I mean, why? Most of the cast is already native Spanish, although they might had to work on there Chilean accents, but it just made me crunch to hear those spanglish accent in the trailer. Like im watching a secondworld war movie from the 80's or something..
Veni, Vidi, Vodka.
It is a film for an international audience. People in China, France, Germany, Korea, Japan, India, Africa prefer English second to their own languages, but Chinese prefer English to Spanish, and latin Americans prefer English to Chinese, so English aggregates to the largest of the sum of first and second choices.
So successful international films are most often in English.
English is understood by more of the world than any other language.
The latest data shows 1.5 people speak English as a first, second or third language., and 1.8 billion understand it.
1.8 billion makes it the largest pool of audience, especially considering the English speakers are massively higher in the half of the world population with the most disposable income.
And while Manderin is growing slightly faster a just a primary language -- English is growing as first, second or third language at a much much faster rate than mandarin -- or any other language -- is growing.
If "Zorba the Greek" had been made in Greek how many people would have gone to see it?
If you make a film that you know your target audience is inward looking, local, you make it in the language of the country where it was set. There are already spanish language dramatized n movies about this event. Did you see them? Few people outsde of Chile saw them.If you want your film to attract a cosmopolitan, worldwide audience, you make it in English
Spanish is the second most spoken native language in the world and is also growing at a very rapid pace. The movie should have been made in Spanish.
shareThere already was a movie in Spanish, produced in Chile. You haven't heard of it? Oh, that's right; it was in Spanish.
I'm Chilean and it doesn't bother me at all that the movie is in English. (There will probablz be other Chileans who aren't happy about that; but, hey, it's a diverse country.)
Best. Response. Ever.
shareboom
shareBest response I've seen on imDB.
shareYou guys really can't think for yourselves can you?
1. Pan's Labyrinth, international success in spoken in SPANISH.
2. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, international success, spoken in MANDARIN (Chinese)
3. Amelie, still popular international success, spoken in FRENCH
4.Spirited Away, still popular international success, spoken in JAPANESE
5.Y Tu Mama Tambien, international success, spoken in SPANISH
6.The Triplets of Beville, international success, spoken in FRENCH.
All this information is so easily found, don't jump on the bandwagon so easily next time just because you're too lazy to think for yourself, people.
This movie COULD have been done in Spanish, but they chose not to. Not because it's more successful in English, but because the people in charge wanted it that way for convenience. That's it. They probably didn't want to hire interpreters for the director, etc.
"Everything could've been anything else, and it would have just as much meaning."
Cute, with you trying to be smart and all, but it was done in Spanish. This information is easily found, don't jump on the bandwagon so easily next time just because you're too lazy to think for yourself.
-Dad, who's that?
-Oh, that? One of my patients. He's...sick.
-Will he live?
-It's looking grim.
A huge amount of people might speak Spanish but there isn't a Spanish speaking country in the world that is worth mentioning or is of any interest to the rest of the world unless you're planning to go on a vacation.
but there isn't a Spanish speaking country in the world that is worth mentioning or is of any interest to the rest of the world unless you're planning to go on a vacation.
[deleted]
It's such a shame that in 2016 we still have to deal with such racist *beep*
I'm assuming he's just trolling though as no one is stupid enough to believe that 1 billion people don't amount to anything useful.
Spanish speaking people aren't a race and how about you name a spanish speaking country that actually has any influence.
sharename a spanish speaking country that actually has any influence.
[deleted]
It's not bigotry if it's true. Spanish speaking countries don't amount to anything useful. In the grand scheme of things not a single spanish speaking country has any influence.
I'll take that as a "no" then.
shareLol, the UNITED STATES polls, you say? That's classic.
-Dad, who's that?
-Oh, that? One of my patients. He's...sick.
-Will he live?
-It's looking grim.
It is a film for an international audience. People in China, France, Germany, Korea, Japan, India, Africa prefer English second to their own languages, but Chinese prefer English to Spanish, and latin Americans prefer English to Chinese, so English aggregates to the largest of the sum of first and second choices.
Murad23's point is not *beep* at all. I've spent 40 years in the movie business, and films in English are far more "exportable" than in any other language, even with the extensive dubbing done worldwide (and there are theaters in France and elsewhere that will run English language films in English, btw).
