Foreign language movies in UK

S

sleepydad

New member
Just curious as to whether the UK is open enough to foreign language movies. What do others reckon?
Im particularly interested to know whether we're any different to other European countries in the amount of non domestic and American movies we screen. Are we better, worse or the same as most of Europe?
 
Well i know for a fact that the french have a great love for Japanese animation, whereas in England its a miracle if these films even make it to the cinema
 
Seems that way. Would that be the our movie industry's fault or are we, the British public, the most reluctant in Europe to try out something that isn't in our language?
 
I certainly prefer my chinese movies to be subtitled rather than dubbed.
Possibly its the often bad dubbing or the lip synch that throws me.
Certainly the majority of martial arts movies have the actors inflicted with the worst B movie American gangster voices.

Have a few French movies such as 8 women and Riffiffi that are subtitled and enjoy them just fine.

As for are we the same or worse than other countries, no as a people we are pretty much the same, wherever I have traveled abroard I found this to be so.

Governments and official bodies however do differ and maybe thats the problem.
 
I saw 8 Women on Film Four a few weeks ago, a very enjoyable film

I enjoyed quite a few foreign language films

Run, Lola, Run
Les Visiteurs
Goodbye Lenin
Downfall

but I've not seen any of them at the cinema
 
I have a great love of Japanese cinema and anime. There are some astonishing films out there if you start looking.

I think we are getting better and some things are getting to the cinema like Pans labyrinth and Howls moving Castle.

One of the main problems is dubbing - unfortunately most of these films to not translate well and the feeling is lost - that and its always rubbish American Actors doing the voices - Subtitles are the only way to really enjoy these films as they were meant to be seen.

Your best place is the online DVD rental places, great thing is as people have never heard of these films you get them sent straight away!

Films I love

Twilight Samurai - Fantastic Film and not all about fighting as you might think

The Cat Returns - Anime film made out of pure adventure

Yojimbo - This is the film that Sergio Leone ripped Off
 
I had forgotten Le Visiteurs thats a fun film hope they never remake is as the original French version is great.

Kurasowa yes have Yojimbo, and raan, kagamusha, throne of blood etc all very good.

I also grab any foreign language movies they give away in the papers I am usually pleased with the experience.
 
To be honest you cant blame dubbing, as no films are dubbed these days apart from anime.

I think the main issue is this; your average cinema goer in England at most goes to the movies once a month. Now when they go there on thier night off, are they gonna watch some box office fodder that will keep them entertained, or are they gonna sit there reading a film? Im a fan of all types of films (artsy stuff, box office trash, foreign, everything...), but the fact remains you're average joe isnt going to spend a fortune (which lets face it is what the cinema is these days) on something they might not like. With big budget summer films you know what you're getting. Most people go to the cinema to relax...
 
Good point Sly
When I go to the cinema Its without exception to see a new holywood blockbuster that appeals to my tastes.

My previous comments were for dvRAB I watch at home or the cable tv, where I watch foreign films fairly frequently.

If the cinema was closer and I had more spare cash I wouldnt rule out foreign movies.

I did watch 2001 while on holiday in Italy does that count as a foreign film.
It was dubbed :)
 
Yeah...i mean alot of people go to the cinema to see a spectacle that they wont ever be able to experience at home...and *most* foreign films we usually get are critically acclaimed drama, which really doesnt require a massive screen, people would rather get the dvd...or often the hype around the film doesnt really start till the film has long been out on DVD (City of God, Battle Royale, etc, etc)
I mean apart from Yimou Zhangs films (Hero, Flying Daggers, Golden Flower) there are not many well known foreing film makers that make visual films that demand you go to the cinema. Recent hit foreign films like the Lives of Others & Volver are just as enjoyable at home.

