Writer's Block: Subtitles please

[spooky_miss]

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The Lives of Others (german) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405094/

Amelie (french) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/

The Edukators (german) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408777/

My Neighbour Totoro (japanese) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096283/

They're the ones that immediately spring to mind, probably quite obvious choices, but they are really brilliant films. I don't think any of them should be remade (although I'm disgusted to see a IMDB page for The Lives of Others with a 2013 date on it which I hope isn't a remake...). The Lives of Others is about something which is specifically german and related to Germany, the secret police and their activities, it just wouldn't be as good in English. Amelie I think works really well with subtitles, as a lot of what is said is in her mind anyway, so it is like you're reading her thoughts, which is great. The Edukators shouldn't be remade as they will probably dumb it down for an american audience and that would just be rubbish. For Totoro, I've watched it dubbed and the english children's voices were incredibly annoying...so it shouldn't be made again in English! It would just lose its charm if it became americanised.

I don't understand why people are so eager to remake films which are in a language other than their own. People should broaden their minds and take the chance of watching something outside of their comfort zone.

Comments

[primitivepeople.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes - The Lives of Others is an amazing film. So tense and so atmospheric - just brilliant. The director's debut as well! What an act to follow.

I like Goodbye Lenin! too, although it's much less serious. More of an Ostalgie thing, but still very good.

[spooky-miss.livejournal.com]

yeah, the atmosphere was excellent! I really like films set in that period, and I thought it really put across well what it would have been like in that situation. I just looked up the director and it said he has since directed The Tourist, which I admit I mainly watched as it had Johnny Depp in it, haha, but that wasn't too bad :)

Oh yes Goodbye Lenin was really good too - that was my favourite german film before I saw the two I mentioned here :)

[primitivepeople.livejournal.com]

I love Cold War history, so that's why it appealed, plus I went to Berlin in 2006 and loved seeing the place, especially the World Time Clock, which featured so prominently in Goodbye Lenin. :)

[benicek.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean, though in the theatre we would think nothing of a play being translated into different languages and cast with different actors.