When I hear the German characters speaking in fake German accents to each other, I assume that they're talking in German, but that what they're saying has been translated for the English-speaking audience.
And frankly, I think it makes sense to do it that way. Subtitles are hard on the eyes--everyone can't read them at the same rate. Even the size of subtitles is a problem. I'm probably prejudiced against subtitles because when I try to read them, the white lettering invariably blurs to the point where I have to be right on top of the screen to read what's being said. I can do that at home, but it's hard to do in a theatre. (I remember having this problem with Dances With Wolves, which had scads of Amerind conversation in the original Lakota and nothing but subtitles to explain what was being said. I firmly believe that I missed half the conversations because I couldn't read the subtitles with anything approaching swiftness OR watch what was happening on screen when I was trying to read.)
No, sir. Give me the auditory shortcut of fake accents any day. I realize that the accents are bad. The accents that Hollywood bestows on people from New England are invariably appalling. But this way I know what's being said is being said in a foreign language AND I understand it immediately. To me, that's an advantage.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2009-01-06 01:32 pm (UTC)And frankly, I think it makes sense to do it that way. Subtitles are hard on the eyes--everyone can't read them at the same rate. Even the size of subtitles is a problem. I'm probably prejudiced against subtitles because when I try to read them, the white lettering invariably blurs to the point where I have to be right on top of the screen to read what's being said. I can do that at home, but it's hard to do in a theatre. (I remember having this problem with Dances With Wolves, which had scads of Amerind conversation in the original Lakota and nothing but subtitles to explain what was being said. I firmly believe that I missed half the conversations because I couldn't read the subtitles with anything approaching swiftness OR watch what was happening on screen when I was trying to read.)
No, sir. Give me the auditory shortcut of fake accents any day. I realize that the accents are bad. The accents that Hollywood bestows on people from New England are invariably appalling. But this way I know what's being said is being said in a foreign language AND I understand it immediately. To me, that's an advantage.