Accents where you needed the subtitles?

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This is mainly about films in your own language but if you're multilingual that's okay too .

Has a character or characters' accent in a film made it so difficult for you to understand the dialogue that you needed subtitles?

I remember when I saw Under the Skin (2013) I had to turn the English subtitles on to follow the dialogue of some of the alien's Glaswegian prey.



I always turn on subtitles unless it's a film I'm really familiar with, because I sometimes have trouble understanding what even other Americans say. But it's absolutely necessary when watching anything with Scottish characters. I would never have made it through Sweet Sixteen without them.



I always turn on subtitles unless it's a film I'm really familiar with, because I sometimes have trouble understanding what even other Americans say. But it's absolutely necessary when watching anything with Scottish characters. I would never have made it through Sweet Sixteen without them.
I usually do alright but that was the exception . Sometimes it's the phrases and sayings as well, not just the accent.



This question was actually prompted by seeing a bit of Jodie Whittaker last night on The Graham Norton Show. She was sat alongside Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga and Ryan Gosling, promoting A Star Is Born and First Man respectively.

Whittaker related a story about learning to milk a cow for Tess of the D'Urbervilles (2008) and said it wasn't that pleasant as the cow had "warty teats". Her Yorkshire accent is quite broad and at first it sounded like she said "water". For clarity she quickly had to affect an American accent until everyone cottoned on to the meaning. I was really surprised, only being from Lancashire, to be as mystified as they were .



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Let me see, what was the last thing I saw Tom Hardy in? ...



Let me see, what was the last thing I saw Tom Hardy in? ...
I wasn't sold on his Mad Max: Fury Road voice I have to say .



If I remember correctly The Killer Inside Me was a bit of a struggle at first without.

Reminds me I need to rewatch The VVitch at some point with subs turned on as the occasional 'archaic language + regional mumbling' meant I couldnae get all of it.



It depends how hard it is to understand or even hear. I noticed that some movies don't just have a harder to understand accent, the sound mixing is very low as well which makes it hard to hear. Sometime it seems like the voice level is low, but the ambient sounds are pretty high so you can't just turn up the volume without being jolted.

Watching movies not in your native language dubbed or subtitled is a different story. I know that is not the title of this thread, but I just think you miss so much by watching something dubbed. Subtitles have never been an issue for me, but some people find them distracting. I find it a bit of a sacrilege to do so, but I came to expect it from a lot of my friends. I suppose a lot of people prefer it.
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If I remember correctly The Killer Inside Me was a bit of a struggle at first without.

Reminds me I need to rewatch The VVitch at some point with subs turned on as the occasional 'archaic language + regional mumbling' meant I couldnae get all of it.
Interestingly enough, Ralph Ineson's from Leeds and I was okay with his voice. Very dominant voice too in that film.

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It depends how hard it is to understand or even hear. I noticed that some movies don't just have a harder to understand accent, the sound mixing is very low as well which makes it hard to hear. Sometime it seems like the voice level is low, but the ambient sounds are pretty high so you can't just turn up the volume without being jolted.
That's also been a big issue with UK TV for a number of years.

Watching movies not in your native language dubbed or subtitled is a different story. I know that is not the title of this thread, but I just think you miss so much by watching something dubbed. Subtitles have never been an issue for me, but some people find them distracting. I find it a bit of a sacrilege to do so, but I came to expect it from a lot of my friends. I suppose a lot of people prefer it.
I think dubbing's more of a distraction. It's a very disconcerting thing to watch.



Unless the movie's language is American or the Queen's English, I usually have to use subtitles. If it's a strong working class British accent I have a hard time picking up everything that's said. If it's Scottish, well that's close enough to another language that I always need subs.



Unless the movie's language is American or the Queen's English, I usually have to use subtitles. If it's a strong working class British accent I have a hard time picking up everything that's said. If it's Scottish, well that's close enough to another language that I always need subs.
I've been seeing the odd bit of Krypton recently and I'd like to say we don't all sound like that .



I've been seeing the odd bit of Krypton recently and I'd like to say we don't all sound like that .
Oh I know! I've heard many different types of accents from Brits in the movies.

Let me ask you, or other MoFos from English speaking countries (other than the U.S)...have you ever heard American accents in movies that you can't understand?



Let me ask you, or other MoFos from English speaking countries (other than the U.S)...have you ever heard American accents in movies that you can't understand?
Well I was just thinking about listening to Michael Mann's commentaries for Manhunter and Heat. His Chicago accent is very dense and there was the odd patch where I couldn't understand him . I think it's better when I can see him talking to be honest.



Just saw The Witch (2015). Definitely needed the subtitles and I cannot imagine watching it without them.



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Oh I know! I've heard many different types of accents from Brits in the movies.

Let me ask you, or other MoFos from English speaking countries (other than the U.S)...have you ever heard American accents in movies that you can't understand?
I often have to use subtitles as I don't always hear clearly what is being said and turning the volume up doesn't always help. It may be something to do with sound mixing as someone suggested. Or perhaps just actors mumbling. But there do seem to be some American accents that seem harder to understand than others - I couldn't tell you what region they were though. I know I definitely had to put subtitles on for No Country For Old Men - and I was watching that with someone else and they found it hard to understand too!



If I remember correctly The Killer Inside Me was a bit of a struggle at first without.
I've heard a lot of people say that Casey Affleck mumbles so as they can't really understand what he's saying.

I only needed subs for The Wire (mumbled slang) and a Scottish movie in which all the kids were mumbling in slang too.
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I had to watch Ratcatcher without subtitles at university. It took 15 minutes to snap up what they were saying at all. After that I started snapping up half.



I've heard a lot of people say that Casey Affleck mumbles so as they can't really understand what he's saying.

I only needed subs for The Wire (mumbled slang) and a Scottish movie in which all the kids were mumbling in slang too.
I'm normally ok with Casey tbh but he was tough to follow in TKIM.

Slang can be a tough one - sometimes it's easy enough to guess the gist even if the terms are new to me, other times I'll just furrow my brow and hope it's meaning is either inconsequential or will become clear in time. Generally it's more a matter of comprehension for me rather than an audible/inaudible thing so subs really won't /don't make a great deal of difference