LOST IN TRANSLATION: A FILM ABOUT GRAHAM HARMAN'S OBJECT-ORIENTED ONTOLOGY
Keywords:
Graham Harman; object-oriented ontology; aesthetics; film theory, Lost in Translation, Sofia CoppolaAbstract
This article deals with Graham Harman’s object-oriented ontology (OOO). It explores the tensions in Harman’s quadripartite notion of the object and how aesthetics provides an indirect mode of access to the object. This principally comes by way of metaphor and theatricality, the rift and transposition of the sensual from the real. A good illustration of these concepts can be found in Sofia Coppola’s film Lost in Translation. Reading Lost in Translation through OOO, we can see the theory enacted, and understand how the of the spectator interacts with the film, the reader with theory. Through this aesthetic prism we can approach the both the object of the film and the theory even in the face of their very retreat. All objects, films, theories, and even this article, become lost in translation. Everything, in any relation, is condemned to mediation. Nevertheless, there are still remain intimations of the real to be had both beyond and through the sensual and literal. This article is an attempt to explore this relationship.
References
Bryant, Levi. “Thoughts on Posthumanism.” Web log. Larval Subjects (blog), November 10, 2012.
https://larvalsubjects.wordpress.com/2012/11/10/thoughts-on-posthumanism/.
Coppola, Sofia. Lost in Translation: Script, 2002.
Coppola, Sofia. Lost in Translation: Shooting Draft, 2002.
Coppola, Sofia, Lost in Translation, Focus Features, 2003, 102 min.
Dennett, Daniel C. “Quining Qualia,” in Consciousness in Modern Science, ed. A. Marcel & E. Bisiach. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
Harman, Graham. Object-Oriented Ontology: A New Theory of Everything. London: Pelican Books, 2018.
Harman, Graham. The Quadruple Object. Winchester, U.K.: Zero Books, 2011.
Harman, Graham. “The Well-Wrought Broken Hammer: Object-Oriented Literary Criticism.” New Literary History 43, no. 2 (2012): 183–203. https://doi.org/10.1353/nlh.2012.0016.
Harman Graham, “Why Architecture and Beauty Need Each Other,” lecture, Tallinn Architecture Biennale Symposium, September, 13, 2019, Kultuurikatel, Tallinn, MP4, 1:10:10.
Hopper, Edward, Nighthawks, painting, public domain,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nighthawks_(Hopper)#/media/File:Nighthawks_by_Edward_Hopper_1942.jpg
Radulescu, Roxy. “Request Week 8: Lost in Translation, 2003.” Moviesincolor, October 29, 2013.
https://moviesincolor.com/post/65445836763/request-week-8-deletemyself-lost-in-translation.
Taylor, Trey. "How Lonely Are You: Translation vs Tumblr." Dazed. Last modified September 18, 2015.
Accessed February 1, 2022. https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/26449/1/how-lonely-are-you-lost-in-translation-vs-tumblr.
Vidor, Vid. Lost In Translation (Bill Murray's WHISPER Revealed), n.d.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MV7Sym8bIQ.
Witkin, Nicole Dizon. The Role of Personality, Attachment, and Narcissism in Regards to Social Networking: An Examination of Social Network Users. San Diego: Alliant International University, 2014.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Consent to Publish and Transfer of Copyright
By publishing in Prajñā Vihāra, the author agrees to transfer and assign to Assumption University of Thailand as the Publisher of the Journal, the copyright to the Article in any form, including any and all rights, interests and claims related to it.
The author does retain the following rights:
- The right to make further copies of the published article for their use in classroom teaching.
- The right to reuse all or part of the published article in a compilation of his or her own works or in textbooks of which they are the author or coauthor.
- The right to make copies of the published article for internal distribution within their academic institution.
- All proprietary rights other than copyright, such as patent rights.
- The Article is his or her original work, and has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
- It does not contain any matter that is obscene, libelous, or contrary to law.
- They have obtained the necessary license or written authority and paid any and all related fees for the use and reproduction of text, tables, illustrations and other copyrighted work from the owners of the intellectual property rights, and can furnish the Publisher copies of the license/written authority and proof of payment of related fees upon the signing of this Agreement.
- They have the consent of the Co-Authors of the article upon the signing of this Agreement.
- In the event that they intend to republish, reprint or translate all or part of the Article in other publications, they will secure the prior written permission from the journal Editor.
Prajñā Vihāra adopts the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY-NC-ND) license
#/media/File:Nighthawks_by_Edward_Hopper_1942.jpg){kind=link}