FA in different language versions

[Hans]

Hallo!

As you know films are shown in different languages in different countries. I saw FA translated into german. (to me it was a must, because i don't speak swedish...) Anyway, from my point of view the best is allways the original language version (with subtitles if nessesary). On the other hand, i think the german version is great too. Agnes' german voice fits to her character. If you want you can read the script in several languages on this homepage, so you can see if you like the translation into your language.
Perhaps a lot of you have seen FA in english, german, french or of course in swedish. What do you think about it? Do you like translated films in general or do you prefere subtitled original versions?

I hope i have asked an interesting question.
yours Hans

[arkz1531]

I prefer subtitled original versions because the actors' original emotions and feelings are still there.

[common svensson]

Hi,

I also watched it first in German, I think the voice-actors did a really good job! There's always the danger of ruining a movie through translation and changing the voices, for example: did anyone see the German version of Bear's Kiss (starring Rebecka Liljeberg)? They picked a terribly rough, low voice for Rebecka, which was so annoying, I wish I were deaf ...

Of course, få in its original language is beautiful, but you have to get used to it after seeing the german version so many times. I wonder if there are any other translated versions (with changed voices, not just the subtitles), as far as I know, there's no english version of that movie.

by the way: I'm also from Nordrhein-Westfalen, what a coincidence!

[kant1781]

I agree that the German version is decent and the voice actors did a good job, but it definitely changes things. For example, Rebecka's voice here is definitely much higher and younger than her real voice (can't remember my impression from Bear's Kiss, but in fact she *has* a low voice - anyway, rather lower than the German voice actress); all in all I find that in the German version Agnes and Elin both sound more like real kids. They sound much older, more mature in Swedish. The obvious setback of the dubbed version (any dubbed version I guess) is that no other actress could ever deliver Alexandra Dahlström's incredible groans and wails of frustration which are so wonderful and funny in the original! I'm glad I had the dubbed thing in order to get the meaning of the lines and concentrate on the pictures without having to read the bloody subtitles, but once I knew it by heart, I switched. I must say I fell in love with the sound of Swedish (or the kind of dialect that is spoken in the film.) Now that the sound of Alexandra saying "jävla coola" or "fem tusend kilo O'boy" is in my ears, I'm spoiled for any surrogate... Also, if you speak German, it is quite astonishing how much you can understand in the Swedish version as soon as you know what they are saying!

Addendum for the NRW guys: Greetings from an expatriate...! Must be a regional genetic thing! Note that the strong Dutch fraction around here as well seems to be centered just across the border in Limburg, Maastricht and Roermond...

[Hans]

Hallo,

thanks for your answers. i totally agree with you that the translation can ruin the good job, actors may do. on the other hand i think too that subtitles can be annoying if you try to concentrate on the pictures. it is a pity i haven't seen bear's kiss or "Der Kuss des Bären" yet.
For me it depends on the type of movie you watch: if it's just a lousy hollywood-action-film with a lot of shootings and explosions it isn't that importent to hear the original actor's voice. so watch the translated version.
In film like FA (dialogues, feelings, love, great acting...you know what mean) it is totally different! we've watched FA several times anyway, so i think Kant did the right thing: watch in german first (to understand the dialogues) and than enjoy it in swedish. you're right Kant. when you speak german or dutch, you can understand a little.

Maybe it is a typicall german thing, that everything in the cinema or on tv is translated. sometimes i'd like to watch more movies in the original language. i am glad there's in cinema in the city where i live, that shows sometimes original versions. another good idea is going to the cinema in the netherlands (if you live close to the border).

best wishes Hans

PS: you're right it is funny that there is FA-maniac concentration in nrw, limburg, gelderland.

An dieser Stelle also nochmals schöne Grüße an meine westfälischen Landsleute (aber auch nach Berlin) und ...

hartelijke groetjes aan onze westerburen in Oost-Nederland en Belgie. We zijn allemaal een beetje gek vanwege FA. Maar, is dat niet eigenlijk heerlijk?

[sydney]

Jouw Nederlands is perfect. Waar heb je dat geleerd?

Transl: Your Dutch is perfect, where did you learn to speak the language?
I'm from Limburg btw...

