Dubbed films

[Culebronchris]

I'm involved in an internal "moral" debate with myself about the dubbing of English language films into Spanish.

It is very easy, where I live, to avoid Spain all together. I've said before there are Brits and my native language everywhere. I didn't really move to Spain to start eating Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding every Sunday but it can be amazingly hard to avoid.

I've always enjoyed going to the pictures and even here where the nearest cinema is 30kms away I still try to go reasonably frequently. I don't have much choice about whether I watch subtitled or dubbed films because there are not a lot of VOS to be had in the Yelmo cinema in Petrer or even in the bigger cities like Murcia and Alicante. Going to the pictures is also a bit of a fight back against car boot sales, curry nights and quizzes.

But it's different with the TV. With having a TDT box suddenly at least half the Hollywood films are available in original language.

I've always found it odd to watch actors with distinctive voices been rendered by very bland Spanish voices (Jack Nicholson isn't Jack without the voice and the cadence) but I didn't really have much difficulty with programmes where the first time I heard the voice it was Spanish. For instance the first time I saw Desperate Housewives was in Spain and I didn't hear the real voices for a couple of years. To be honest I was a bit disappointed with the US voices and I probably prefer the Spanish accents I'd grown accustomed to.

I was expounding on this to someone the other day and they said that it really has nothing to do with a sort of Spanish versus English thing it's to do with the poor quality of dubbing on films in general. They said that voice actors can't usually do a part justice if they are re-interpreting someone else's role and when I thought back to those late night dubbed Alain Delon films on British TV I couldn't help but agree. It's not to do with the lip sync thing either because it doesn't really work with the Simpsons where the Castillian simply doesn't capture the essence of the humour.

So what do you think; given that I live in Spain is it more "honest" to watch films in English or Spanish.

[eldeano]

My opinion, for what it's worth. Subtitles allow you to hear the film as it was made but still understand it if you need to. Dubbing doesn't - and that's why I prefer the former to the latter.

When junior was young, I listened to the Bare Necessities in Spanish (Busca lo más vital, no más.. :p) so many times that when I heard it 'properly' again it sounded really odd.

[eldeano]

In all its glory. :thumbs-up:

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[tad]

This dubbed version does not seem to have quite the pathos of the original, certainly not up to the standard of Rutger's voice -and of some other performances I have seen.

NB the silly voice-over: clearly differentiating it from 'the director's cut'

sta9zX2avSI

[tad]

Dubbing doesn't always work for a variety of reasons:)

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[eldeano]

the silly voice-over: clearly differentiating it from 'the director's cut'

You're right. We all know how naff those voice-overs are. :rolleyes: What say you, VS?

[ValenciaSon]

In all its glory. :thumbs-up: Not to be inflexible, but that just ain't right! I watched the Jungle Book when it was first released, as a child and many times since then so I guess I do have a history with the original version. On the other hand, I don't have a better translation and I'm sure Disney is not going to miss the revenue opportunity just because a translated version lacks the same tongue in cheek cleverness as the original.

[tad]

In all its glory. :thumbs-up:

I think the expression on Bagheera's face says it all :p (mind you, it's a classic in any language :thumbs-up:)

[Dave_K]

I heard that famous actors are always dubbed by the same Spanish person. What is it like to be, say, Jack Nicholson's voice double? Do they get asked for autographs, too?

[On a side note, I once met a guy who does voice-overs for car commerercials, you know, like "The new Chevy Tahoe.....". He seemed normal (short and pudgy, actually) until he spoke...abnormally deep voice, weird, in fact].

[ValenciaSon]

This dubbed version does not seem to have quite the pathos of the original, certainly not up to the standard of Rutger's voice -and of some other performances I have seen.

NB the silly voice-over: clearly differentiating it from 'the director's cut'

sta9zX2avSITad, your spanish has really improved!:rolleyes:

[tad]

Tad, your spanish has really improved!:rolleyes:

....and my looks ;)

[tad]

So what do you think; given that I live in Spain is it more "honest" to watch films in English or Spanish.

