Movies That Might Not Make Much Sense To Different Cultures

[MmzHrrdb]

If one only considers how much intended meaning can be lost when the dialogue of a movie is translated into a different language, the potential for some movies to be misunderstood or underappreciated is considerable. Some words can't be translated at all into a different language without diminishing the poetry or cultural significance for those who don't speak the original language.

In some cases, unless a person has spent many years immersed in a culture, they may not be able to comprehend fully what exactly a movie might be trying to say. In fact, I enjoy watching certain foreign language movies precisely because they appear so absurd from my American perspective, even if people from the movie's country of origin might find it to be commonplace.

What movies do you think are misunderstood, underappreciated or overappreciated because different cultures can't fully comprehend them in the intended context?

[Spunkie]

The easiest I can come up with is from my own culture; any movie Nuri Bilge Ceylan shot. He got caught up in the minimalist movement of the last 15-10 years and achieved a great success with Distant. He is a good photographer (similar to Kim Ki Duk), but he is way over appreciated and the way he serves himself as a follow up to Tarkovsky just disgusts me. Even his acting direction gets praised, for any native Turkish speaker this is just absurd.

Upto his last effort Three Monkeys at least he was in his own world, even if naive I was eager to buy it. This time he stepped out of his comfortable shoe and went to depict sub city life with failure in every corner. To add some sauce he over edited his landmark photography digitally to ensure everything looks aesthetic. What's the point of wide angle shooting on a sunny day just to edit it with layers of clouds and digital rain after? He brought some audience to newly established Turkish avant-garde, but now he is simply condemning it to artificiality.

The one overseen by foreign audiences is Zeki Demirkubuz, now this is a man with real insight of my own culture. And he manifactured two masterpieces on it with "Innocence" and "Destiny". He does not rely on cinematography much (upto his last few), but he grips the core of his story to great effect. I wish he was the one who made it to Cannes.

[KAH]

An interesting topic. I myself am less and less concerned with the dialogue in movies, although I certainly enjoy certain dialogue-heavy movies, but overall I think I experience film more with my senses than I used to, if I can put it that way. I am not sure if the kind of movies that have intricate dialogue using words that may have several meanings, are my kind of movies to begin with, and I can't recall having seen any movies that have given me a feeling of not comprehending what's being said. Then again, if I don't comprehend something I guess I won't be aware of my lack of comprehension. I also guess my favorite movies are those that reflect something that's valid for every culture and individual, or something like that. I seldom find films depicting cultures and people that act in a different way than I am used to, odd or absurd in any way. Will be interesting to hear what others have to say on this though.

[MmzHrrdb]

An interesting topic. I myself am less and less concerned with the dialogue in movies, although I certainly enjoy certain dialogue-heavy movies, but overall I think I experience film more with my senses than I used to, if I can put it that way. I am not sure if the kind of movies that have intricate dialogue using words that may have several meanings, are my kind of movies to begin with, and I can't recall having seen any movies that have given me a feeling of not comprehending what's being said. Then again, if I don't comprehend something I guess I won't be aware of my lack of comprehension. I also guess my favorite movies are those that reflect something that's valid for every culture and individual, or something like that. I seldom find films depicting cultures and people that act in a different way than I am used to, odd or absurd in any way. Will be interesting to hear what others have to say on this though.

Movies that I find absurd (in an entertaining way) are those where a foreign country mixes American popular culture with its own cultural sensibilities. I just watched the Indian movie Mahakaal, for example, which was a Bollywood-ized version of a Nightmare on Elm Street. From my perspective, the movie appeared at least a little insane. Not only were there musical numbers that had little to do with the story, but also a Michael Jackson impersonator and goofy fight scenes. There were definitely cultural references that only a native to the country or someone familiar with Bollywood films would understand. Mahakaal came across as an unhinged regurgitation of American popular culture. I have no idea what Indian filmgoers made of it.

The easiest I can come up with is from my own culture; any movie Nuri Bilge Ceylan shot. He got caught up in the minimalist movement of the last 15-10 years and achieved a great success with Distant. He is a good photographer (similar to Kim Ki Duk), but he is way over appreciated and the way he serves himself as a follow up to Tarkovsky just disgusts me. Even his acting direction gets praised, for any native Turkish speaker this is just absurd.

Upto his last effort Three Monkeys at least he was in his own world, even if naive I was eager to buy it. This time he stepped out of his comfortable shoe and went to depict sub city life with failure in every corner. To add some sauce he over edited his landmark photography digitally to ensure everything looks aesthetic. What's the point of wide angle shooting on a sunny day just to edit it with layers of clouds and digital rain after? He brought some audience to newly established Turkish avant-garde, but now he is simply condemning it to artificiality.

