MovieChat Forums > Karol, un uomo diventato Papa (2005) Discussion > Language rant

Language rant

posted 19 years ago by dogmatix-4
9 replies | jump to latest

This film appears to be full of Polish actors playing Polish people, but speaking English with a Polish accent, and dubbed into Polish for the Polish version.

Why can't we have the characters talking in their correct languages, and have subtitles for those viewers who don't speak those languages? It would be so much more realistic. The DVD could have various sets of subtitles for viewers who do understand some of the lanhuages. But to have to dub Polish actors playing Poles into Polish is just plain silly.

The same goes for so many films, where we see non-anglophone characters speaking English amongst themselves, for example, 'I Am David' and 'The Brycreem Boys', even when the actors can speak their characters languages.

[–] objwan 18 years ago

Yeah I saw this movie in a Kracow, Poland in a movie theater and it was ridiculous that a Polish movie had to be dubbed into Polish.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] umbria 18 years ago

The Polish-Italian creators of this powerful film plainly wanted to reach the most insular non-linguists on the planet with the messages it contained. Most of us English mother-tongue viewers have difficulty understanding accents, let alone languages, so they made the lips move in English to keep us watching. Poles and Italians are used to watching unsynchronised speech in dubbed foreign films and are unphased by it.

[–] smietnik1986 18 years ago

We in poland are not used to watching dubbed foreign films so it was weird watching this but still ok. I'm curious how polish actors spoke english, guess i'll never have the chance to hear it:(

[–] dydzia00 17 years ago

in poland we don't have dubbed foreign films... only sometimes for kids...

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] warsawer 16 years ago

It's not a lie. "Lektor" and dubbing are two completely different things. We are so used to a "lektor" that he's unobtrusive, while we find dubbing very jarring. Every DVD in Poland has subs. If some have a lektor as well (and I don't think many do) it's always an option to choose from alongside subtitles.

I think the Polish dubbing to this film was very good, so I really didn't mind it. Likely because so many actors spoke their own voices. However, I never watch dubbed versions of foreign films unless ones for kids like Shrek that are funnier in the dubbed version than in the original.

[–] angelofvic 15 years ago

You can purchase the DVD from the US.
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