Why do moviegoers in English-speaking countries tend to avoid foreign movies with subtitles, while in Japan, for example, it's just the opposite?
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36 Comments
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0
DenshaDeGO
I don't and didn't we just discuss this? There's an article somewhere that talks about how young people can't read kanji anymore or something
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smartacus
I think in English-speaking countries, there is a tendency to view foreign movies as "arthouse." Even though some foreign movies have excellent stories, they can't compete with Hollywood blockbusters in terms of mass marketing and appeal. In Japan and other countries, on the other hand, people are conditioned to watching foreign movies with subtitles.
Interestingly, though, I have heard people from English-speaking countries say they can't be bothered reading subtitles because it distracts them from watching the actual scenes, but I have never heard Japanese say the same thing.
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Everton2
They are just simply arrogant
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ihope2eatwhales
For Japanese, many TV programs have subtitles when people are speaking in foreign languages. Japanese people are used to this.
In the English speaking nations, most TV is already in English.
This is a case of what people are familiar with and used to.
0
Fair dinkum!
Simple! Most foreign movies are crap! Therefor, there is no reason to watch them with subtitles.
0
HoDeDo
Has anyone on here ever gone to a theater in America? If so, how many foreign movies did you see playing? None? What? How arrogant of us not to have the option of watching a foreign movie when we go to the theater! Try finding them at any video rental store not named Blockbuster as well. Aside from that though, haven't foreign films done well recently at the Oscars? Someone is watching them.
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nucular
Hodedo : "Has anyone on here ever gone to a theater in America? If so, how many foreign movies did you see playing?"
The West Coast city I am from shows all kinds of foreign films.
I really have no idea what you are talking about.
0
HoDeDo
I'm from fly-over country. No foreign films there. Regardless, I was addressing the individual that mentioned that folks from English speaking countries that don't watch foreign films with subtitles are arrogant. Judging by JT's track record they ment the US.
0
Suzu1
Subtitled movies can connect with U.S. audience. For example each of these movies grossed more than $15 million in U.S. box office receipts along with millions more in DVD rentals: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan), Life Is Beautiful(Italy), Hero (China), Pan's Labyrinth (Mexico), Amelie(France), Jet Li's Fearless(China), Il Postino (Italy), Like Water for Chocolate (Mexico), Monsoon Wedding (India), The Lives of Others(Germany), Y Tu Mama Tambien(Mexico), Volver(Spain), La Vie en Rose(France), Shall We Dance?(Japan).
Hollywood movies have a worldwide audience like no other (Bollywood may be bigger, but really how many outside of India have ever really seen one in a theater, or DVD for that matter?). The pattern is the same all over the world. Go to a theater in Australia and you will probably have a choice of either Australian or Hollywood movies. Go to France and you will have a choice of French or Hollywood movies. Go to Argentina and you will have a choice of Argentine or Hollywood movies. And so on. Audiences worldwide have a preference for their own movies and Hollywood's.
0
LFRAgain
Dizzyingly brilliant commentary. My life has been substantially enriched with this.
0
KyouNoNippon
Eigo are bestest.
0
Shumatsu_Samurai
I don't avoid subs - I hate dubs!
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capone
well in japan what else are they gonna watch, if not foreign films ? the local movie industry blows
0
Ah_so
The question here specifies English-speaking countries and we should remember that plenty of other countries also commonly dub American films - France for instance.
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1keiron
Me to i prefer the subs when i watch Asian movies, helps me to learn faster.
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borscht
Capone seems to have it. Much of the English-speaking world watches Hollywood movies and Japan is the same. Hence, they are watching a foreign film with either subtitles or bad voice actors. If Japanese movies had the mass appeal and marketing that Hollywood movies have, then a comparison can be made. As it is, we're talking apples and oranges.
And Japanese TV has subtitles even when the speaker is speaking in Japanese and is a native speaker of Japanese so I guess many viewers enjoy it. Or are subtitle otaku.
0
blvtzpk
I'm just wondering where the basis for the original question comes from.
Can JT staff give us some evidence that "moviegoers in English-speaking countries tend to avoid foreign movies with subtitles"? I'm interested in the use of word 'avoid' - like it's a conscious decision not to watch a subtitled film.
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jdl958
The reason in the US is that reading (even reading subtitles) is not valued in the US. I have heard many people saying "I don't want to read my movie." I believe they miss out on many fabulous foreign films by having this attitude. Books suffer from the same fate--I work in a library and the DVD's go out constantly, but the books not so much.
0
European1
because they want to watch, not to read.
0
Azrael
I am not sure, but I think the subtitles on Japanese TV are for the benefit of hearing impaired people.