The decision to film in English revolves around a simple fact: the audience of native English speakers is huge, and with a film that relies in no small measure on dialogue, and not just action and visual effects, educated English-speakers make up the largest potential audience. It is also, crucially, the audience that will be paying the highest ticket prices, when looking at prices worldwide translated back into dollars. Sadly it also an audience that has little interest in reading subtitles; that is beyond dispute, as the distributors of foreign language films in those countries know all too well.
So for a film that's aiming to be seen by the widest possible audience, it MUST be made in English. It's a simple, inescapable financial reality.
From an artistic viewpoint, it would ideal if this particular film had been made in Chilean Spanish. The filmmakers and even it's financiers understand this, but a film of this production quality (and therefore cost) could never have been financed unless it was in English.
I believe your assessment is correct.
However, there are some other critics in this forum who claim that there have been important box office success movies in a foreign language, such as Letters for Iwo Jima, The Passion of the Christ, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, etc.
While I say that these are exceptions based on very particular issues with these movies, I would appreciate if you, as a person who has spent 40 years in the movie business, could give us your input on these exceptions.
Why the success if they were filmed in a foreign language?
I must point out I am not being sarcastic or ironic (many people here are), I am genuinely interested in your opinion.
From an artistic viewpoint, it would ideal if this particular film had been made in Chilean Spanish. The filmmakers and even it's financiers understand this, but a film of this production quality (and therefore cost) could never have been financed unless it was in English.
France and Germany dub their movies
i have German family and friends and you know what they say about the dubbing? They hate it as when they compare it to the English version the translation is always off
it's cringeworthy when filmmakers go this route.
It is a film for an international audience. People in China, France, Germany, Korea, Japan, India, Africa prefer English second to their own languages, but Chinese prefer English to Spanish, and latin Americans prefer English to Chinese, so English aggregates to the largest of the sum of first and second choices.
Who cares about marketability except the producers? Making a movie about a foreign country in English is culturally insensitive and insulting the intelligence of the viewers. And it's mostly because Americans are too lazy to read subtitles so cut the crap about which language other countries prefer when most of them dub the movies anyway.
Imagine a Latin American movie about events in New York and have the cast speak Spanish for example. It would be cringeworthy. And it's the same when they cast someone from New York in a movie in Texas and so on, especially if it's someone who's doing a bad job faking the accent. As a director you should get the language and accent right, it's as important as getting the props and settings right for movies set in a different country or era.
Hopefully this movie is not as bad as Valkyrie anyway. I still have nightmares about Tom Cruise as an English speaking Nazi.
- I'm the Pied Piper of cool!
If the producers are not interested, the movie is not done in the first place.
As a Chilean lived the events of the 33 both in Chile and overseas. I was overwhelmed by the media attention (we are a very self centered country regarding our reputation abroad).
Look at this forum. People from all over the world are probably defending or criticizing issues with this movie. This wouldn't happen if there was no movie in the first place (producers= no English no money) or if the movie was shot in a foreign language.
I mean, look at foreign language movies' discussions right now at the IMDB? Not much to say?
English is an hegemonical language in this century. One may not like it (I don't, I'm a native Spanish speaker) but it is a fact.
Your appreciations regarding the accent are correct. It somehow makes some noise in this film. But take in consideration that there is no Chilean accent in English in the first place!
I am Chilean and my English accent sounds like a Londoner with hints of linguistic inaccuracies that reveal that I'm not English. My girlfriend speaks with a Bristol Accent with hints of pronunciation and grammar inaccuracies that hint that she hasn't been in England in the first place.
My little brother spoke it at the end of middle school like an average Surrey child and his accent now mutated into a very eclectic American-Canadian accent with pronunciation inaccuracies.
I can go on but there is no standard Chilean accent to speak English as there is no standard Latino accent!
Americans (not all of them) are lazy reading subtitles, yes, but if you don't have a box office success in the United States and the United Kingdom your movie doesn't make a profit in the short term in the first place.
[deleted]
Most of the cast is already native Spanish
@CapitanJusticia
I meant there language is native Spanish, I see people from Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Spain..
@ murad23
If you want your film to attract a cosmopolitan, worldwide audience, you make it in English
I plan on seeing this movie and am looking forward to it. I don't speak Spanish and I cannot stand subtitles so if it weren't in English I would be passing on it... and so would everyone I know.
shareIf I want to engage in a conversation with a Japanese, a Korean, an Indian or a Kenyan I speak English and my counterpart speaks English. It is call a language of convenience like it was French or Latin back in the day.
