I like how two different stories could be told and two different moods could be established with the same visuals

Interesting to see the two side by side just in terms of cinematography. The Mendes video has really punched things up, as if they thought the original cinematography was too murky. But that decision goes to your general point too.

I'd say it's a good homage because it reminds me of a film I love, while at the same time not getting too serious about the themes. It's nostalgia in a fun way.

Was it lost in translation? ;)

Now you know why Shawn shaved ....😂😜

The song is upbeat, so no wonder Shawn's character is upbeat. The lyrics fit the scenes ("I was thinking I could fly to your hotel tonight"). Both were lost in Japan for the sake of having fun. Shawn never intended a melancholic video. You might even say he tried to take a total different approach on the movie on purpose. The movie showed the story of a middle-aged man and Shawn is showing his. Nothing bad about it? Also, let the kid have fun recreating bit and bops of some movie he likes. Let him give that movie a little shout out. 😂✌🏽

Personally, I think Mendes perfectly understood the meaning of the film. He wanted to start from the situation of the film but then making his character escape from that condition of melancholy/loneliness and follow his love feelings, as shown especially with the last elevator scene in the video, in which Shawn runs after the girl while in the film this doesn't happen. Of course I am not saying I am right but I think you should have said something about that scene too. It is one big difference in my opinion. By the way, very nice video

I've never seen "Lost In Translation" so when I watched the Shawn Mendes music video for the first time, I just thought it was a very good music video and it wasn't until I read the comments underneath that I was made aware that it was inspired by the film. Your video shows how closely inspired it was and they indeed paid an impressive attention to detail to make the scenes match up as close as they did. The mood of the character in the movie is definitely seemingly different from Shawn's character but like you point out, maybe that was intentional, to turn the vibe on its head. In either case, this is the first time I've seen a music video pay homage to a movie with this much resemblance to the original material. Great comparison video! :)

When meaning is completely lost we are just left with iconography, wich can be cool and all of that, but is also sad. I was hoping the video would use some of the themes of the movie in order to change the meaning behind the pop song, but I think it ends up creating the image of what someone wants the movie to be, just a love story, instead of the more depp and meaningful story.

It Is how we see it. Being 'lost' can be a good thing for some and bad for some. Can be bad for old (Bill Murray), good for young (Shawn). The video shows, that for old and young the visuals are the same it is how we feel it.

Excellent editing. Congratulations.

Long time , Thomas! Nice to see your notification.

Thanks for this. Really ♥️

I don't make any money from the KZfaq ads on this video due to unavoidable copyright claims on the music. So special thanks to my Patrons for making this kind of thing possible: patreon.com/thomasflight

The cuts and blends between both videos side by side is oddly satisfying lol

As much as I agree with you, I think that the love shown for Lost In Translation is purely based around the aesthetics. Looks to me like he enjoyed the film, thought that the film was very pretty and then decided to "pay homage" to the film by replicating shots for his music video. Is it pretty fun/cute? Yeah. Would I consider it a homage? Not really. It's more like a love letter to me. Except, instead of talking about how much he loved that time they spent hours chatting to each other, he's more talking about how much he loves that one time they had great sex.

This is a great video! Never noticed Shawn Mendes’ video did this. It’s a unique spin on the film as an upbeat teen love story in my opinion.

thomas is back!!

It makes you really see how shitty modern color grading is. Like blasting the highlights to ten, making the colors cold, and bringing up the blacks but not the actual shadows.

Yay new stuff to know ! Thanks youtube recommendation !🔥

Not only the upbeat mood is subvrerting the movie's theme, but the washed out dark colours and flashier lights. I guess the point is, however lost, you can be happy

He literally isn’t happy about filming a whiskey commercial he literally acts like he is falling asleep

i loved this music video so much

I think it’s different. I think that Shawn Mendes perfectly understood the meaning, he wanted to pay homage to a movie he likes. The song lost in Japan would never fit the same sort of melancholy lost in translation had; it’s ultimately a love song. He sings about a kind of impulsive love for a person that he would fly to her/his hotel tonight without hesitation. I think it was never meant to be as deep as lost in translation, he probably thought that the movie and his song fit very well visually, they were both in Japan and they were both “lost”. The lost in both titles mean completely different things, and forcing the sort of melancholy lost in translation had on such an upbeat song would have ultimately made no sense. Ultimately, I’m impressed by the detail that was put into the shoots; how they tried to recreate many of the shoots firms by frame, like the curtain opening and the karaoke. I think that he just really enjoyed the film and wanted to introduce it to his younger audiences. Most of my friends are talking about watching the film together now during our staycation. I love that.