[Hans]

bedankt voor je compliment sydney. zoiets hoor je altijd graag;-)
Ik heb een paar semester Nederlands gestudeerd, toch niet afgesloten helaas. Bovendien ben ik af en toe in Nederland.

btw. betekend "semester" in het Zweeds niet "vakantie" ?
dat zou leuk zijn geweest hoor!?!

groetjes Hans

Transl.
tnx for the compliment sydney. i once studied dutch at the university.

btw. the swedish word "semester" means "holiday" -isn't?
that must have been nice...

regards Hans

[sydney]

Semester in Swedish means holiday... that's right. What a totally different thing it means in Dutch hehe

Just to refer to the dubbing and subtitling point you talked about. I agree that subtitling is the best way to translate a movie, because the real intentions of the director will not be lost. I sometimes go to Mönchengladbach to go to the Kino, but only if I can see a good German movie. I saw Der Untergang there. But mainly I do prefers subs. I have one exception... That is Paris, Texas of Wim Wenders. I saw this movie for the first time on German television and recorded it. Now that I also saw the original version I keep on preferring the dubbed version. Really strange isn't it? I think that the dubbed voices fit more to the characters then the original voices of the actors. hehe

[kant1781]

Hallo,
it is a pity i haven't seen bear's kiss or "Der Kuss des Bären" yet.

There's probably no undubbed version of this one as it was shot in several languages? (Does anyone know about that?) Apart from that, there's unfortunately no real reason to watch it except for Rebecka...

[Hans]

Kant wrote:
"There's probably no undubbed version of this one as it was shot in several languages? (Does anyone know about that?) Apart from that, there's unfortunately no real reason to watch it except for Rebecka..."

As far as i know "Bear's Kiss" is really EUROPEAN film: it is a german film, directed by a russian, shot in Spain and Sweden (?), spoken in english, starring a swedish actress (Rebecka Liljeberg,- perhaps really the only reason to watch it).
note: this is what i read about it on www.rebecca-liljeberg.com

yours Hans

[sydney]

There's probably no undubbed version of this one as it was shot in several languages? (Does anyone know about that?)

The Dutch version has subtitles and therefore undubbed.

[kant1781]

Thanks, Sydney! But does that mean that they all talk English - e.g., Joachim Król, the German actor who plays the Groppo the clown, speaks English and hasn't been dubbed? Must be a funny mixture of accents then!

[sydney]

Only in the beginning they speak a bit Russian, but the movie is for 99% in English.

[Hans]

Hi

finally, i got it- the SWEDISH VERSION of Fucking Åmål. It is a shame, i got that late. The funny thing about it, is that it has finnish subtitles, which i of course cannot read at all. That means that nothing is gonna disturb me listening to the beautiful swedish language.

the first thing i noticed is, that both caracters (Agnes and Elin) remain stronger and much more powerfull with their own voices. This is especially true concerning Agnes! As you allready said: Rebecka Liljeberg's voice is much deeper than in the german dubbed version. That makes the caracter more serious. She doesn't sound like a child anymore, which makes Agnes more adolescent. And you understand better that Agnes is indeed really, really strong. She's fighting! The german dubbed voice of Agnes CAN make her sound a little shy and weak, but she isn't. She is fighting for love and for Elin. She's fighting with the milieu of the people in Åmål (especial her mother). And she does it better in swedish!

And Elin (Alexandra)? Well, you said it: Her groans are unbelivable!

The second thing i noticed is that a "stronger" language is used in the original version: lets start with the title- "Fucking Åmål" sounds more provocating than "Raus aus Amal". Maybe the most famous quote from the film "Värfor maste vi bor i fucking jävla kuk Amal?" is translated with "Warum müssen wir nur in diesem verkackten Amal wohnen?". Elin shouts (after Agnes has slabbed her in the school corridor) "jävla lebb...", which is translated "fucking cunt" in english is "Dumme Kuh..." in german. So there is less "bad language" in the german version, i think. This can, of course, be my personal impression. What do you think about that? Do you have other examples?

After all, i have to admit that i fell in love with our favorite movie again. swedish is just fantastic!


Vi är så jävla coola!
yours Hans

[common svensson]

"Dumme Kuh"? That's strange... As far as I know, Elin's yelling "Du kleine Schlampe" ("you little bitch") at Agnes, which is a much stronger insult. But even that doesn't quite transport the original meaning of "Jävla lebb" ("fucking dyke"). After all, she is inulting Agnes sexual orientation - while fearing to accept her own homosexual feelings at the same time. I can't think of any fitting german swear-word that directly refers to lesbians.

Another thing I noticed which got lost in the german dubbed version: When Jessica talks about Marcus explaining the functions of his cellphone, she sounds honestly enthusiastic ("einfach super!"). It sounds rather stupid, considering her cynical character. In the original, her expression of "väldigt interessant" ("very interesting") is indeed ironic. Lukas also wrote in his script that this sentence is meant as a sarcastic remark.