This film (called
The Assailant in the U.S.) might be a good movie but the dubbing on the netflix version we watched was so bad that I didn't make you all finish it if you didn't want to. But I'd still like you to write a response to whatever portion of the movie you did see. Here are some questions to get you started:
- Which do you prefer to watch: a dubbed film or a subtitled film? Does it depend on the situation? Why?
- What do you pick up about African-Brazilians' culture or values by watching what you did of the film?
- Did you enjoy the film or not? Do you feel you'd enjoy it more if it were subtitled instead of dubbed? Why?
I didn't get to watch what you did of this today because of going to talk to Jennifer about enrollment next year, and I won't be there tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteIs it okay if I watch it over spring break and then post after I've watched it all the way through? i was going to talk to you during class today but it completely slipped my mind.
Thank you.
Yes, that is fine to watch it over the break. Just post a response before we come back to school. It is on netflix (with the bad dubbing). If you can find it somewhere with subtitles, let me know.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to dubbed films verus the subtitles, I prefer the subtitles, always. Even in Hollywood's films that are in English, I turn on subtitles because I like to read the words and it helps me to undestand a little more about what is going on, because not all the time I can hear/understand what is being said. I think Noah thought it was a little weird that I'd always ask him to turn on the subtitles whenever we watched a movie together, as do most people when I complain about there not being subtitles, but they understand after a bit haha.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen a film that had perfect dubbing. I loved Spirited Away, and I was fine with everyone's voice BUT Chihiro's. It was HORRIFIC. I would of rather sat with steak knives in my ear instead. Just having Daveigh Chase's voice made me dislike her character even more than I already did.
I know I would of enjoyed the movie more if it were subtitles, they're just my 'thing'.
The characters in this movie seem very honorable and take their tasks and revenge seriously and whole heartedly. The type of style of fighting that they do isn't taken lightly, but they use it for recreational fun, too. I don't think I learned too much in that first little bit that we watched, and I also didn't like the film THAT much. It wasn't quite my type and the set up/pay off in the beginning of the movie with the master being murdered was like, "WOW, REALLY. I TOTALLY DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING. NOPE." in the most sarcastic of voices.
Rose P
Sadly I couldn't find anything without dubbing... But the story is interesting. i would rather watch the movie with subtitles than with dubbing because i want to hear how they really speak and the emotion in their voice can't be replaced. I like hearing how different languages sound, even if i can't understand. it makes everything more interesting to watch.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the film, i even got a few of my cousins to watch it with me and they liked it probably more than i did. After watching it my little cousin attempted to do some of the kicks and learned not everyone can fly, Haha. I love the POV shots that make you feel like you are really underwater, or at the beginning with the beetle. It makes you wonder if that's really what its like being a frog or a beetle...
I'm going to try really hard to find the version without dubbing because i think i'll like it more than this one, I'll be sure to let you know if i find anything. I Also find their fighting style very interesting and would love to learn more about it. and Rose, i agree completely about the beginning.. You could tell what was going to happen before it happened and it kind of dragged on for me.
Bree, I think you watched more of the film than we did in class. Five points extra credit to you for going the extra mile and for sharing international cinema with your family! I also appreciate the way you continued the conversation that Rose started.
DeleteThose animal POV shots are interesting. Just from what we see in the film, it seems that the African spiritualism which the black Portuguese population brought from their home continent puts emphasis on the connection between men, animals, and spirits and that these POV shots were trying to emphasize that fact.
I watched the whole thing! I had nothing else to do, Haha. (: One day I want to try and make an animal POV shot in a movie or something, I Think it would be really fun and i'm curious to know how they did it.
DeleteI bet with a little bit of google searching, you could find a YouTube video or website that explains how they did that effect. But then again ... it might be in Portuguese ....
DeleteThat would suck...
DeleteI would much rather watch a movie with subtitles. I like to hear emotions in their voice although I do get a little annoyed sometimes because it’s hard for my eyes to read and watch the movie but after a while I am fine. The dubbing in the movie was horrible. Black Brazilians from the 30s or something don’t talk like 90s American gangbangers. But I would really enjoy to watch the movie if I would find a subtitled version.
ReplyDeleteAll I really understood about their culture was that they are treated poorly so they do stuff to learn how to fight back. But sense I wasn’t here for the research and we only watched 10 minutes of the movie there wasn’t anything I could really pick up. But I am going to do the research for this culture at home sometimes over the break.
