Dubbed or Subtitles?

[Tonyblack]

This thread has sort of come out of the Google Quiz, but it's something that genuinely interests me when it comes to foreign language movies/TV shows.

I think that most foreign language movies or TV shows that are shown in Britain tend to be in the original language with subtitles and I like that. Usually, after watching one I'm totally unaware that I've read the whole thing.

But I've noticed that when I'm in other countries that a lot of foreign (to them) language movies and TV shows are dubbed - which I always find very odd.

The only time I've seen a film that I could have appreciated dubbing was a Japanese Anime movie (Appleseed) that I saw in the cinema. the subtitles had a job to keep pace with the dialogue and it took a while to get my reading up to speed.


But what are your opinions - dubbing or subtitles? Do you prefer one to the other?

 

[Selkie]

I prefer subtitles. However, Mr S is dyslexic so he prefers dubbed as he finds it difficult to follow the action and read at the same time.

 

[pip]

Much prefer subtitles.
I know some people have a little trouble with them but they work better than dubbing.
My pet hate are dubbed adverts and it especially annoys me when ads are dubbed from english to use a different accent . GRRRRRRR

 

[CrysaniaMajere]

Maybe it's different if you're fist-language English, because the most famous movies are in English. But when you are in a non-english-speaking country, then dubbing is the solution to allow all people to watch the movies.
Personally, I can't follow the film if I'm reading subtitles, but I guess that just takes getting used to.

So concluding, I prefer the original version if it's in english, and the bubbed version if it's in another language like German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese or others, these being the most frequent.

Here, dubbing is a profession, and when it's well-done it takes nothing out of the original (and when it's done badly can ruin it, but that goes for book translations as well, I've read some stupid things in italian translations of fantasy books, like soldiers dying because they were ugly-looking etc.)

 

[CrysaniaMajere]

I'd like to add that we get dubbed versions on cinema and tv that we like it or not. We don't get the choise to watch it in original with subtitles. To watch the original version, I have to buy the DVD.

 

[Penfold]

I don't really have any preference as long as the dubbing isn't totally out of sync with the film.

(Am I right in thinking that they wouldn't allow Arnold Schwarzenegger to dub one of his own films into German because his Austrian accent made him sound too rural for the part?)

 

[Dotsie]

I much prefer subtitles. If it's dubbed I just can't get it out of my head. Also, if I'm in a foreign country I can't watch American films unless I can lip-read.

 

[Quatermass]

I have to confess, I prefer dubbing, although most of my experience with dubbing is from anime, where the dubbing is easier to do. Some dubbing is bad, admittedly (one of my first experiences with dubbed anime proper was with the Ocean Group's version of Dragonball Z, which wasn't the best, though their later dub of Death Note was much better), but enough is good enough. The acting tends to be a little more subtle on Japanese soundtracks. I just prefer not having to read the subtitles while listening to a Japanese soundtrack. It's surprisingly distracting having the subtitles in one language and the dialogue in another, whereas I have no problem with subtitles and audio in the same language. Weird, eh?

One experience with live-action dubbing that annoyed me was the Takeshi Kitano film of Zatoichi. The translation wasn't bad, but it was done (I think deliberately) as a cheesy dub with more comedic acting, especially for Ichi himself. Lot's of 'r's for 'l's, that sort of thing, at least for Ichi.

 

[Sjoerd3000]

I don't really have any preference as long as the dubbing isn't totally out of sync with the film.

(Am I right in thinking that they wouldn't allow Arnold Schwarzenegger to dub one of his own films into German because his Austrian accent made him sound too rural for the part?)

that was on QI

Hate dubs, subs all the way

 

[Catch-up]

Depends. Usually prefer subtitles, but dubbing is ok if it's done well. Subtitles can be tricky with a fast paced dialogue. I swear I missed half the action in one kung-fu movie because I was reading the whole time.

 

[michelanCello]

I prefer subtitles, even though the Hungarian dubbing is pretty good... mostly there are a few movies in which I even consider it better than the original, but usually I can't stand dubbed movies, which is why it's hard for me to go to the cinema these days, since everything. is. dubbed! There's only one cinema that still does subtitles and OV-s... and all right, there are some films that are subtitled at other cinemas too, but you have to be very lucky...

 

[ShadowNinjaCat]

Subs,I like listening to the accents and something about the dubs just always sound weird to me.

 

[Mycroft Vimes]

Subtitles here too always,i think it was what got me into english pretty young,i wanted to know if they got it right(and they sadly quite often don't of course)!
About the only exception i'd make is for this :

 

[chuckie]

I prefer subtitles, but thats due more to my hearing.

 

[chris.ph]

pardon :whistle: :whistle:

 

[Tonyblack]

I got (along with Sin City) La Vita E Bella (Life is Beautiful) this morning on DVD. I couldn't imagine watching that in any other language than Italian. I wouldn't want to watch Amelie or Cinema Paradiso, or Les Visiteurs in anything but their original languages. Sure I need subtitles, but watching them in their original language seems more authentic somehow.

 

[Dotsie]

Films that switch between languages also wouldn't do very well (eg Inglourious Basterds)

 

[CrysaniaMajere]

I've seen Inglorious Basterds with my bf, in cases like this they dub the principal language but not the others. The English bits were dubbed, while the German or French wasn't.
The problem starts when the other language is Italian. In those cases, they other dub everything, if they can't avoid it, or they change it. I remember in the first season of Friends (or maybe second, not sure) there was an Italian guy, Paolo, and in the dubbed version they made him Spanish calling him Pablo, so they could still say "I can't understand what he said".
They do a lot of these stuff

 

[Dotsie]

OK, so what about Joey's Italian granny who doesn't speak English? And the fact that Joey only knows Italian swearwords? It's a minefield!

 

[CrysaniaMajere]

OK, so what about Joey's Italian granny who doesn't speak English? And the fact that Joey only knows Italian swearwords? It's a minefield!

I don't remember seeing that part in italian, I think I only saw it in DVD, so in English, but one thing I can tell you : Joey DOES NOT know any swearwords in italian. If I remember correctly he never used a real Italian word, good or bad it may be (While Phoebe pronounced her three or four words quite well, I remember)

But sometimes they resort to dialect, I wonder if that's the case. There are southern Italians old people who can only speak their dialect and don'tunderstand italian nor can they speak it. I'm curious, I think I'll get a look at my DVDs to find out