As a teenager, i probably averaged one foreign film in the cinema a year, but now with a larger income, i go to the cinema alot more every year and watch a larger selection of films.
Last year I went to the cinema 30 times, and watched only one foreign language film (Fearless). Most of the time i just rented foreign films.
This year I've already been 32 times and seen 6 foreign language films already (Babel-more in non-english, than english- , Letters from Iwo Jima, Pan's Labyrinth, Volver, Curse of the Golden Flower & The Lives of Others)

I think there is a continually growing market though, for a number of reasons. Firstly the UK has a huge population of people whose origins lie elsewhere. Bollywood was the first to break into the top 10, but we are getting more & more countries having successful films. Japan, China, Hong Kong, Mexio, South Africa, Germany, Spain, South Korea, France -to name a few- have all had massive hits in the last few years. Also the media every year hype more foreing films. A few years ago you would be lucky to even know one of the films nominated for best foreign film at the Oscars...yet this year most of them were high profile & there was even controversy for volver not get nominated, it would have been a shoe in a few years back.

Another factor that has contributed is Hollywood's continual loss of ideas...we've done remakes, sequels, tv remakes, comic books...where next? People find out that films like the Departed, The Ring, etc were taken from foreign films and many go on to watch the originals...which leaRAB them onto other films.

Also the rise of the DVD & internet has also helped. Its very easy to find anything on the net or DVD import shops. It really wasnt that easy in the past. Also there is greater word of mouth on films to check out via websites....

Also you can say the number of foreign stars & the range of countries they are from is on the rise. Antonia Banderas, Monica Bellucci, Salma Hayek, Gael Garcia, Audrey Tautou, Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Benicio Del Toro, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Aishwarya Rai, Shahrukh Khan, to name a few, are huge stars....was there ever a time when we had so many???

Anyway im sure youve had enough of my rambling, im into films a little too much :p
 
I used to watch foreign language films regularly when they were shown on BBC Two. Saw films by the likes of Truffaut, Bunuel, Godard etc whilst I was still at school. That inspired me to look out for foreign films at the cinema and my frienRAB and I used to go up to London and watch weird and wonderful films. So I think the problem is to some extent that you have to make an effort to track the films down even if you just want to watch them on TV - nowadays you can't expect a classic French film at 9pm on terrestrial TV so you definitely have to have a PVR and preferably a Sky Movies subscription.

But I do disagree with the poster ("Sly Stallone"!) who says that you don't need to go to the cinema to see foreign films. The Lives Of Others was a masterclass in cinema: the cinematography was composed for the big screen, the soundtrack was mixed for large auditoria and the acting was subtle and needed all our attention. The fact that it was showing to packed out screens in local multiplexes shows that foreign language films can be successful in the UK, but they need a lot of marketing and word of mouth.
 
Would love to live near a modern cosmopolitan city with many cinemas and theatres.

This way there would proabably be a specialist cinema where I could go watch such movies, and might also watch live theatre.

Unfortunatly most small cinemas have been replaced by multiplex versions.
Most towns have 1 multiplex 1 theatre and no operahouse.

SO its Hollywood blockbuster movies only, plays from the west end but without the big stars of the original and maybe a little amateur theatre.
and of course zero opera.

For many dvd and tv is the only chance of experienceing for anything out of the mainstream.
The market is there but its likely to be available to those living in say London and maybe Edinburgh when it comes to the uk.

Its also true that tv has played no small part in destroying the cinema industry.
Without tv there would be far larger cinema audiences and of course larger audiences for the foreign movies.
 
As much as I prefer foreign language movies to the vast majority of the dirge Hollywood churns out today, the fact of the matter is that the majority of multiplexes go towarRAB the more mainstream films (Hollywood) over foreign language titles as they are the ones that make the most money. Although you do get the odd title slipping into the multiplex - Curse of the Golden Flower and Pan's Labyrinth for example.
 
I must admit I have a preference for foreign films, most I project at home but I too remember BBC 2 showcasing many films not made in the English language. However I prefer to go to the cinema to view such films.

My love of foreign films dates back to the early 70s when I would go to an art house movie theatre in Aston University, Birmingham it was there I saw Wim Wender’s ‘Kings of the Road’, and others to numerous to mention. ‘Kings of the Road’ however made a lasting impression on me and I have been trying to locate a DVD of the film but have been unsuccessful.

I enjoy watching Korean and Japanese films, ‘Oldboy’ ‘The Eye’ being two.
 
Ok, I can see then we do give foreign language movies as fair a chance as anywhere else.
As long as we don't fall behind the rest of Europe in this area, then Im happy.
 
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