I am from a Spanish-speaking country. Everything on national TV is dubbed, but as for theaters, it's different. We get on theaters movies from many countries, but the only ones that get dubbed are movies for child audiences. All the others (as far as I know) are subbed. However, even Disney movies get the two options, subbed or dubbed. In contrast, almost all foreign movies in Spain are dubbed; my brother-in-law is Spaniard and he always makes sure the movies he buys are dubbed and it's common there. I am not certain, but for example my American friends HATE dubbed Anime. I don't know how it goes for movies, though. Watching foreign movies seem to be considered a "cultural" activity in the US (like ballet, almost - yet the comparison might be a bit exaggerated). One of my friends who happens to be American watched Pan's Labyrinth after I recommended it to her, and she loved it. She never mentioned the subs.
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unscrejects
Because we go to "Watch" movies, not "Read"...
0
Betting
Is the actual question actually true or just the opinion of the person who posted the question? I think it is just an opinion that is not based on fact. I've seen quite a few films in English that were subtitled not dubbed.
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blvtzpk
Betting, that was what I was suggesting as well. 'Avoid' is the issue here. Using 'avoid' is suggesting a conscious decision to stay away from something, which I don't think it is. Most people watch movies for pleasure. If dealing with subtitles diminishes the pleasurable experience, does that make you 'avoid' subtitled films, or do your preferences just lie elsewhere? I don't like horror films, but I don't 'avoid' them as if they were something I had have contact with - I just choose not to watch them.
As some others have noted here, there is a huge range movies available in English, and these are usually the one's that people around the world want to see. If you want to see these films and don't speak English, then a subtitled movie is usually your only option.
Foreign (and usually therefore subtitled) movies in English-speaking countries are pretty much a niche. They don't have the big budgets or star power behind them that the big English-language movies do. They attract a smaller market to begin with, subtitles or not. This doesn't diminish their value or quality, but they don't have the appeal that most English-language movies have for most people.
And perhaps subtitles put the lazy off further. Someone who really isn't interested in exploring foreign cinema is probably the same sort of person who doesn't want to "read a movie." In contrast, those who have a genuine interest in cinema wouldn't let subtitles get in the way. Those people would also choose a subtitled film over a dubbed film almost 100% of the time as well.
In short, Japanese audiences really have little choice BUT to watch international films with subtitling - they're not choosing to do this, they have to if they want to see the film. Similarly, English-speaking people aren't usually 'avoiding' subtitled films - they just don't occupy a large part of the film market.
Conclusion: this is a poorly thought-out question to pose.
0
blvtzpk
Oh, and don't give me the line that viewing a subtitled film is purely reading the film - one's eyes bounce between the subtitles and the image frequently. But it is tiring for some, and as I stated above, can distract from the pleasure experience of a movie.
0
Sarge
If English is good enough for me, by golly it's good enough for the rest of the world!
0
Skywards
1) Some movie-watchers want to hear English voices in international films. If I show anime to my friends, the preference is for dubbed anime, not subtitled anime (but the original cast may have better character voices than the English cast). 2) Many subtitled movies vary in the quality of their subtitles i.e. use of a font size or colour that is lost in the movie scenes, making the subtitles hard to read or invisible (if anyone else has watched the Chinese movies on Omni 2 (Toronto, Canada) on Saturday night, you will know of the problem). 3) Ignorance can also be a reason-it may be outside of some moviewatchers' comfort zone to watch foreign cinema. One has to encourage friends about seeing such cinema during movie festivals by knowing what is on the playbill, showing interest in the offerings and ask friends which movie (storyline) interests them most and offer to take them out! A friend of non-French background went with me to a French film last year in Toronto purely because she was keen on seeing the French scenery!
0
KitsuneYoukai
I think it is because of the foreign language. I think most people in for example, the US are not used to seeing movies with subtitles. They tend to miss out on a lot of the visual part because they are trying to read what's at the bottom of the screen. For those who are Anime watchers and like seeing it in Japanese this is not a problem.
0
kokuryu
The US movie theaters dont even carry the films, that's why! If they carried them, there would be more of an audience. Me, personally, I love all films, especially foreign films.
0
Graywolf0813
I don't get it! I can read and watch the movie at the same time ' I have been watching foreign films for many years ' I love watching foreign films even with subtitles '
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PleasureGelf
I don't know whether or not it's true about avoiding subtitled movies but I've always heard that if a foreign movie is successful elsewhere it will be remade for the American audience. Some examples being The Departed, The Lake House or Insomnia. Wikipedia has a fuller list here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ListofEnglish-languagemoviesbasedonforeign-language_movies
0
Betting
"I think it is because of the foreign language. I think most people in for example, the US are not used to seeing movies with subtitles. They tend to miss out on a lot of the visual part because they are trying to read what's at the bottom of the screen. For those who are Anime watchers and like seeing it in Japanese this is not a problem.".
