View Full Version : Subtitles on Jean Vigo box?
This is probably too much to hope for, but does anyone know if the French 2-DVD set of Jean Vigo films has English subtitles or intertitles?
...erm... a two-disc set you say? for two black-and-white, academy aperture movies with mono sound, whose running times are, respectively, 44 minutes and 68 minutes?... wouldn't that be a bit of overkill?...
...anyway, according to this site, the movies have been announced (no date given) (no info about subs, dubs, or extras, either)...
http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=4277
http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=4208
. . . :o . . .
Yep, two (2) disc. And cinestore and alapage claim to already have them in. Contents apparently include L'Atalante, Zero for Conduct, A propos de Nice, and a documentary I'm not familiar with. I've got a hundred bucks that says not a word of English on this baby....and man do I hope I'm wrong.
...yup... right you are!
http://www.cinestore.com/html/fiche_produits.php?groupe=1&page=1&id=11727
...oddly enough, although the Cinéstore site mentions Expédition immédiate they cannot give details about subs and such...
...I'll wait until I've seen a positive review of this set before ordering it... and, besides, I have all these other as yet unwatched DVDs (Pygmalion - Salvador - CTHD - Der Blechtrommel - Der Totmacher - Das Experiment - Der Unhold - Funny Games - Martín (Hache) - Flores de otro mundo, etc.) to go through still...
...sigh...
. . . :o . . .
Michael Brooke
17-01-2002, 10:15
The documentary is almost certainly <I>Taris</I>, Vigo's only other film.
The combined running time of his entire output (which this set would appear to contain) is around three hours - Hendrik, you're miles out on the running time of the feature-length <I>L'Atalante</I>, which is closer to 98 minutes! - , so while it <U>could</U> fit on one disc, if they've added any extras - and the French are normally pretty good on that score - I can easily see how it could spill over to two.
...I was quoting from the dvdfr.com site, which is usually - but not always, obviously! - up to snuff... (moral: never quote!)...
...incidentally, Halliwell's gives the time as 89 minutes, as does the IMDb (I know! I know!)...
...the 'User's comment' for Taris (no runtime given) makes it sound very interesting: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0022462 ...
. . . :) . . .
Back to the initial question of subtitles, could someone post here as soon as they get any sort of definitive word on that? Having been burned not so long ago by ordering that lovely Jeunet box thinking it surely must have English subtitles, I'm not eager to repeat the experience.
adamvbarker
17-01-2002, 16:46
Full details at Musicbox (http://www.musicbox.fr/cgi-bin/musicbox/0013757?g7skLUKS;;461) (look particularly at the 'verso de la pochette' link) whose information is always impeccable, even if their international shipping is a little wonky these days.
No subtitles at all it seems. But I may take this opportunity to polish up my rusty french, as Vigo's work is hardly very verbal, and there look to be some great extras, including what seems to be 1hr 35 documentary on Vigo
Point well taken about Vigo's work not exactly being verbal-driven. Still, it's a pity -- and lack of subtitles probably won't exactly seem inconsequential when attempting to watch that 1 hr 35 minute doc on Vigo.
Isn't there some way to convince French companies to try to include English subs on their stuff whenever possible? If not out of some general love of cinema and desire to see these films reach the broadest international audience, then maybe just from a financial perspective (ie: selling more DVDs to hungry non-French speakers)?
adamvbarker
17-01-2002, 17:25
I'd certainly be very happy if all french dvds had english subtitles, as they tend to be very high quality.
I suppose the french companies can see if the subtitled disks sell better than those without. The extra sales are only likely to come from internet sales to the UK and maybe the USA (there's more people in the USA obviously, but they seem to be a little more parochial in their disk buying). Are these sales enough to make the cost of a subtitle track worthwhile?
I think sometimes there might be other factors too. When big special editions of Amelie and Pacte des Loups - both of which had quite an international buzz going - have no subtitles, then is that because they are still playing in cinemas in the uk? Or is it because whovever's distributing it in the uk doesn't want people to have already bought it before they even bring their version out?
Michael Brooke
17-01-2002, 19:18
<B>Or is it because whovever's distributing it in the uk doesn't want people to have already bought it before they even bring their version out?</B>
Much of the time, this is exactly the reason - I believe Artificial Eye did a deal with MK2 that ensured that their version of the <I>Three Colours</I> trilogy wouldn't have English subtitles so that people in the UK would buy the Artificial Eye version. Quite a few distributors make this a contractual condition when they buy the UK rights - and it's easy to understand their point of view.
For similar reasons, although most Criterion discs aren't region-coded, some are - and again, that's because the rights holder insisted: in the case of their Japanese titles, Toho presumably wanted to keep the Japanese (NTSC) market for itself.
<B>Isn't there some way to convince French companies to try to include English subs on their stuff whenever possible? </B>
If I were a French distributor, I'd point out - correctly - that vastly more French DVDs of French films include English subtitles than British DVDs of British films with French subtitles! So what do you do if you're a French fan of British cinema?
(I write this at a time when Ken Loach's <I>The Navigators</I> - which didn't even get a cinema release in its native country - is packing them in in Paris!)
...alright... it's official... "Aucun sous-titres"... but a glowing review of the set, the transfers, the sound (note: this filmmaker died less than a year after I was born, so these are indeed *o*l*d* movies!)...
http://www.dvdrama.net/fiche.php3?2105
...my order has already been placed...
. . . :D . . .
Anyone know if there's a site (or maybe someone on here) who might have the lowdown on which French DVDs with English subs ARE available? Gutted to find Pacte Des Loups doesn't, and I'm also looking for any of the films of Robert Guedigan ("La Ville Est Tranquille" etc), but ain't found any with english yet. anyone know more?
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