This is the first or maybe the second comment i’ve ever made on youtube. It’s really saddening to see the comments saying ‘shawn is better’ or ‘its not that deep’ like wtf. This movie is legit my favorite and most memorable movie, i remember years ago I watched this movie at midnight and thought a lot about it after. I doubt that shawn purposely changed the meaning and theme to be more upbeat whatsoever, I believe more that he liked the visual aesthetic etc so he got inspired. Ugh i’m sorry if i took this too far but just gotta let it out! Maybe if people haven’t watched the movie yet it makes sense to not be able to compare from just the cinematography alone.

Thomas Flight - spot on with your assessment.

Heard the song on the radio, giving a tribute to my all time favorite film lost in translation.

While I get your points, I feel totally different. I feel he did a proper homage to the movie by recreating the scenes perfectly. But, I also feel like it was a good choice to change the feel of the clips to match the feel of the song. Because while yes this is a homage, it’s also a music video about a lovesick teenager/young adult. Not to mention the song is upbeat, so I would expect the visuals to match as well. So while I understand your points I feel like they did a good job recreating it without straying to far from the theme of the song (which is what a music video is supposed to portray).

Thank you. When I saw the music video I was thinking the exact same thing yet no one in the comments seemed to even notice it was copying Lost In Translation. It doesn't feel right when you've seen the movie.

Great video! I think that while it is a homage, it's also Shawn Mendes' music video so it's bound to bring his character and his story behind the song to the forefront as well.

Another movie I've been needing to watch!

I guess you could say it lost something in translation from film to music video ;)

It's particularly interesting for me to watch this, because Lost in Translation is one of my favorite movies of all time, but i actually discovered it through other song. There is a song by BASTILLE which quotes a scene from this movie. The "I just hate that I don't know what I'm supposed to be" bit. Get goosebumps everytime I listen to it

I knew the music video looked familiar. Now I can confirm why it felt nostalgic. Thanks man.

Amazing!

It’s a great homage, Shawn’s character wonders about all the fun and good times he can have with the lady whom he got some attention, imagining how wonderful would be to spend some fun times with the young lady in a country where he doesn’t know much.

Really cool!

i find it a nice way to spark interest in a loved filmed for new people

Lost in Translation is one of my favourite films ever, and I love that Shawn did that. I wasn't that into this song before, but now will for sure enter my playlist. Plus, I really wanna re watch the film!

I'm 14 I had no idea

I was actually amazed when the video came out and then when I saw the girl smiling and Shawn not lost at all, I just felt like it was more of a fan fiction of the actual story. What some people want to see, but the movie is just so perfect it doesn’t make sense to me to change the theme so much, it would have been nice if just the ending of the video was different or something more subtle and not the whole idea.

I had never ever seen Lost in Translation and am shocked to learn this music video went to such lengths to copy the film. Everything you said sounds on point. However, for someone like me who never saw the film, I'm not upset about how it failed to copy the melancholy.. I'm glad it did the upbeat love story thing. I feel like life itself has enough melancholy. 🤷‍♀️🤔😆 music can be a good escape.

Both are great!!!

The vibe just similar like 'Thank u next' video! I love it!

It’s a fun throw back. It’s not that deep and doesn’t have to be 🙄 so pretentious.

I plan on watching this movie now

I think the music video perfectly understands the movie, but adds a modern-day, upbeat vibe where there was once a early-2000s, melancholic one. That could be why (as you stated visually but not in your VO) the shots are noticeably brighter in the music video. Because Shawn's character is not depressed and differential to whats going on around him, but rather excitedly exploring a new place.

That is DOPE!❤️

finally someone made this

My favorite film. Didn’t know what to think when the music video was released, but it has grown on me. I feel like the movie doesn’t get that much attention from the current generation of young people, and Shawn’s video has probably prompted a lot of them to go watch it. I agree with what you say about it not really matching the themes, but at the end of the day the biggest thing to remember is that it is above anything else a video for Lost in Japan, a teen-bop pop song (no hate meant by that, I love Shawn’s music). They adapted the mood of the homage to match the feel of the song, but also while lovingly weaving and respectfully in scenes from the film to match the topic of the love story orbiting around the romance of Japan. Anyway. Nice job on your vid, I enjoyed the analysis.

