Movies in other languages

[Nin]

I am almost sorry to insist, but as well as in the print universe, in the movie universe, productions in other languages do exist - (and I am not only talking about nordic crime series or Almodovar movies).

Are they available where you live? Synchronized? Or in original versions? (I can watch pretty much everything in original versions now) Did you see some?

To give you an example, the last German Oscar winner: The life of others (Das Leben der Anderen), or the German TV series Deutschland 83 about Germany during the Cold War?

Or the recent Swiss animation movie "My life as a Zucchini" - wonderful movie, by the way...

Anything to watch in Russian and/or Spanish? I'd love that!

[Frelga]

Russian with subtitles or without?

[yovargas]

Here in Orlando we have a couple theaters dedicated to showing stuff outside the mainstream and they will often show the forgeign movies that are getting some attention or acclaim. Recently watched the Iranian film The Salesman from the director of A Separation, the latter which I consider one of the best films this century.

[Alatar]

I've watched half of Deutschland '83. Very good.

[Nin]

Russian with subtitles or without?

With subtitles....
Last year, we watched the series about Dostoyevski's life, I do have some Russian movies, but many of them are quite depressing.

Obviously, I have access to all French movies and I watch a lot in German. But one of my all time preferred was "Farewell my concubine" (chinese movie).

[Frelga]

Well, this is the first one I came across that had subtitles.


The 1962 movie was inspired by the memoirs of the Cavalry Maiden, Nadezhda Durova. Durova served in the Russian army 1807-1816, retiring with the rank of Captain-Lieutenant. Although she served disguised as a man, her true identity was known to the Tzar.

This is not that story. The Hussar Ballad is about a young woman who, as Napoleon's army advances on Moscow, disguises herself as a young Hussar to join the army. Although very patriotic, it's more of a costume drama than a war movie. It's got some beautiful musical numbers, and the script is in verse, which the subtitles don't capture that well.

I meant to link to this in the Strong Female Characters thread, as I think the heroine, Shura (Alexandra) Azarova is a good example of how to do this right. She serves as a courier and a scout, and is shown to be courageous and resourceful without having to be a super-amazing fighter. There is a romantic subplot, but it is a source of humor rather than her main motivation.

[Nin]

[Frelga]

Here's the YouTube channel of the Mosfilm studio. Classic Soviet movies in HD with subtitles. Heavy on romantic comedies that tend to feature more grown-up characters.

Gentlemen of Fortune is one of my favorites. It's about a kindergarten teacher who just happens to look exactly like a criminal mastermind and is asked to go undercover as said criminal to find the stolen treasure. The actor playing the main character was the model for Bilbo in the illustrated Russian edition, and played Bilbo on stage. I have only the greatest regard for Martin Freeman, but Yevgeny Leonov was the closest thing a human can be to a Hobbit.

[N.E. Brigand]

In Cleveland, we have:

(1) the Cedar Lee, which opened in the 1970s and shows current art and foreign films that have a distributor, typically playing for a couple weeks each. This week: Donald Cried, The Sense of an Ending, Kedi, Ma Vie de Courgette, Moonlight, A United Kingdom, Forushande, I Am Not Your Negro, and Lion.

(2) The Cinematheque (part of the Cleveland Institute of Art), which opened in the 1980s and shows more obscure items for art and foreign films, along with various revivals and series (e.g., a Bergman retrospective, 1950s Japanese films, etc.); these typically show just two or three times each. This week: Behemoth, The Lure, Mr. Gaga, The Stunt Man, City of Pirates, and Pelle the Conqueror.

(3) The Cleveland Museum of Art's film series, run by the same curator as the Cinematheque and sometimes with overlapping content but often, well, artier, and with fewer screenings. This week: Best of Ottawa 2016 and Basquiat.

(4) The Cleveland International Film Festival, now in its 42nd year, with hundreds of films showing at least twice each over ten days at the end of March. I used to volunteer there as an usher.

[Frelga]

I don't see very many Soyuzmultfilm movies with English subtitles, so this is a cool find. This is an adorable 1957 adaptation of the Snow Queen by Andersen that sticks to the original story. Little Kay is kidnapped by the Snow Film and his best friend Gerda goes in search of him. I consider it another example of a Strong Female Character done right, courageous and strong-willed without being violent. Bonus point for the supporting cast of male and female characters who either help or hinder Gerda. Little Robber Girl was my favorite. Extra bonus point for the female villain not being marked as evil by being overtly sexual. The animation is gorgeous, too.

Extra-extra bonus - a 1966 live action version, this one based on Evgeniy Schwartz's stage adaptation, with an older Gerda and scarier bad guys. Also very good, although I never particularly liked the addition of the Storyteller who helps Gerda in her adventures. The original Gerda managed just fine without him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPj0VNyPtZU

[Lalaith]

I'll have to take a look at it later, Frelga. Maybe I'll have time to watch it at work with Vlad.

[Frelga]

I think you'd enjoy it. The animated version is remarkable for Gerda being this cinnamon roll, sweet and gentle, and completely, implacably, unstoppable.

[Alatar]

Has anyone seen Nightwatch and Daywatch? I've heard good things about them.

[Nin]

No. Sorry. I am recently watching everything in Spanish I can get my hands (or eyes) on. A whole new universe!'

[Lalaith]

I need to do that with Italian. I was pleasantly surprised at how much of the Italian I could pick out from the first episode of Master of None. (There isn't much in there, and he's speaking it as an English speaker. So that is probably why I can understand it so easily; plus, it is mostly basic stuff.)

Anyway, I didn't get to watch the Russian movie at work. We were too busy.

[Frelga]

Lali, what kind of job is it that keeps you too busy for watching movies?

Al, I heard good things about it, too, and enjoyed the books (in English), but haven't seen the movies.

[Nin]

I am watching all spanish spoken TV shows I can get with spanish sub-titles. Without it's difficult, mainly because of the speed with which they speak.

There was one really delightful spanish series named "Las chicas del cable" about a group of young telephone operators in the late twenties (1928, around that I think). Gorgeous costumes, some eye-candy, romance and questions about emancipation and work - I loved it.

Now in Guatemala, we watch a Colombian telenovela in the evening: la esclava Blanca.

Both are on Netflix.

[Maria]

Has anyone seen Nightwatch and Daywatch? I've heard good things about them.

We bought Nightwatch and abandoned it partway through. I don't even remember much of it- we just didn't like it well enough to keep watching and that doesn't happen often for us.

[Frelga]

Here's another of my favorites, the 1967 Mowgli, the Russian adaptation of the Jungle Book. It sticks close to Kipling, and is more grown-up in theme, featuring a teenage, very handsome Mowgli. No songs, but beautiful music and gorgeous animation.

Also, Bagheera is female. This is because the Russian word for panther is grammatically female, and the name sounds feminine, so Russian translations just go with it. The side-effect of providing a strong feminine influence in the story, who plays with petals and purrs, but is also treated with deference for her strength and ferocity, is probably unintentional, which only emphasizes how normal those kinds of characters were to Soviet girls.

[Smaug's voice]

If there's a good Russian adaptation of War and Peace, I'd definitely watch that.