I’ve been reading a lot of TV and movies lately. Well, watching them, but reading the subtitles. Movies and shows from France, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, and I have lots more to go.
When I was a kid I HATED subtitles. Why would you want to watch a movie in another language in the first place? Everything should be in English, because that’s the language I speak. Just dub everything!

I don’t recall when it was, but sometime over the last 15 years my opinion on subtitles changed. I realized that dubbing removes part of the performance the actor is giving. Instead of listening to the person on the screen, you’re listening to someone in a recording booth that has absolutely no connection to what’s happening on the screen. You miss the delivery of the lines as they were intended. Sure, subtitles can be a bit difficult at the start, but I find that after watching something for a few minutes I forget that I’m reading the screen at all.
I’ve also discovered that there are a TON of awesome foreign-language shows and movies out there, and I’d really be missing out if I refused to watch anything with subtitles. I’ve discovered a few really good crime dramas from Sweden (Wallander), and Norway (Varg Veum), as well as an increible cop show from France (Braquo). I have a few Danish shows to watch, as well as movies from Brazil, Japan, Sweden, Norway, France, and Russia. It’s awesome.

P.S. Woohoo, I blogged.