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What makes a film "foreign"?

I don't know what to make of how the "Coming Soon to Home Video" segment on the Good Bye Lenin! tape consisted entirely of other subtitled foreign-language films. Technically the movie is a tragedy/comedy, though it seems like Sony Pictures opted to file it as a foreign film instead. I personally think of a foreign film as something culturally foreign rather than linguistically foreign, but I guess it's not up to me to make that decision.

Then again, I suppose it's one of the shortcomings of the English-speaking world that I'm nonetheless a member of: it's been pampered with full audio dubs instead of subtitles, and doesn't bother with anything else. I still maintain that the subtitled cut of Night Watch was eons better than the English dub on the other side of the disc.

Print | posted on Tuesday, July 07, 2009 8:41 PM | Filed Under [ Movies and Music ]

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# re: What makes a film "foreign"?

Well, DON, a "foreign film" to Americans is a photoplay made outside of the 50 States of the United States. Like Canada for example, where one side of the country is tainted by French, many films may be considered "foreign" by non-French-Canadians...LOL!
Anyway, off "the tongue in cheek" track, I like most foreign films with English subtitles, because you can hear the richness ( or otherwise) of the original tongue and also learn some vocabulary. Although English and its variations, is the dominant world language, we would be denying ourselves the experiences of foreign dialogue films if we dubbed them all.
So, what makes a film foreign? I think maybe cultural differences is the key here, many stories are the same in all languages, but removed to a strange landscape gives them extra appeal. As you might have gleaned, I am heavily into things Asian, and so many great Asian films are around these days and most are enjoyable experiences.
7/7/2009 11:07 PM | Rev. Dr. Wu Yi
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# re: What makes a film "foreign"?

Well, it is important to inform all Americans that a upcoming film is not in English.

To Americans, anything not in English means "foreign". The word "World" usually means just the great United States of America and occasionally also Canada. The word "International" usually means USA + Canada + European countries to Americans, occasionally they would add Japan into the list.
7/8/2009 3:01 AM | dark skinned Antony
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# re: What makes a film "foreign"?

Antony, the great and sagacious Foghorn Leghorn once said: "Foolish is the man who only opens his mouth to change feet."
I think there is something in that for you.
7/8/2009 7:32 AM | Rev. Dr. Wu Yi
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# re: What makes a film "foreign"?

Well, it is important to inform all Americans that a upcoming film is not in English.


I was about to say that the VHS cover box written in German should've been a good hint, but I just looked at it, and the entire thing is in English with a small mention that it's in German at the bottom.
7/8/2009 10:30 AM | Don_HH2K
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# re: What makes a film "foreign"?

DON, my DVD of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" runs for 81 minutes approx. Distributed by Flashback Home Entertainment @ www.flashbackentertainment.com. I am not sure if it is colourised or shot in colour, but it was 1927, and the Germans may have been ahead of Hollywood?
7/10/2009 8:53 PM | Rev. Dr. Wu Yi

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