Foreign Films without subtitles?

So do you guys think it is possible to watch a non-English movie without the subtitles? I saw the Czech movie Daisies without them and I still loved it, because of its surreal nature. However then I see a normal movie like the French movie Contempt without subtitles, and feel as though I did not get the full experience. I could still understand the movie from the actions and could still dig the film. Contempt still had some English lines in them, but it was mostly French speaking.

When I watch a foreign film, I usually do not remember the lines that characters say after viewing the movie. For me it sort of depends on the movie with subtitles. If it is a short film like The Red Balloon or a surrealistic movie like the already mentioned Daisies, then sure, but if it a drama film that relies on the dialogue, then no.

I am still able to listen to foreign music and get the full package, but can not think about the pictures the song is giving, since I can not speak the language.

I believe I can watch a movie without subtitles as it will help me with English movies too, since it shows that I can watch a movie and understand it without knowing what someone is saying. I could still enjoy a movie if I were deaf, but I would not have to worry about that if I were deaf.

I even want subtitles on Italian porn movies.
No way I can understand or remotely enjoy a foreign language movie without the subtitles.

I watch tons of foreign films without subtitles. Subtitles are often so awful that it’s a relief not to have any. If it makes any diegetic sense, you’ll be ok. I guess I’d advise against doing that with Lynch/Bunuel etc.

Really? I don't think I could do that. The screenplay is everything surely?

Well, I will rewatch them in English/whatever language I speak fluently if I really loved them. I don’t do it by choice, mind you. Some of the nerdier/more niche films I watch just never have any and the anglophone world is shockingly bad at dubbing films. But sometimes when it’s something I’m clearly not enjoying, yes, guilty as charged, I just finish it in whatever language it was. The “Roman group” European languages are quite similar, so as a fluent French and Spanish speaker, I can always handle Italian etc. It has a positive side too, though. The Conformist in Italian with no subtitles is something else (though to be fair, I know it by heart).

I fully agree with you that screenplay is everything. I guess most half-decent films (as far as my judgment goes) I watch at least twice, so that helps even things out.

Sometimes it does yield hilarious results. I remember watching Volver in Spanish whenever it had just come out, and though I speak good Spanish, I got distracted & completely confused, thinking . Only discovered my mistake after rewatching it recently. So yeah, it has its downsides.

Certainly wouldn’t do it with the likes of Bergman, Bunuel etc.

The Russian dubbing tradition is outstanding compared to most other countries’, so as a very small child I was spoilt by that. I find subtitles very distracting sometimes. I still can’t wrap my head around films like Parasite not being actually fully and completely dubbed, with different voice actors and with inside/linguistic jokes/puns appropriately translated into English. So that’s why sometimes I’d rather just watch the original than the awful half-baked subtitled version.

Well, directing, shot composition, facial expression, and tone of voice should be something as well.


I've never done the exercise, but I've heard of people watching films in languages they don't know without subtitles on, just so they'll focus on how the movie flows and the tone and also with the idea that they should be able to infer at least some of the gist of what's going on.


This seems like more of an exercise I'd be interested in doing with some of my favorite FL films that I've seen a number of times and in any given scene, I might not know the exact words of the translation, but I'll have a pretty good memory of it.

I think the jist of the question being asked is, would you watch Parasite, in Korean, without subtitles?
I noticed all of your examples were basically, "if I mostly know the language," or, "I'll watch the dubbed version."

as someone who doesn't particularly like stories i've considered this a few times lol.

The only time I went without subtitles was an extreme horror film. Something like Contempt, no way.

First time I watch a film? Hell no.

After that though, depending on the movie you're watching (and this is a huge 'depending'), I guess I could consider not having subtitles, though I haven't done that before.

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I've only done this for one movie, Themroc, which begs the question: what would Themroc be like with subtitles? Something like this, I guess:

I see, fair enough. If you're ever stuck for subtitles, go to

http://subscene.com/

or

http://www.opensubtitles.org/en

I use them on an almost daily basis.

Do you ever watch a movie if there are no subtitles? I have only once.

For years, I had been searching for Vittorio De Sica's, "We'll Call Him Andrew", which I found, but with no subtitles. Finally, I figured to try. I love language, and know a tiny bit of Italian, and I know Spanish more, and there's a few cognates, or words close to get the gist, especially when you have the visual corresponding simultaneously. And I liked the movie very much, and had no confusion at all. I think this would be a fun thing if everyone did this. Even if you don't know a word of the language -- just to see the disparity; how much we can understand without language.

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Wow, that’s amasing, thank you!

But I have! Watched Parasite in Korean. In a cinema in central London. Without subtitles (they died halfway through). No, I don’t speak Korean. Yes, I enjoyed it.

I think my point is that it can be a slightly masochistic undertaking and it can affect one’s enjoyment of the film, but for various reasons, I still do it a lot. I watch doramas without subtitles undubbed all the time.

For example, I don’t speak Polish and it’s not that similar to any of the languages I speak, but I’ve watched Polish films without subtitles with no problem and really enjoyed it. I guess it’s just about vaguely understandable to me as a Slavic language. I think if I couldn’t understand a single bloody word, then no.

I completely 10000% agree. More people should try doing it more often.

I do if I have seen the film more that twice. Sauna, Priest of Evil and Jade Warrior, all from Finland, I can watch without subs. I have seen them way to many times. I don't know the Finnish language as I'm American and never studied it.

I think quite the opposite. I won’t watch anything from any country that doesn’t have subtitles. This includes America & the UK.

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Yeah, I remember that; you’re on the other end of the spectrum. I do appreciate subtitles, no question. But it all depends. Sometimes I have very bad days when I’m stressed out of my mind and then I might listen to music, Rammstein or something like that, very aggressive, in headphones to calm my nerves while also watching some cheap action thriller. Then, yes, one does rely on the subtitles

I like to watch them with subtitles.