We Chileans know the story by heart. The point is to globalize it and tell it to an international audience. Their language of convenience is normally English. Otherwise it will be a success in Cannes or Venice, period.
We knew the reality of India's slums in Slumdog Millionaire as it was in English, not Hindi. We realized the power of Rwanda's genocide because it was in English, not French. We dazzled with the cultural diversity of Japan through Sofia Coppola in English.
The rest are just bets or biddings. Letters from Iwo Jima was a relative success in a native Japanese because it was Clint Eastwood after Flags of Our Fathers. City of God was a success in Portuguese because it was a success in a massive country like Brazil.
The very Latin American Motorcycle Diaries was a success in Latin America, but a relative success with Latinos in the US.
You want a safe bet with a wide audience, you do it in English. That is unfortunate but it's the movie industry. All the rest is just bull crap.
I am Chilean and proud of it, but I don't mix up patriotism with a very narrow minded sense of nationalism. So knock it off with it being in English. People don't want the 33 story, they want Antonio Banderas and an all star ensemble telling The 33 story in a language they can relate to. Otherwise they are lost in translation.
I admit it would be kinda funny to hear Antonio Banderas speak real Chilean Spanish: "voh crei que vinimo aca a morir weon? Niunawea, CTM!" And then watch the looks of bewilderment of the Spanish-speaking moviegoers not understanding a thing.
Of course that would detract from the drama, so, yeah: let's keep it in English.
Hahahahahaha I LOVED your post, in all my time here, I'm always lost in translation, I never, ever read posts from my fellows chilenos! Alguien podría hacer un fan-dub del trailer a-la-chilena.
Y el charchazo a "Golborne"? De aooondeeee!!! La meten en cana al toke! Hahahaha, eso me dio mucha risa mientras veía el trailer, y lo del inglés lo entiendo, pero, ese acento chanta es como ke weaaaaa.
It is soooo weird to write like a chilean here on IMDb.
Please excuse my terrible redaction, english is not my native language IMDb = Catch-22
probably the best point made so far. we all know how annoying/ridiculous/unrealistic it can be to see a film that spends millions to wow the audience with realism, then has the characters speaking English even though that is not the native tongue. However since we can't expect all humans to overcome the language barrier overnight just to enjoy a movie, it's cool that the Chileans in this movie were speaking English because at least that way the moving story can be seen and understood as depicted by a largely American audience. I personally prefer to read the subtitles dubbed over the legit spoken language when watching a foreign film, but if a copy with subtitles didn't exist I probably wouldn't watch it all simply because I wouldn't understand anything.
shareThank you so much for your comment.
shareand I cannot stand subtitles
Like me, he probably doesn't care to "read" a movie. If I want to read something, I'll read a book.
shareReading at the movies is probably asking too much of you.
shareI love Foreign films. Have seen many. And yet I find dialogue heavy foreign films (Or Say even TV shows which tend to have more dialogue) difficult to enjoy. That much rapid reading usually takes me out of the story and then I feel like I am just reading subtitles and hearing the actors speaking.
It's still worth it to enjoy something good but it's still something you have to be active about so it takes away a little from the most enjoyable kind of movie experience:The "sit back and let it wash all over you" kind.
A movie like this, like many have said, is meant to be an accessible experience. You go to it to watch those actors play that story and you know full well that they don't all speak Chilean Spanish. I just hope they didn't lay on the accents too thick. That Kind of Captain Correlli's Mandolin Crap really chaps my hide.
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Suspension of disbelief is a privilege, not a right. Abuse at your own Peril.
That much rapid reading usually takes me out of the story and then I feel like I am just reading subtitles and hearing the actors speaking.Very much agree. It also becomes difficult to watch what's on the screen when you're reading. I first saw Das Boot with subtitles and enjoyed it. A saw it again, very well dubbed in English, and enjoyed it more since I could pay attention to what was happening on screen. It was said before talking movies that actors didn't need sound; they acted with their faces. It's still true, and you miss a lot of that while reading for 2 hours. share
Cinemas actually turn off the sound of films whenever the movie has subtitles.
Wait, I am told they are not.
