# Which is your preferred method of watching a foreign language movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 21, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110 "2014-08-21T17:41:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/1 "2014-08-21T17:41:55Z")
You’re watching a movie that was originally made in a language you don’t know. What’s your preferred method for handling the language issue. (For purposes of this thread, I’m using English as your native language. If you speak another language, it’s the same choices but imagine your native language in place of where I wrote English.) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/2 "2014-08-21T18:24:44Z")
I always use subtitles, even if I speak the language. It helps me follow the dialog and keep track of names. I guess I’m very visually oriented. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/3 "2014-08-21T18:35:40Z")
Subtitles. I get the words from the subtitle and the nuance from the voice. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/4 "2014-08-21T18:36:27Z")
I know subtitles are preferred, to the point that you are clearly a cretin if you don’t like them, but I prefer dubbing. When reading subtitles, I find my attention drawn away from the onscreen action, and I miss as many subtleties as I would gain from the subtitles. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/5 "2014-08-21T18:41:41Z")
When dubbing is done WELL, it’s preferable to subtitles. But it’s very, very rarely done well. So I voted for subtitles. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/6 "2014-08-21T18:47:24Z")
I’d rather have it dubbed–why be distracted from the movie by trying to understand the language? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/7 "2014-08-21T18:52:08Z")
i can’t read and eat popcorn at the same time. subtitles are worse than a kung fu dub. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/8 "2014-08-21T18:56:29Z")
I picked subtitling. But the one exception for me is animated movies. I figure all animation is essentially dubbed in anyway so why not just listen to a dubbing in your own language? ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/9 "2014-08-21T20:14:49Z")
Subtitles - For me the original language helps establish the setting, just like the sets, costumes, etc. By dubbing, that aspect is removed - almost as if background music were removed. Now, before anyone jumps in with exceptions - I understand that plenty of films are set in non-English speaking countries and we accept the characters speaking English. I’m not arguing for purity in language for actors portraying non-English characters in non-English settings (see Sean Connery - The Hunt for Red October). I’m simply advocating that when a film is produced in a non-English language, that it is an aspect worth experiencing. ---
**Author:** ![pseudograph](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pseudograph/32/19768_2.png) [@pseudograph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudograph)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/10 "2014-08-21T21:18:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I picked subtitling. But the one exception for me is animated movies. I figure all animation is essentially dubbed in anyway so why not just listen to a dubbing in your own language? Seconded, though I cast my vote for it depends. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/11 "2014-08-21T21:46:46Z")
I almost always opt for subtitles (and that’s the option I picked). However, I may make an exception for action movies where the dialogue isn’t that important, and trying to read along is distracting. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/12 "2014-08-21T21:53:25Z")
Depends. Really bad subtitling, as I’ve seen on some hentai, can be hilarious. And there is also such a thing as bad dubbing. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/13 "2014-08-21T22:05:22Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > I know subtitles are preferred, to the point that you are clearly a cretin if you don’t like them, but I prefer dubbing. When reading subtitles, I find my attention drawn away from the onscreen action, and I miss as many subtleties as I would gain from the subtitles. If a foreign-language movie isn’t any good, I don’t watch it. If it’s good, the problem with dubbing is that you get some out-of-work layabouts shouting into a microphone in a studio replacing the actual acting of a good movie. Just try to imagine watching a dubbed version of a classic like _Das Boot_ instead of the original – where German U-boats are suddenly inhabited by bad actors speaking English and pretending to be German! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/14 "2014-08-21T22:21:54Z")
I read so much that it’s second nature to me, and I don’t even notice that I’m doing it. I’ve been known to glance away from the screen while watching a dubbed movie, and being momentarily surprised that I suddenly can’t understand the dialog any more. The worst I’ve ever seen, though, was on the DVD for _Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon_. Apparently, the default on that disc was to have both the English-language dubbing _and_ the English-language subtitles, and the translations were slightly different. It was very jarring to be getting two different versions of the dialog at once, until I changed the settings. The funniest case I saw was a movie that was set in Quebec. It was mostly in French, and we were watching it in English subtitles… but there was one scene that was set in a hospital, and the main characters were talking to the doctors in English, and the original movie at that point had French subtitles for the benefit of the domestic audience. The funny part was that the actress’s accent was so strong, that I found it easier to keep reading the subtitles instead of listening, even though I hadn’t had any French since 8th grade. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/15 "2014-08-22T01:03:34Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I picked subtitling. But the one exception for me is animated movies. I figure all animation is essentially dubbed in anyway so why not just listen to a dubbing in your own language? Grin! Yes and no; I remember watching Kimba the White Lion on American TV, way back in the 60s. I adored it, but I was astonished by the breathless speech pattern. The voice actors had to talk fast, and without breaks, to keep up with the mouth-movements of the characters, which were animated to fit Japanese voice-patterns…which are rather different from English patterns. The result is unique… Not bad, actually. Vaguely endearing, but definitely a tad alienating. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/16 "2014-08-22T01:57:51Z")
Something a lot of people don’t realize is that even today, except for big-budget foreign films which have a high potential to do serious US box office, it isn’t just the dialog that gets dubbed. The _entire soundtrack_ gets looped by (often not the best) Foley artists. The only thing that’s easily (and universally) separate is the musical track. You can go back & forth between scenes with & without dialog but it gets complicated and therefore expensive. Usually all the audio, voices & sound effects, get replaced (badly). As long as you can read text as fast as people speak it, subtitles are really not that hard to deal with and absolutely worth it. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/17 "2014-08-22T03:01:40Z")
I prefer subtitles. Heck, even when they’re speaking English sometimes I need to turn them on some of the PBS or BBC shows I watch (especially for Scottish actors). ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/18 "2014-08-22T04:25:10Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > I prefer subtitles. Heck, even when they’re speaking English sometimes I need to turn them on some of the PBS or BBC shows I watch (especially for Scottish actors). Yup. My wife and I now watch everything we rent (DVD or streamed, film or cable series) with English subtitles – even though 80% of the works are in spoken English. Even if the actors are speaking Broadcaster American, we just find it’s helpful to fully catch everything that is said. So, we’re so used to reading subtitles anyway, we barely notice anymore if the work happens to be in a foreign spoken language! ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/19 "2014-08-22T06:10:57Z")
Subtitles of course. I wouldn’t go so far as to say dubbing fans are _cretins_, but I understand the sentiment. Dubbing foreign language films is more intrusive and gauche than colorizing black and white films. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110/20 "2014-08-22T07:19:58Z")
I use orginal language subtitles My Chinese is good but not perfect, so it’s good to have the correct work underneath so I can look it up in my dictionary. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-method-of-watching-a-foreign-language-movie/696110.md?page=2)