Enjoyable Subtitled movies seen in 2021

Why should you waste your precious time on subtitled movies?  They require more attention and sharper vision, they don't have any of the stars you are used to and they are well, "foreign." The world is more interconnected and it is consequently ever more important to understand how others think and live.  Subtitled moves are only one tool, but easily accessible and a push in the right direction.   On top of all those reasons they really can be very enjoyable.  Creativity thrives globally.

 The photo to the left is of my most satisfying movie of the year.  It also had the highest rating on IMDB.  Appropriately it is on a human rights issue and how many try to bury them often requiring a super human effort to fix them.  Last year my top movie was also a Tamil movie, "Peranbu" (2018):  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/03/peranbu-top-film-out-of-india.html

A few trends that I have become conscious of.  Mini series are favored for streaming and their advantage is that they give opportunity for both character and plot development.  Their disadvantage is they can drag on a good idea to the point of monotony   Koreans seem to have mastered them.  I have also come to admire both Tamil and Malayalam film industries that deserve more international respect.  I still pick up DVDs at the library which offers an older selection and some which come with special features helping one to better appreciate the quality.

Denmark

Mads Mikkelsen and Sisse Graum Jorgensen have some history around  the Oscar with this being their latest triumph for 2020.  "Another Round" (2020) is about a group who for awhile believe getting mildly drunk each day helps them teach better.  However as you might imagine it is too easy to get carried away. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/06/another-round-picks-up-oscar.html  Denmark acknowledges a problem with alcohol.
 

 

 

 

 

  Swedish

"My Life as a Dog" (1985) directed by internationally renown Lars Hallstrom.  Focused on a young boy who felt life had been unfair to him. 

"The Unlikely Murderer" (2021) One of the great mysteries-Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme killed .  Referred to in Stig Larrsson "Dragon" books.   In this film Stig Engstrom, real person is portrayed as a bitter man with a political agenda seeking attention.  The police investigation was sloppy at the beginning, but did develop in a major way.   Years later a journalist re examined evidence and concluded Stig was guilty.  The film series says the murder has not been proven, but both the media and the police believe Stig did it.

"The Caliphate" (2020)  gullible young girls from Sweden get involved with terrorists, while one who left for to live with ISIS want to escape back home.  

 

 

 

Norwegian

"Loverkvinnen" (2016 Lion Woman) was about a child born with hair growing all over her face and her ability to overcome prejudice and shocked first reactions.  The film uses 3 actresses to portray the woman at three different ages.  Another leading character was played by Rolf Lassgard who I have watched in three different languages, Norwegian, Danish ("After the Wedding") and Swedish ("A Man Called Ove).

"The Painter and the Thief" (2020) is a documentary telling the story of how a painter relates to the man who stole her painting (which was never recovered.  She became very supportive of the thief with addictions and even visited him in prison.

French

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2020) was the headliner for AGH Film Festival, but I waited to see it on a DVD.   In the late 1700's, a female painter is hired to paint a picture on an isolated island of a woman about to be married to an aristocrat she has never met.

 

 

Spanish

"Money Heist" (2017-2021))  was another Netflix blockbuster.   My favorite series of the year.  Some things it has going for it:  really good twists, psychological understanding, enjoyable actors and good camera work.    http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/12/money-heist-best-heist-movie-ever.html 

"The Lighhouse of the Orcas" (2016) is based on a true story about a man helping an autistic boy with whales.  My most popular movie blogs:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/the-lighthouse-of-orcas.html
Set in Argentina.

 

 

 

 

 "Live Twice, Love Once" (2019)  set in Valencia is one of a few with an Alzheimer theme.  Very well done.  Watch for a precocious child actress--the script was re-written for her.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/08/live-twice-love-once-spanish-gem.html

The Evolution and Art of film subtitles

Do you feel shut out of some highly acclaimed movies?  Or maybe you would like to know what is really being said during the "dirty" parts?  Maybe you just want to better understand how a movie fits together.  Subtitles open up the world, but there is an art to them that can not only enhance the movie, but also further confuse the issue.


 

 "Sairat" a surprising movie in a language you are probably unaware of--Marathi.

There are really two concerns--clarity and understanding and they are intertwined.

Silent films had the problem of communicating dialogue and explaining some actions.  They chose to use a full screen for a title page with dialogue or description.  This could be to cover foreign films to the extent many Americans did not realize which country the film originated from.  Many silent films were accompanied by a musical band, but one invention cut that expense by allowing programmed music to play with the film.

If it is blurry or with confusing fonts the reader is slowed down.  If the letters blend in with the background color it will force more concentration on just reading.  Advances in chemistry applications, laser and lately digital have made reading much smoother and less distracting.   Bubbles are often used to project thoughts usually for humor.  Norwegians and Hungarians advanced the technology.

By 1903, "Uncle Tom's Cabin utilized inter titles between film scenes.  By 1909 M. N Tropp developed concept of subtitles at bottom of screen.

One of the early pioneers, Herman G Weinberg got involved with foreign films brought to the United States by re arranging German symphony music for string quartets.  When  talking pictures became more common, many foreign films became inaccessible.  In a bit of a learning process Herman subtitled over 300 movies.  With a subtitled German film the non Germans were upset that they were not understanding a joke as the German speakers were all laughing. 

"Sarah's Key" an international classic you can better understand in French and English.

To avoid taking away from other factors--cinematography, acting, scenery, costumes, etc. written dialogue needs to be concise, meaning often words are eliminated to get at the meaning.  Colloquialisms are tricky, but if not dealt with the viewer is confused.  A typo can add to the confusion.

Dubbing became popular at one time as it was thought a better way to make words clear.  Many movies are still available this way, but many of us find dubbing unnatural.  The voice doesn't always match the visual and often comes with an awkward distracting cadence.

Woody Allen is a challenge because his movies tend to be wordy.  He admired a French subtitlist who managed to captured the essence of his dialogues.

Censoring can be disastrous distorting the meaning of the script.  Sometimes the subtitlist uses euphemism for swear words. 

"Leviathan" depicts a Russia you never knew about.


 In some instances subtitles are not needed.  In some films your viewpoint is that of one of the main characters, but sometimes they are confronted with people speaking in a language they don't understand.  Often subtitles are used so you can understand an irony in the dialogue, but other times it is better if you are as confused as the protagonist.  The film credits are often left alone, but admittedly when non Roman fonts are used such as cyrilic or Asian a film buff will not learn to appreciate a particular artist who contributes to their enjoyment.

 

"Corazon de Leon" filmed twice in Spanish,  one of the most popular film languages.  See what you have been missing!








 Americans have been distrustful of Iranians.  "A Separation"  won an Oscar and in the Farsi language presents a view that shows that the people are not that much different.




The idea behind subtitles is to make a film more accessible to a wider audience.  Another neglected audience has been deaf and hard of hearing people and increasingly they have access to descriptive subtitles so they can better understand some of the underlying emotions.  SDH has increased access for more people to movies 

The point of understanding the art of subtitles is to better enjoy subtitled movies which offer a much wider world perspective for many of us:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/09/do-subtitles-scare-you-who-knows-what.html