What a turnaround on this video! I'm impressed you managed to get it out this quick. When I saw the thumbnail for the Mendes video I instantly made the connection to Lost in Translation and decided to watch it despite having no interest in the artist (so I guess in some ways the video was quite successful in grabbing attention). That said, I share much of your own feelings about the video and was left feeling disappointed. To me it felt like blatant imitation rather than homage; a convenient and recognisable backdrop to clone rather than an idea to be built upon.

It’s perfect ♥️

Good stuff

i always like an artwork that have a further references or intentionally related to the other artwork, so yeah, why not?

It's a good homage ~!

I love this vid

Ahhhh SHAWN 💓💓

I have seen the movie and music video, and I like the way Shawn is making it fun

uhh i don’t think he was trying to convey the same emotions as the movie, i think he just did it as a coincidence with the titles... the song taking about traveling and thinking about someone and i the movie film just happened to be similar

Awesome

This is awsome

"Im glad" by Jlo is an amazing copy as well.

Whilst I hate his music, I have go give him props for giving homage to such a great movie.

I agree with this

2018 is chuck full of these homages in music videos though come to think of it: Lost in Japan, 1999, Thank U, Next, 2002... im sure there’s more but i cant think of at the moment, everyone just aims to be meta and nostalgic these days.

Bill Murray: depressingly looking at the ground Shawn mendes: bopping to the music

we got em'

Wow

I guess the music video was lost in translation

Tbh the fact that the video is good enough to warrant a video analysis like this, speaks to how much more meaningful this video is than most other pop videos. You don’t see Thomas cranking out video essays about Cardi B or Taylor Swift music videos. I think the goal of this video wasn’t to recreate the tone or themes of the movie, it was to pay homage to a great movie and make a video for his own song while he was at it.

Great video! I feel the same way about Selena Gomez's video "Back to You", which does the same thing but with Pierrot Le Fou. It's nice to see all the scenes they recreate, but it doesnt feel satisfying.

wow im so dense that i didn’t even realize it was a replica

A little of positivity touch is always a good thing it never killed nobody.

This was a good homage. Obviously with the upbeat song, they couldn't portray a melancholy mood. It could also mean a mind-shift, where back in 2003, most people wouldn't be too ecstatic to be in Japan, but now in 2018/2019 it'd be an exciting time to be in.

I like it because it made me go and watch the film again. Also, it's good to see pop artists referencing amazing pieces of art, which will expose a new audience to this film.

Pay a lot of attention to the song, it starts sad you know, the piano for my is very touching at begining, later it have more power but there is moment it sounds sad, i think the video is what the protagonist (Bill Murray) in the movie want to do, but he can't because is affraid...

Great Homage

Oh snap

I'm happy they made shawns video more happy bc shawns a happy guy.

THIS IS INSANE!!

I didn’t even notice the ressemblance omfg

The lift scene 3:16 answers the question you are asking.The homage is only visually same while the context is taken opposite to the movie. The people in lift in the movie are moody and probably even sad while in the song are upbeat and happy. That's my take on it

*He’s still so cute.*

i think it's perfect

100% agree

Shawn Mendes' video and song are amazing. I don't think it was MEANT to be exactly the same as the film in EVERY aspect.

I think to create homages or even copying specific parts of any kind of art is something people have a very bad opinion about. Even Quentin Tarantinos goes so far and replicates big parts of movies he likes to re-use it in his own movies. Its always about creating and if you like it and people like it that I think its totally fine to do so. Even a great copy can be art. I liked the homage by Jay Martin and shot by Kai Saul to Lost in translation. Lost in Translation is one of my favorite movies of all time. I think in this homage they didn't go under the surface of the movie. I believe it was just the fact that both are kind of love stories and both play in Japan. However. If actually anyone will ever read this pls forgive me for my grammar.

I think it's great. I mean, is the song what makes the change and brings the happiness. So obviously that's why they are different and they don't give you the same feeling.

Don’t forget, Sean’s target market probably never have seen LIT, so it’s probably not going to matter. I loved it, fair play, a great homage to one of my favourite films.

oooh

nice taste on cinema Shawn

I think both are special in different ways, it just reminds me of what it means to be a painter, we are recreating God's work every single time we paint, and it always comes out differently. and to me, that's the point.

I think it's a blend of a good homage while choosing to celebrate life; rather than make stress about one's existence, celebrate that we exist at all.

I think it’s great

Never ignore the heart.

I'm gonna watch the movie now

What movie???

i didnt even know that

wow

WOWWWW