10 Movie Secrets They'll Never Tell You

7. What Does Bob Whisper To Charlotte? - Lost In Translation

Total Recall
Focus Features

Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation famously ends with fading movie star Bob (Bill Murray) whispering some departing words into the ear of college grad Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), words which are inaudible to the audience.

Though some fans have attempted to decode Bob's words - with the most commonly accepted interpretation being, "I have to be leaving, but I won't let that come between us, okay?" - there's never been concrete confirmation on the matter.

And you shouldn't expect Coppola herself to ever offer any elaboration either.

In a 2020 interview for BBC's Life Cinematic series, Coppola revealed that she originally intended to dub an audible line over the shot, but during the editing process decided that it played better if it was "just between them and the audience puts their own interpretation."

Given that the mystery of Bob's final line is by far the most-discussed aspect of the movie, it was certainly a smart call, as is Coppola's evident refusal to put fans out of their misery.

In this post: 
Total Recall
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.