The first subtitled film I ever saw was SEVEN SAMURAI, the 205 minute version (because the print was an original from Japan brought in by the then distributors here because they believed in such stuff), in 35mm at a screening by the film society at Sydney University one Saturday afternoon. It was about 1964... I was certainly no older than a young 15 at any rate.

I'd read about this "great movie" in several movie history books I had been devouring since I was about 10 or 11. I thought I'd better get myself along to see one of these "foreign films" I'd been reading about. I thought it was going to be a chore. You know - you have to see this because it's "art" and famous and film history. I figured I'd be bored stiff. And you know, it was sub-titled... one of those fillums with writing down the bottom of the screen. I only found out when I got there that it was well over 3 hours... sheesh.

So I emerged 205 minutes later totally gob-smacked. After 10 minutes I hadn't even realised that I was watching and reading simultaneously. If there's anyway I can see a film in its original language with subtitles, then that's what I'll go for - whatever it is.
Phil





----- Original Message ----- From: "Shelly Whitworth-King" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 9:12 PM
Subject: Re: [MOPO] Subtitles


In non-English films in general, the quality of the subtitles is sometimes an issue for me. It is often apparent that what is being said in the film and what the subtitles say are not the same thing. Much can be lost.

I am fully aware of the limitations of subtitles, but I do think that sometimes the standard could be raised. It is an art in itself really.

Shelly


----Original Message Follows----
From: Toochis Morin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: Toochis Morin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
Subject: Re: [MOPO] Subtitles
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 11:01:01 -0800

The characteristic about both films: Letters from Iwo Jima and Apocalypto is that they are much like silent films and you can follow them easily. There isn't heavy dialogue and yet it has made both films quite compelling.

Toochis

channinglylethomson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: The main problem I have with subtitled movies is that I prefer to
"watch" a movie rather than "read" a movie.  That said, it's definitely
an acquired skill that becomes easier -- but never as easy as watching
a film produced in your native language.

Channing Thomson in San Francisco

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