I'm not trying to flame you Kitsune, but what you are saying is based on actual fact or just your personal opinion? It seems like you're just making a gross generalisation here (as are most posts on JT...).
0
budmc
Whoever wrote this comment about English-speaking countries avoiding foreign movies with subtitles is ignorant of the facts!!!
The Japanese movie and television media, except for ANIME, make no real efforts to market in the US. IF the Japanese media sold to WAL-MART or other major outlets, or even provided small lots to individual US buyers, the US would certain buy.
I currently have over 75 Japanese dvd's with English subtitles. Several were purchased from Media Play, but after they went out of business ended up buying on Ebay. Unfortunately, most of those seem to be bootleg copies and many subtitles have Chinese names not Japanese!!!
NETFLIX offers several Japanese with English Subtitle DVD's, and NETFLIX variety of Japanese titles increase each year :-)
If you know any Japanese movie or drama dealers willing to sell all-region or region 1 Japanese dvds with English subtitles to US, then just let me know!
A market exists - the Japanese just are not pursuing it!
JAPAN TODAY editors should proof read and ensure facts are stated, not wild accusations about English-speaking countries avoiding foreign movies!
0
motytrah
Subtitles are the least of the problems foreign films in the US. Fact is very few foreign films get major distribution in the US. They usually play very limited schedules in small art theaters, or only make it to DVDs. Outside of Anime, Hollywood would rather remake a foreign film then invest any money in wide distribution.
Though most foreign films actually play with subtitles at the art house theater. They only get dubbed in the very rare instance when they get picked up for wide release. The question is wrong because the issue is most people simply won't pay money to see a foreign film. The only exception is Anime.
0
Stallion
Betting, that was what I was suggesting as well. 'Avoid' is the issue here. Using 'avoid' is suggesting a conscious decision to stay away from something, which I don't think it is. Most people watch movies for pleasure. If dealing with subtitles diminishes the pleasurable experience, does that make you 'avoid' subtitled films, or do your preferences just lie elsewhere? I don't like horror films, but I don't 'avoid' them as if they were something I had have contact with - I just choose not to watch them.
As some others have noted here, there is a huge range movies available in English, and these are usually the one's that people around the world want to see. If you want to see these films and don't speak English, then a subtitled movie is usually your only option.
Foreign (and usually therefore subtitled) movies in English-speaking countries are pretty much a niche. They don't have the big budgets or star power behind them that the big English-language movies do. They attract a smaller market to begin with, subtitles or not. This doesn't diminish their value or quality, but they don't have the appeal that most English-language movies have for most people.
And perhaps subtitles put the lazy off further. Someone who really isn't interested in exploring foreign cinema is probably the same sort of person who doesn't want to "read a movie." In contrast, those who have a genuine interest in cinema wouldn't let subtitles get in the way. Those people would also choose a subtitled film over a dubbed film almost 100% of the time as well.
In short, Japanese audiences really have little choice BUT to watch international films with subtitling - they're not choosing to do this, they have to if they want to see the film. Similarly, English-speaking people aren't usually 'avoiding' subtitled films - they just don't occupy a large part of the film market.
Conclusion: this is a poorly thought-out question to pose.
0
bushlover
We Americans just think that foreign films are just too boring to watch anyway so why bother reading the subtitles to try to understand the limited action in the film? And some English language films from the like of England, Canada, and New Zealand well even they are too boring to watch despite not having any subtitles. Good ol made in America movies are popular worldwide for their high quality plots and action.
0
jonobugs
There seems to be quite a few good answers to the posted question, but there is probably at least one more option that no one has mentioned.
It seems that English has become an international language whether you like it or not. So, there is a need for many non-English companies to learn English. I feel that in Japan, the need isn't as great, but there is still a demand. So why not combine learning with pleasure? If you're watching an English film in it's original format, you'll get a chance to hear how English is spoken.
In English speaking countries, that just simply isn't the case with the majority of movie goers. Of course there are small pockets of the population who might be interested in watching a foreign film to help with their language studies, but by far this is uncommon.
Of course this is just one reason. Many others have pointed out that many English speaking movie goers don't want the hassle of reading sub-titles, which I have to agree with. I've heard many people use that very reason. Also, as one other person mentioned, foreign films tend to have an 'artsy' feel to them. The reason for that is that it's usually only the better foreign films that make it over to be distributed on a wider release. Of course there are many poorer movies that make it over, but usually only on DVD. There is a demand for foreign films, and they are usually released in their original language in theatres with subtitles (at least in Vancouver, Canada). However, the market is pretty small in comparison with the Hollywood movies. Some people have used the argument that if there were more releases, etc, then people would go but I tend to believe that if the DEMAND were greater, then the theatres would oblige and release more foreign films.
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