Should we start a campaign for sub-titling US films?

[Guest]

Both my wife and I are increasingly struggling to understand many US films as the dialogue is often all but unintelligible. While I can put the blame on teaching aerobics in a studio with very loud loudspeakers, my wife's hearing is A1. Perhaps it is because we tend to listen to things with enunciated speech such as Radio 4 and that Americans are used to having all the words tumbleintooneanotherlikeanincontinentverbal baboon. But we are struggling and feel that sub-titles would help! Latest film to fall by the wayside was Fair Game.

Incidentally, has this film ever appeared on terrestrial TV, does anyone know?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It really depends in which US accent is being used. Some is quite clear and almost sounds like English , but imagine what it is like for our American friends when they watch a film set in Sunderland, Barnsley or Glasgow.

[Flosshilde]

I think that when 'Sweet Sixteen', set in a place just down the river from Glasgow, was shown on TV in England the Beeb decided that subtitles were neccessary for some parts of the dialogue.

But I do sympathise with RM - I find it difficult to understand Amnerican films as the actors mumble so much, & the 'background' music & sound effects is anything but. I also find them difficult to follow as the actors all look the same & it's often difficult to work out who's who. The plots are rather tedious as well. All in all I give the average Hollywood effort the miss.

[Beef Oven]

Both my wife and I are increasingly struggling to understand many US films as the dialogue is often all but unintelligible. While I can put the blame on teaching aerobics in a studio with very loud loudspeakers, my wife's hearing is A1. Perhaps it is because we tend to listen to things with enunciated speech such as Radio 4 and that Americans are used to having all the words tumbleintooneanotherlikeanincontinentverbal baboon. But we are struggling and feel that sub-titles would help! Latest film to fall by the wayside was Fair Game.

Incidentally, has this film ever appeared on terrestrial TV, does anyone know?

Egg wetter gree!

[Resurrection Man]

Egg wetter gree!

????

[mangerton]

Egg wetter gree!

Fraffly well spoken!

[rauschwerk]

My wife and I saw Winter's Bone, set in the Ozarks, at our local film society recently. I certainly had some trouble understanding the dialogue, and a good number of other members did too.

[Richard Tarleton]

I blame method acting, from Brando onwards - a tendency to mumble

This side of the pond, we recently re-watched the DVDs of John Byrne's Tutti Frutti (Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, Richard Wilson), which tests the boundaries of Glaswegian impenetrability. Sadly the fabulous follow-up Your Cheatin' Heart, with Tilda Swinton et al, which crosses said boundaries and is largely unintelligible, has never been released on DVD though it is available here

[salymap]

I even have difficulty understanding Cary Grant now and he was born in Bristol, I believe. The actors mumble, rush their words and all talk at once. Why don't all films have subtitles? They are helpful and sometimes very funny [subtitles] I wish I'd saved examples of recent subtitles on the BBC,hilarious.

[Mary Chambers]

I very rarely watch American films, but I need subtitles for many of the English accents I hear on television. Bring back RP and lessons for children on how to speak clearly! (Note I did not say 'elocution lessons', because somehow that has the wrong image now.)

[rauschwerk]

Perhaps it's partly my 66 year old ears not catching consonants as well they once did, but I had a lot of trouble with (among other things) the recent TV serial White Heat. Conversations between lovers and speeches by the occupants of sickbeds were often particularly trying. In the end I gave up with White Heat because it was just so dreary. (Did no-one have any fun in the 1960s?) By contrast, The Singing Detective and When the Boat Comes In have recently given me unalloyed pleasure.

[Resurrection Man]

........ (Note I did not say 'elocution lessons', because somehow that has the wrong image now.)

Terribly 'elitist', wot ?

Seriously, I am in agreement with you 100%. The same goes for spelling and grammar.

[Resurrection Man]

Perhaps it's partly my 66 year old ears not catching consonants as well they once did, but I had a lot of trouble with (among other things) the recent TV serial White Heat. Conversations between lovers and speeches by the occupants of sickbeds were often particularly trying. In the end I gave up with White Heat because it was just so dreary. (Did no-one have any fun in the 1960s?) By contrast, The Singing Detective and When the Boat Comes In have recently given me unalloyed pleasure.

I was surprised not to see a thread devoted to White Heat as I thought it exceptionally well made..although my wife also found it a bit dreary. Having lived through the same period, it evoked many memories for me.

[french frank]

I even have difficulty understanding Cary Grant now and he was born in Bristol, I believe.

Yes, he lived just round the corner from where I live and went to the local junior school. I think life in Hollywood removed all traces of the (in)famous Bristle axin.

I don't go to the pick-tewers much these days, but the first film I remember which was largely unintelligible was Serpico (1973) with Al Pacino. I eventually managed to identify the most commonly occurring word in the screenplay, which began with 'f' . (How times change ...)

[Dave2002]

Many years ago I lived in Norwich. I could barely understand a word of the sentences spoken by many in the community. It took me months before I could fathom out what many people were trying to say.

I went back there a few years ago, and told my wife she wouldn't be able to understand much. Totally wrong! There's hardly a trace of the old Norfolk/Norwich accent now - most people either speak some form of standardised TV English or Essex/Estuary English.

Also, just as most English people can't make out the sounds in some foreign languages (for example Chinese, with its tone system), I discovered that some (many?) Americans are completely unable to distinguish between the words "put" and "pat" as pronounced by English people. The "u" and the "a" appear to sound the same to them.

Perhaps we need subtitles in real life, too!