MovieChat Forums > Versailles (2016) Discussion > Not in "French"? What were they thinking...

Not in "French"? What were they thinking?!?

posted 9 years ago by Powerbreak
25 replies | jump to latest

With so many successful Scandinavian tv-series (Borgen, Wallander, The Bridge, The Killing, ...) in original language, here we have a French monument - produced by the French - being played in English?! WTF? This is the stupid 'The Man in the Iron Mask ' all over again? So what, there are not enough good French actors available? Is this meant to educate English-speaking teenagers, who don't like to read subtitles? This is a purely opportunistic choice from the makers who rather bet on 'demographic' assessments than on the artistic value of the series. Pathetic!

ps: I am not speaking French and do not live in France.

[–] iza-henn 8 years ago

Considering the costs, opportunistic choice seems reasonable. Many other series are also in English(Borgias, Rome, Vikings). In some countries the public does not accept subtitles. In the others they have everything dubbed despite the original language. English is universal.

[–] engel97 8 years ago

Think of all this Hollywood movies based on the greek mythology which turn out umm... weird :P The 300 for example. The iconic Leonidas' "Μολών Λαβέ" (molon lave) was turned into "Come and get them". I mean... I enjoyed the movie, but it was kind of weird lol
This is not happening in Versailles. In fact, it is a very historically accurate tv show. It would be more impressive, let's say, if it was filmed in french, but I think it is a great tv show just like it is. Can't wait for season two! 

[–] Scifi71 8 years ago

It would be more impressive, let's say, if it was filmed in french,

Than they could sell it in a whole lot less countires than if it was in English.

Humankind cannot bear very much reality. ~T.S. Eliot

[–] engel97 8 years ago

Indeed. You are right, I hadn't thought of it this way.
You made a great point here. It now comes to my mind that there are a lot of French tv shows worth watching (at least to me), such as the "Maison Close", but they are not popular enough because the language is not English. I guess English is prefered as it is an international language. And, concerning Versailles, I, at least, believe that the fact that the production is french but the actors are mostly english is a beautiful collaboration between the two countries. I suppose a lot of us have heard of the historical issue between France and England, which seems to still exist, and I like to think that it is finally coming to an end (:

[–] Je_suis_le_vampire_Lestat 8 years ago

I found it funny that the only person who had a French accent in the whole thing was playing the English wife of the Kings brother.

LOL you sadists https://youtu.be/6Zxy_dScjsM

[–] ann_raper 7 years ago

yeah, but Henriette, while English, was half French, and had been in France since she was 3 (according to Wiki) so I cut her some slack.

[–] Howlin Wolf 8 years ago

This is a purely opportunistic choice from the makers who rather bet on 'demographic' assessments than on the artistic value of the series. Pathetic!

... and too right they are to do that, of course! More people will watch it if it doesn't need subtitles - that's just a fact... as will more people watch it if there's lots of sex, which is also why that's been heavily focused upon... You don't spend all the money they have and then wilfully confine your audience just because some purists will be upset... It's a business decision to maximise potential, in light of the not inconsiderable financial outlay.

I watch Borgen and I don't speak Danish, so subtitles don't bother me - but ultimately it's the content that matters most, not the language it's delivered in.



"Your mother puts license plates in your underwear? How do you sit?!"

[–] HistLuv 8 years ago

If it was in French, I wouldn't be watching it  I don't know French and I'd hate to read subtitles and miss out on the acting. Read down-look up , down-up, down-up...nope!

[–] Zhow 8 years ago

Wow we've got a winner here
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The higher you fly, the faster you fall.

[–] theeclecticist 8 years ago

I have poor eye sight and have a terrible time reading subtitles. I spend the entire time squinting at the bottom of the screen and missing everything that's going on because it just takes too much time to try to make out the words.

There are plenty of people who don't mind subtitles but I'm guessing there are a lot more that can't or don't want to be bothered. That combined with the fact that English is far more widely spoken globally than French is, they knew the programme would be more marketable in English than in subtitled French. Considering the amount of money they likely spent on the production, and the fact that this is a drama produced for profit and not a documentary, it was simply a (probably very sound) business decision. It's a bit odd to me that people are complaining it wasn't filmed in French because it is about French people/history. I've seen many dramas in my time about people in other times and other countries who did not speak English but it was filmed in English and no one found that odd. I recall watching a good drama about Catherine the Great but no one complained that it hadn't been filmed in Russian!