A person that reads, watches AND listens to a movie must use a higher set of brain functions at the same time.
If I want to read something, I'll read a book.
My hearing has deteriorated to the point that I always have closed captioning on my TV so that I don't annoy my family and neighbors. Even though I'm a fast reader, I miss a lot of the visual. Yeah, I'm glad the movie is in English. I intend to go and to get an assisted hearing device. Cherish your hearing, guys.
shareReading takes my eyes to the bottom of the screen and can make me miss important action in another part of the screen. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
shareMudad23's statement is true and it doesn't make your opinion any less true.
The producers want to attract a worldwide audience AND it is a money issue. A producing firm is reluctant to fund a movie they don't trust will attract this worldwide audience and make profits. It's simple economics.
If you advertise a movie worldwide you will get attention, but you won't necessarily buy more tickets. I saw Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ads at the Metro, buses, buildings, etc etc etc, but it was a flop. This week Jem and the Holograms couldn't spend 3 days in theaters.
Advertisement increases expectations but after a movie opens the word of mouth can easily send a movie into oblivion.
Regarding subtitles, that is an issue taken for granted in countries like mine (Chile) because we got used to reading movies in English. But if you cross the Atlantic and just go to Spain you'll find a nationwide rejection of American movies with subtitles, and if you're lucky you'll locate a theater or two in Madrid or Barcelona showing one copy in the original language.
English speaking audiences hate subtitles (most of them). It is not a blunt prejudice, you only need to see the comments of people here on IMDB to realize that. I took a World Cinema class at a university in Pennsylvania and it was tough for my classmates to settle into reading foreign movies.
Just because it's your custom doesn't mean that it's everyone's custom.
Anyway I just don't think using English because everyone speaks/understands it is of this time anymore, there is something called subtitles you know..Again, I will say reading subtitles isn't the ideal movie watching experience. If you can't understand English and you have to use subtitles, you have a decision to make. For me, I'd only watch a non-English speaking movie if it was something I couldn't afford to miss. And very few foreign movies rate that high for me. I can only think of one movie(off the top of my head) that I've watched in a foreign language and that's Dead Snow. I'm sure there are a few others but generally they just don't interest me.
Horrible fake accents they should've done this in native language with subtitles
shareIt has been stated before by the above posters: in order to get a major audience.
Don't forget this is a Hollywood co-production, and they want to produce money with their product.
I don't mind about the english (I'm also chilena, born and raised), but the accent was awkward. I remember those Hollywood films setted on Germany, where the actors speaks english with an annoying fake german accent.
I love films in their original language, I think all chileans are used to subtitles (even the series on cable TV have subtitles), but the director's decision was kind of weird to me, though I understand why she did it (to gave the film a Latinamerican feeling), and at least the cast is in fact spanish speaker (most of them).
Please excuse my terrible redaction, english is not my native language IMDb = Catch-22
It is only ironic that the effort to speak English with a Chilean accent is lost in the dubbed version, in Spanish.
There we have the smooth and clean "neutral" Spanish used in movies. While I understand that the Chilean accent is hardly understandable in the rest of Latin America, a little slang wouldn't go amiss.
While I understand that the Chilean accent is hardly understandable in the rest of Latin America
May I underline your point: series are dubbed in neutral Spanish in Chile. Therefore, the interpreters leave all their Chilean slang and pronunciation out of the office.
shareWhat? Hollywood has been doing this forever and it won't stop, hardly a surprising thing, they did it in Ratatouille, so its not and old thing. Not saying is good or bad, but expected.
And with such a cast, having been in spanish with all those accents (spanish, chilean, portuguese, french, etc)it would have been a mess actually, and even unwatchable.
The funny thing is that probably more than half the Chilean audience will watch this movie subtitled than watch the dubbed Spanish version.
sharein Chile we dont dubb the movies, the movies at the cinema are in english with subtitles, unlike other countries. so we don't bother if it is in english. we say that people from Spain dont speak english because they dubb everything to spanish, movies at the cinema and tv series.
shareThat would be inaccurate. Today, as we speak, Chilean cinemas display two versions of The 33: one with subtitles and another one dubbed in Spanish.
With cable or satellite television the panorama is worse. Over the past number of years, cable and satellite channels are increasing the number of dubbed movies or series instead of the original version with subtitles.