I enjoyed the story line of the film, I really did. But it was so hard to pay attention to the movie with their stupid voices being the only thing I can focus on. But like I said before if I could find a version with subtitles I would really love to watch this movie.
Yep. I pretty much hated the dubbing. I really didn't get a feel for Brazil because of that. But I felt the cinematography was pretty cool and the capoeira was definitely cool. I really think that subtitles are better because it was the way the makers wanted it, not some badly acted voice over. Other then that I can't really say much about the film. The whole time I just sat there and thought, "what the hell are they doing with this dubbing?" so I was very distracted.
ReplyDeleteSir Whovian, Out!
I don't know anyone who would rather have dubbing instead of subtitles. Except maybe my sister, and she's a lazy bum. I have only liked one character in one movie for dubbing, and that was because it was dubbed by the actual actor. Actually I didn't really pay attention to what happened in the movie, the one day we watched it. I was taking a silent protest of the dubbing by falling asleep... Yeah, yeah, that's what happened... BUT, that was the only time I have ever fallen asleep in this class. And I think it's justified.
ReplyDeleteSo, it sounds like subtitles win by a wide margin. I agree. The only drawback I see to subtitles is that it can sometimes be harder to appreciate the cinematography while you're reading the text but, for me, that is a small price to pay for having believable and authentic dialogue.
ReplyDeleteWow! That's a cool fact about the achilles tendon (but not cool that they did that).
ReplyDeleteIt looks like everyone on the blog agrees that they prefer to watch a subtitled film. I’m definitely on the same page. Dubbing, especially when it’s done as poorly as it was in this film, can be so distracting and makes it extremely hard to take the film seriously. I could see a lot of really good elements to this film, such as the great cinematography, storyline and plot, and choreography.
ReplyDeleteThe potential for this film to be great is very apparent; I just wish it wasn’t dubbed. If I could find a version of this film that wasn’t dubbed, I would definitely watch it again and I’m sure I would enjoy it much more. The dubbing just makes the film lose so much of its emotion. With a story involving such a rough part of Brazil’s history, I think that it’s so important to hear the emotion conveyed in the actor’s own voice. I would have definitely enjoyed the film much more had it been subtitled because I would be able to focus much easier. Even though, like Josh said, reading subtitles can make it hard to pay attention to the cinematography, I agree that it is so worth it. Something that I’ve noticed though is that when the movie first starts, it seems really difficult to read subtitles and watch what’s going on at the same time. This always feels like it’s going to be a problem for me while watching the movie, but after about five minutes, I don’t even notice it anymore. I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything that’s going on in the film. Including the cinematography.
-Ryan Ditta
Ryan, that is a really insightful observation about how watching the subtitles and cinematography at the same time becomes easier as the movie proceeds. I have not noticed that before but, now that you mention it, I see that it's true.
DeleteBesouro was a good movie even though it had an extremely bad dubbing. The dubbing made it so the serious action had a lot of comedy when it shouldn't have.
ReplyDeleteOther than the dubbing the movie was done really well. The action and effects where well executed and made me feel like learning their type of fighting.
The story behind Besouro was really interesting and added to the plot very well. On the down side I thought it got into the story a bit fast and we missed a lot of his childhood.
I think next time we watch the movie it should be in the original braziallian and with subtitles.
So, I'm curious. I know you used to be against subtitles. After watching this film, will you always watch foreign films with subtitles or will you still watch some with dubbing?
Deleteokay besouro.
ReplyDeletehorrible dubs. ridiculous.
i think that it still would have been kind of weird if it wasn't dubbed. maybe just because of how they showed people flying around and stuff. i guest that just because this movie has been alot different than the other ones we've been watching.
i think that it would have been a hilarious movie if they did the dubbing on purpose and then like added other things into the movie just to make fun of the dubbing.
like originaly they make besouro and then watched it dubbing and thought it was so funny that they didn't even care to produce they actual movie they made (besouro) and just edited it and added things in to make fun of the dubbing.
yeah
zak.
Good point about how if cheese is done on purpose, it's funny in movies. We need to remember this more as we make movies at our school. When you have limited resources, it is sometimes a good idea to embrace the cheese as intentional entertainment.
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