Why dont subtitles do this? (1 Viewer)

[Paul Richardson]

The problem with this plan is that the dollar is always changing. So, your DVD with the correct subtitles that comes out today won't have the right conversion rate in just a few short years.
In a good movie, the way that characters react to money is a timeless way of showing us how much the money is worth. Let's look at It's a Wonderful Life. When Jimmy Stewart is offered a $20,000 salary by Mr. Potter his jaw just about hits the floor. It's clear that at that time, for that character, $20,000 a year is a lot of money. I don't need a subtitle to tell me that. Ditto his despair over losing $8000.
Another, more awkward way that movies get around this is by having a character right an amount on a piece of paper and hand it to another character who reacts appropriately. The audience never sees the amount.

 

[Brian Kaz]

I love the subtitles on my Urusei Yatsura DVDs. It's a japanese anime TV show and whenever there is a cultural reference (which are plentiful), they put extra subtitles at the top of the screen briefly explaining what that is.


For instance, if someone would say "Have a tenpura.", The top of the screen would say -

"Tenpura: Seafood & vegetables deep fried in batter"

 

[cafink]

I don't think knowing the exact amount being discussed is that crucial. I have no idea how much 5,000,000 lira are in dollars, or in my own currency. But I get the point of the scene. I don't need to know how much below 5,000,000 he makes. I know they're painfully poor, and that is enough.

I'm talking about movies in general, not just "The Bicycle Thief."

Out of curiosity, why do you think it's more acceptable to convert distances but not money. Personally, I'd be a little more reluctant to alter the distance. A kilometer is a kilometer no matter where you live.

 

[Ricardo C]

Out of curiosity, why do you think it's more acceptable to convert distances but not money. Personally, I'd be a little more reluctant to alter the distance. A kilometer is a kilometer no matter where you live.

Distance measures are not restricted to a particular location, and so using them does not feel as out of place as inserting a foreign currency in the subtitles.

 

[Seth Paxton]

I think currency should be converted to be clear to the people it's being subtitled for. That follows the reasoning behind subtitles in the first place.

After all, if you know they are painfully poor without knowing the amount, then you also know when they are happy or sad without understanding what they are saying...right?

I agree that you would have different subtitles for different countries, but then which of you thinks the same DVD is going to England, Australia, Canada, and America? Do you guys bother to read in the software forum ever? Christ the debates and complaints due just to the differences between US and Canada DVD releases could have their own forum. I own Giant...go buy that in America. Go buy African Queen in America. Exactly.

As for conversion rates, that wouldn't matter because it would be the amount AT THE TIME, that's the whole point.

Now in terms of subtitle conversion from different TIME PERIODS is tougher, you would have to get a new DVD every 5-10 years it would seem. I would just leave it at the amount at the time, though a little Pop-Up info thing might be a neat extra for a film like Wonderful Life.


Back to the "you know they are poor because...". Well, what about people who AREN'T poor by our standards but think they are?? Sometimes the point is that the amount and the reaction to the amount are inappropriate, that in itself tells us something about the characters.

Seriously, say I have characters who have the same insulted reaction to salaries being offered to them, one is offered $10K/year, one $100K/year, and another $1m/year, are you honestly saying that you can't infer the differences in who those 3 characters are? Context is not enough because in all 3 cases we are getting the same reaction, yet there is clearly a unique implication with each character.

Also, what about "I'll offer you X dollars to kill this man" "Okay, I'll do it". That X can speak volumes about the character involved. Sure they are all "bad", but to what degree are they morally corrupt? Do they have NO value to human life, is killing so matter of fact that $100 will do it, or are they such quality professionals that nothing less than $50000 would suffice? Are they caving in because of the incredible amount, are they so desperate for money that even a small amount would make them willing to do it?

Those are subtleties contained within "amounts" of money.

Think of it this way, what if TIME were translated to some imaginary amounts that meant little to you. "We have 30 bonks to get there, we better hurry." What, run across town, catch a taxi, a plane, is this a vacation length trip, is it even possible?


Also, this serves in understanding a foreign culture. Say I'm watching an African film and people are working for $1500/year, that tells me something more about the culture as a whole, rather than just making it relative to others within the same culture. When we see sex, violence, etc treated differently in other cultures is that wrong? But certainly what we are noticing was NOT noticed WITHIN the culture. We are seeing a cultural difference because we come from a different culture and these things seem foreign to us (of course). So why not also understand the cultural differences from a monetary standpoint?


It would be fairly harmless to put the foreign amount as well as the rough amount in the local currency also.

Obviously I have wished for monetary translations myself many times. I already regret not being able to appreciate a film from it's native language and culture as it is, there is no need to exacerbate the problem.

 

[Danny R]

This reminds me of a discussion I once had with a martial art's teacher.
I asked him why we must learn the japanese words for different positions. Why could we not call them by their english translations? It would make learning the craft so much easier.
After all, the japanese translations weren't "proper" names, but more like descriptive words, such as "above your head" or "to the side". The japanese student who understood the language would not need to be told what position to be in if given the word, as it would be obvious.

 

[Brook K]

I wouldn't want it inserted in the subtitles, but I would like the amounts on an insert or screen in the extras. Yes, I KNOW Bob Le Flambeur wins a #$#*load of money, but just out of curiosity and my own interest in gambling, I'd really like to know how much.

Most modern Chinese films are translated as dollars, but I'm not sure true US dollar values are being given. I think they are just translating "Yuan" as "dollar" for some reason.

 

[RobertR]

Also, what about "I'll offer you X dollars to kill this man" "Okay, I'll do it". That X can speak volumes about the character involved. Sure they are all "bad", but to what degree are they morally corrupt? Do they have NO value to human life, is killing so matter of fact that $100 will do it, or are they such quality professionals that nothing less than $50000 would suffice? Are they caving in because of the incredible amount, are they so desperate for money that even a small amount would make them willing to do it?

You make a good argument for that kind of situation, Seth, but I don't think it matters in other, more trivial situations. For example, I don't need a currency conversion for, say, buying a dress or paying to see a movie or a scene with a streek hooker (we know from the context that she's not an expensive call girl).

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Isn't the United States one of the last few countries still using these types of measurement? I thought most of the Western world used the metric system.

So? Why does that make a difference? The lira is only used in one country, so why not convert that. Make the Canadian/international subs in kilometers and the American subs in miles.

As an aside, the U.S. was supposed to switch to metric but ditched the plan... to this date, NYSDOT uses metric from that era.