Some of them have SAP available, so you can choose the English track. Nonetheless, this only effective for people with working English listening skills, and is not suitable for people using a subtitled movie in order to improve the use of the language.
Cable companies have solved this problem by offering an alternative subtitled version of the same channels... On their premium packs.
That would be inaccurate. Today, as we speak, Chilean cinemas display two versions of The 33: one with subtitles and another one dubbed in Spanish.
So what is your point?
I am replying to someone who claims that in Chile movies aren't dubbed.
I did watch the subtitled version, but it's not because I support it. I always try to watch a movie in its original language. Otherwise, I can't really judge the performances nor the script.
shareit just made me crunch to hear those spanglish accentIt made you "crunch"? Normal people would say "cringe." Spend more time learning to speak the English and less time complaining about things that expose your ignorance.
It made you "crunch"? Normal people would say "cringe."
They made this movie in English because of 'ignorant' Americans who can't/won't watch movies and read subtitles and unfortunately (for us) are (still) the biggest target audience.You ignorantly ignore that this is a US movie and that the USA produces more significant "entertainment products" than anyone else. You could have a small low budget version of the mining disaster that no one ever even hears about, but you probably already have that, so what gives you the right to complain about this movie being in English?
It's all about the Benjamins Baby.You admit you're ignorant about the English language, so you should stop trying to sound cool in English too.
You seem pretty arrogant when you're assuming that everything made outside Hollywood is substandard. It's typical behavior for dumb Americans who are too lazy to read subtitles though.
Out of my favorite 20 movies more than half of them are in a different language than English and if they would've been made in English I would've hated them. The other half is set in an English speaking country. I mean, imagine movies like Downfall, A Prophet, The Hunt or The White Ribbon in English. It would've been laughable.
- I'm the Pied Piper of cool!
I agree with you. But not all Americans are dumb, that was just one American who happens to be dumb.
If he is arrogant, too bad, but calling every American a dumb is also a misconception. The foreign language films you just quoted had critical success in the United States. It means that there are indeed people in the United States who are not dumb and who are intelligent enough to read subtitles.
Seems you're playing both sides of the fence here. Look further back in the comments and you'll understand that his attitude about Americans, was not brought on by me and he wasn't pointing me out specifically, as the dumb American.
Yea, Tho I Walk Thru The Valley Of The Shadow Of Political Correctness...🇺🇸
I'm not playing both sides of the fence. I just call for a little respect from each other. That is not PC, it's just common decency.
shareI agree with some of your arguments, but I don't agree with your tone.
Y
ou ignorantly ignore that this is a US movie and that the USA produces more significant "entertainment products" than anyone else.
You could have a small low budget version of the mining disaster that no one ever even hears about, but you probably already have that, so what gives you the right to complain about this movie being in English?
We don't make movies for you
everyone knows it's not the ideal movie experience to read subtitles
you're not just ignorant, you're a moron!
You admit you're ignorant about the English language, so you should stop trying to sound cool in English too.
Yeah, I think it's ridiculous too, but Hollywood has very wisely figured out that American audiences are too damn lazy to read subtitles. Hell, your average movie-goer doesn't even like it when the plot is too complicated. It would only cut into the box office if the movie was in Spanish, as it really should be. Now, there have been exceptions to that rule. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was in Mandarin and subtitled and it went on to make over $200 million worldwide. The Passion of The Christ, which was in two foreign languages and even a dead language. It made over $600 million worldwide.
So, nothing is impossible, when the story is compelling enough.
Sister, when I've raised hell, you'll know it!
In Chile movies are in fact overall not dubbed. Only children movies are dubbed, and even then there is always a subtitled version.
Cable TV has channels that use subtitles and others that dubb. While unfortunately there's been a recent tendency to more dubbing, the main channels, say, HBO, AMC, Sony, Warner, have everything subtitled.
[deleted]
So, are you still full of *beep* in 2016? Many of these "lazy" Americans happen to be avid readers. Many of these "lazy" Americans can't see the subtitles on the screen. Many of these "lazy" Americans want to watch movies, not read them.
-Dad, who's that?
-Oh, that? One of my patients. He's...sick.
-Will he live?
-It's looking grim.
If my remarks don't apply to you, you have no reason to reply to them, do you?
Sister, when I've raised hell, you'll know it!