Subtitles

adidasss · 09-03-2009, 04:15 PM

How come you can understand what they're saying? I mean, there are some regional dialects in Croatia which I'd need subtitles for (and they actually did have them on a few documentaries).

Oh yeah, bad subtitles can really ruin a film. I still haven't seen Park's Joint Security Area because the subtitles on the edition I got were catastrophic. But I've come to expect that from Asian films. I wouldn't be so upset if we were talking about some bootleg edition with custom subtitles, but often they have official DVDs with craptabulous translations. I was really pissed off with the R1 edition of Deepa Mehta's Water, which I actually spent money on. Do they not have educated, skillful translators in their respective countries?

But then again, the Criterion collection has a pretty bad translation of Knife in the water, by none other than Polanski himself...:|

jackhammer · 09-03-2009, 04:25 PM

Yeah it generally tends to be Asian films but I have noticed on a couple of bad translations on European films too.

As for the dialects, well of course there are some words that I cannot quite make out but it is usually guessed at within the context of the sentence they are saying but I concede that those VERY unfamiliar with harsh regional accents may well need subtitles but as long as they stay that way and again not dubbed. I'm very impressed that you learnt most of your English from subtitles I have to say.

NumberNineDream · 09-04-2009, 05:24 AM

Subtitles all the way, even if same language subtitles [urgently needed for scottish movies].
The spoken language should be the original one, most jokes are lost in translation, and usually the dubbed voices are very strange ... and i sometimes learn the language subconsciously.

Antonio · 09-04-2009, 06:11 AM

i'm all for subtitles, it's better to have the film in it's original language sounding natural than dubbed and awkward as hell.

Liljagare · 09-04-2009, 08:45 AM

Sweden is like Norway, pro-subtitles (kids films are dubbed but they are usually offered in both the English and the Swedish versions if the original language was English). Most everyone speaks English here and I never really heard anyone complain about the subtiteling on tv and such. Plus I bet the tourists are quite happy when they see that they don't have to watch a dubbed version of their favorite show or movie. I know it always annoyed me when going to other countries (such as Spain ) and seeing that a movie was out that I really wanted to see but that it had been dubbed. Or that the only channel I could understand on tv was CNN...

I think it really is much better to see the movie in its original language then to see a dubbed film, regardless. You learn things such as slang, something that never quite comes across when dubbed and something most don't learn in the classroom. Also, when you translate dialog, you loose so much of the original meaning (such as translating a joke). I know I like watching a Danish comedy called "Klovn" and if it had been dubbed instead of subtitled, it would have been quite annoying (and it is always fun to hear a bit of Danish now and again ).

Subtitles can be a bit annoying when you don't recognize the original language and you have to watch the tv in order to follow the story constantly...but then this gives you an excuse to learn that language doesn't it?

boo boo · 09-05-2009, 06:58 AM

I can tolerate dubs in anime if they're good, if they suck, I'll watch the subs.

In live action film, I'd rather have the subs, I know they can distract from the images and the action. But I find it even more distracting when people talk out of sync.

Except in stuff like old kung fu and giant monster movies, then the cheesy dubs become part of the appeal. But when it's done for a dramatic film, it just dosen't work.

moserw · 09-05-2009, 07:10 AM

If the movie is in English and yet subtitles are provided then a big no-no. They in fact act as a distraction.

For foreign language either subtitles or redubbing in English is fine as long as the movie itself is good.

Fruitonica · 09-05-2009, 09:02 AM

I'm really impressed someone could learn a language from subtitles, there's no way I could correlate the words and text in any meaningful way.

adidasss · 09-05-2009, 09:56 AM

If 80% of the stuff you watched for a few hours each day for 25 years or so was in a foreign language with subtitles, you'd pick something up, trust me.

Astronomer · 09-05-2009, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adidasss

If 80% of the stuff you watched for a few hours each day for 25 years or so was in a foreign language with subtitles, you'd pick something up, trust me.