The one overseen by foreign audiences is Zeki Demirkubuz, now this is a man with real insight of my own culture. And he manifactured two masterpieces on it with "Innocence" and "Destiny". He does not rely on cinematography much (upto his last few), but he grips the core of his story to great effect. I wish he was the one who made it to Cannes.

I'll have to look into some of these movies and see what I get from them. I haven't seen many Turkish movies, except for Tarkan Viking kani, which was insane.

[Spunkie]

I'll have to look into some of these movies and see what I get from them. I haven't seen many Turkish movies, except for Tarkan Viking kani, which was insane.

Weird, where did it come around? It's a thrash movie of the 70ies, you may come around lots of that kind in Yeşilçam movies around 70-80ies. My examples are way different from that of course .

[ShogunRua]

"Alexander Nevsky" is definitely more entertaining if you're Russian and have an idea of what Soviet propaganda was like. And "Peculiarities of the National Fishing" is almost inscrutable if you're not Russian. I need to think of some American ones...

[iceblox]

Movies that I find absurd (in an entertaining way) are those where a foreign country mixes American popular culture with its own cultural sensibilities. I just watched the Indian movie Mahakaal, for example, which was a Bollywood-ized version of a Nightmare on Elm Street. From my perspective, the movie appeared at least a little insane. Not only were there musical numbers that had little to do with the story, but also a Michael Jackson impersonator and goofy fight scenes. There were definitely cultural references that only a native to the country or someone familiar with Bollywood films would understand. Mahakaal came across as an unhinged regurgitation of American popular culture. I have no idea what Indian filmgoers made of it.

Don't even try to make sense of Bollywood. Although something good does come out every now and then, 90% of Bollywood is mind-boggling garbage. Used to be that Bollywood movies were intended for the uneducated masses who would have never seen the original Hollywood movie they have ripped off (yes, Bollywood copies anything and everything), so they can do whatever they want, and it'll still be swallowed up by them. Now, Bollywood caters mostly to teenage audiences - especially wide-eyed 16 year old girls. Speaking of the B-horror movies of the 90's specifically, they were also for people who don't get to see Hollywood movies, and people see them mostly because of the titillating scenes which they squeeze in between these movies. These horror movies end up getting an 'A' certificate (equivalent to the 'R' rating in US), so they don't make it to the mainstream A-class theaters. These movies only play in the B-class and C-class theaters (shady looking dumps with rickety chairs), and only men see them. And...it's not uncommon for the filmmakers to shoot some steamier scenes which they keep separate from the main movie, bypassing the censor board. These clips are sent via carriers, directly to the theaters showing these B-movies, and the operator inserts them in between the movie. Needless to say, in most cases, the audience don't even care what movie it is - they are there for the soft-porn clips.

[Vertiggo]

What movies do you think are misunderstood, underappreciated or overappreciated because different cultures can't fully comprehend them in the intended context?

I think this is a really relevant point of seeing foreing films, actually I use to think a lot about it. It happens also with the books.
A good example im my opinion is " City of God" (Brazil). While watching the movie with english subtitles I could see how difficult is to the translator to give the real message. Surely it's absolutely impossible to a person who doesn't know the brazilian culture and specially the language to get it like it mean to be.
Good topic, Lord!

[chemical404]

As I keep my focus on Asian cinema (HK, China, Korea, Japan) for a few years, I can say for sure there are loads that gets lost in translation. Or simply because of cultural things. There are lots of martial art films where story doesn't make much sense for westerners, but people grew up on legends most of them are based on in china, and receive those films differently.
Personally, I see how the meaning of (post)soviet films escape people who haven't lived under regime. Recently I noticed that reading comments for Forman's The Firemen's Ball. While most people enjoy it as comedy of errors or slapstic, I see it differently, because I grew up under that regime. All those paradoxes, those errors are so familiar and means different things to me.

[ShogunRua]

As I keep my focus on Asian cinema (HK, China, Korea, Japan) for a few years, I can say for sure there are loads that gets lost in translation. Or simply because of cultural things. There are lots of martial art films where story doesn't make much sense for westerners, but people grew up on legends most of them are based on in china, and receive those films differently.

I remember watching "Shaolin Soccer" and thinking to myself that I was missing at least 40% of the jokes, but that it was still hilarious anyways. Later, I learned that certain parts were mocking famous HK commercials, singers, Beijing dramas, etc.

Personally, I see how the meaning of (post)soviet films escape people who haven't lived under regime. Recently I noticed that reading comments for Forman's The Firemen's Ball. While most people enjoy it as comedy of errors or slapstic, I see it differently, because I grew up under that regime. All those paradoxes, those errors are so familiar and means different things to me.

Great pick; that film is anything but slapstick, but you really need to have grown up under a communist regime to understand much of it? Personally, I was only born under one, so parts of it aren't as instantly recognizable.

Focus-

In terms of US films, "Road House" is something of a cult classic...but I doubt the movie would go over well in just about any other culture.