up, and I find a bottle with a very Japanese name: Yamazaki. I pick up the bottle examine it for a minute and notice that it is made by Suntory Limited. Honestly, I thought that the whole Suntory name in the movie was completely made up. I was dead wrong. It turns out that a good chunk of the movie was really a product placement. Maybe there really is a balance between artistic and commercial success.

In the movie the viewer does not get a translation of what the director is saying in Japanese to Bob-san. The only information they receive is what the translator provides. I have a new appreciation for the scene now that I have the translation, but I believe the scene was set-up specifically for this purpose. The viewer is just as confused as Bob-san, and because of this shared confusion, they identify with him, feel his confusion and isolation amongst the masses of people.

At one point in the movie Bob-san makes a comment about how ridiculous the whole endorsement of the Suntory whisky is, but says, "The good news is the whisky works." I would agree with his statement. I purchased a bottle of the Yamazaki 12 year, and find it very enjoyable. It has a sharper aroma than say a Lagavulin or a Macallan, but it's very clean on the pallet with a nice oaky finish. It's a nice addition to my collection.

Namaste