Back to your original q. though; I would have thought it would always be preferable to watch a film in the original language -if you are able. However if your motives are to learn more of the language I suppose you have to pick a level that is of benefit to you.
If I watch a film in Spanish I understand VERY little, so I would learn more watching it in English and reading Spanish subtitles or probably in spanish with spanish subtitles would be best -do they have that for the hard of hearing over there?

[richardksa]

If what I remember from Giles Trimmlet's admirable book, Ghosts from Spain, the Spanish film dubbing industry began because of widespread illiteracy, which made subtitles redundant. So now the industry is huge with actors earning big fees (if they get the big star parts in repeated films), so it is not likely to stop.
One source of amusment though, is to watch an English language movie with Spanish subtitles. You can tell that for reasons of brevity or laziness the subtitle composers just do not follow what is being said. Leading to some strange anomalies. What I find odd is that while the Spanish commonly use swear words, any rich four lettered Anglo Saxon word is almost always subtitled as something quite inocuous.
As I read Spanish better than understanding the spoken word I find that foreign language (to me) films subtitled in Spanish mean that I can follow the plot. So I would go for subtitles always.

[Edith]

I'm involved in an internal "moral" debate with myself about the dubbing of English language films into Spanish.


I hate dubbing because it often sounds downright silly and unnatural to me. I have never seen a movie dubbed in Spanish but I have watched some dubbed movies in German. The voiceovers - especially the female ones - make lots of weird noises (including little sighs and gasps) which almost sound erotic! :D

[timg]

If what I remember from Giles Trimmlet's admirable book, Ghosts from Spain, the Spanish film dubbing industry began because of widespread illiteracy, which made subtitles redundant. So now the industry is huge with actors earning big fees (if they get the big star parts in repeated films), so it is not likely to stop.
One source of amusment though, is to watch an English language movie with Spanish subtitles. You can tell that for reasons of brevity or laziness the subtitle composers just do not follow what is being said. Leading to some strange anomalies. What I find odd is that while the Spanish commonly use swear words, any rich four lettered Anglo Saxon word is almost always subtitled as something quite inocuous.
As I read Spanish better than understanding the spoken word I find that foreign language (to me) films subtitled in Spanish mean that I can follow the plot. So I would go for subtitles always.

Dubbing is/was also a great way for censoring content. If you're a government in control of the film industry you can make sure that no film has content which may be against your ideology. Not entirely possible with subtitles, since there will probably be someone who understands the original language. Not sure how they get around people who can lip-read the original language though... :)

[Culebronchris]

do they have that for the hard of hearing over there?

Subtitles are generally available in Spanish on English language films. I kid myself that I'm learning a bit of Spanish by putting them on.

[Culebronchris]

One source of amusment though, is to watch an English language movie with Spanish subtitles. You can tell that for reasons of brevity or laziness the subtitle composers just do not follow what is being said. Leading to some strange anomalies.

I wonder sometimes if this is just because we have different languages. I was trying to write in a CV that I abandoned a job because of the "unremitting grind" which is quite a nice little phrase in English. Despite talking it through with Spanish pals and going through WordReference I couldn't get close to the original.

It must be tricky getting something that says more or less the same thing to fit into the lip sync time available on the film.

[eldeano]

especially the female ones - make lots of weird noises (including little sighs and gasps) which almost sound erotic! :D

I think I've seen a few like this already. Didn't realise they were Spanish gasps/sighs. :cool:

[richardksa]

And I didn't think those were the sort of films a proper lady would watch!!:D

[ValenciaSon]

Dubbing doesn't always work for a variety of reasons:)

Do you see this ad in the UK?WEJJUGJZxpU

[eldeano]

I've not seen it... but I'm sure it will only be a matter of time. ;)