When learning Italian at high school, lots of our classes often consisted of the viewing of Italian films, sometimes with subtitles and sometimes without. It was actually a really effective technique in becoming familiar with the flow of the language and the way words were used.

09-03-2009, 04:15 PM	#21 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	How come you can understand what they're saying? I mean, there are some regional dialects in Croatia which I'd need subtitles for (and they actually did have them on a few documentaries). Oh yeah, bad subtitles can really ruin a film. I still haven't seen Park's Joint Security Area because the subtitles on the edition I got were catastrophic. But I've come to expect that from Asian films. I wouldn't be so upset if we were talking about some bootleg edition with custom subtitles, but often they have official DVDs with craptabulous translations. I was really pissed off with the R1 edition of Deepa Mehta's Water, which I actually spent money on. Do they not have educated, skillful translators in their respective countries? But then again, the Criterion collection has a pretty bad translation of Knife in the water, by none other than Polanski himself...:\| __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm Last edited by adidasss; 09-03-2009 at 04:40 PM.

09-03-2009, 04:25 PM	#22 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Yeah it generally tends to be Asian films but I have noticed on a couple of bad translations on European films too. As for the dialects, well of course there are some words that I cannot quite make out but it is usually guessed at within the context of the sentence they are saying but I concede that those VERY unfamiliar with harsh regional accents may well need subtitles but as long as they stay that way and again not dubbed. I'm very impressed that you learnt most of your English from subtitles I have to say. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

09-04-2009, 05:24 AM	#23 (permalink)
NumberNineDream Blue Bleezin' Blind Drunk Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The land of the largest wine glass (aka Lebanon) Posts: 2,200	Subtitles all the way, even if same language subtitles [urgently needed for scottish movies]. The spoken language should be the original one, most jokes are lost in translation, and usually the dubbed voices are very strange ... and i sometimes learn the language subconsciously. __________________ Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Welcome to the Black Lodge

09-04-2009, 08:45 AM	#25 (permalink)
Liljagare Music Addict Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Sweden Posts: 182	Sweden is like Norway, pro-subtitles (kids films are dubbed but they are usually offered in both the English and the Swedish versions if the original language was English). Most everyone speaks English here and I never really heard anyone complain about the subtiteling on tv and such. Plus I bet the tourists are quite happy when they see that they don't have to watch a dubbed version of their favorite show or movie. I know it always annoyed me when going to other countries (such as Spain ) and seeing that a movie was out that I really wanted to see but that it had been dubbed. Or that the only channel I could understand on tv was CNN... I think it really is much better to see the movie in its original language then to see a dubbed film, regardless. You learn things such as slang, something that never quite comes across when dubbed and something most don't learn in the classroom. Also, when you translate dialog, you loose so much of the original meaning (such as translating a joke). I know I like watching a Danish comedy called "Klovn" and if it had been dubbed instead of subtitled, it would have been quite annoying (and it is always fun to hear a bit of Danish now and again ). Subtitles can be a bit annoying when you don't recognize the original language and you have to watch the tv in order to follow the story constantly...but then this gives you an excuse to learn that language doesn't it? Last edited by Liljagare; 09-04-2009 at 08:59 AM.

09-05-2009, 09:56 AM	#29 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	If 80% of the stuff you watched for a few hours each day for 25 years or so was in a foreign language with subtitles, you'd pick something up, trust me. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

09-05-2009, 07:10 AM	#27 (permalink)
moserw Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 154	If the movie is in English and yet subtitles are provided then a big no-no. They in fact act as a distraction. For foreign language either subtitles or redubbing in English is fine as long as the movie itself is good.

09-05-2009, 09:02 AM	#28 (permalink)
Fruitonica Pale and Wan Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Aus Posts: 917	I'm really impressed someone could learn a language from subtitles, there's no way I could correlate the words and text in any meaningful way.