Amadeus (1984), and Language Substitution in Films

[Flick James]

I was looking through my DVD’s last night and came across Amadeus (1984), and put it in because I haven’t watched it in some time. I’m always pleased when I watch it. It was quite a good film, IMHO. I noticed something about it that I had never noticed before, which will work into why I’m actually posting this. The setting of Amadeus is Vienna, Austria, during Mozart’s lifetime, so the primary language of the setting is German. As with many movies done in English that are period pieces, the movie is, of course, in English, not German. However, I noticed they really did the language substitution thing much more thoroughly than most. Not only was the movie done in English to substitute German, but the substitution was so complete that it actually applied to the music. In cases where an opera was in Italian, they used Italian, just like when it was spoken in the film. However, in depictions of an opera where the language was German, such as The Magic Flute, they actually used English, instead of the German that the opera was written in. I thought this was incredible attention to detail and logic. Why not? If the language of the characters is German, yet the film is substituting English for German for the purposes of the film, then why wouldn’t the language of the opera have the same substitution? I had never noticed that before, but the next time you watch it, notice that sometimes the musical scenes are sung in English, meaning that the opera was actually written for the German language. I was impressed by this.

Okay enough said.

This actually made me think about a related topic. I do watch foreign films sometimes, have some knowledge in the area, but I’m far from an expert. In the history of film, most films have been done in English, only because Americans and the English really were the biggest contributors in this media over the years. As a result, there are thousands upon thousands of films that are period pieces, where the language should be something else, but they do the movie in English, and we just accept that the characters are, say, actually speaking Latin because the movie is set in ancient Rome. Fine, no problem there. It seems to me that other countries rarely do this, or much less than American film makers anyway. In other words, you don’t see a French film maker doing a film set during the American Revolution, for example, and having American characters speaking in French. On the other hand, an American film maker doing a film set during the French Revolution would certainly have all the French characters speaking in English.

Just food for thought, and, hopefully, discussion. 

[The Burgomaster]

Interesting analysis.  This made me think of a different (but somewhat related) phenomenon in which movies are in English, yet there is an international cast and everyone seems to have a different accent.  A great example is THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.  You've got Yul Brynner, Charlton Heston, Vincent Price, and countless other stars all speaking English with various accents, yet our suspension of disbelief allows us to ignore this.

I'm giving you a shot of karma because I think this is one of the most original topics I've seen here in a long time.   

[Jim H]

t seems to me that other countries rarely do this, or much less than American film makers anyway.

This depends on the country in my experience.  A LOT of Japanese films do this, as well as anime TV series.  It might also be worth noting that dubbing into local languages is actually much more prevalent in some countries than in the US - Germany, for example. 

In the history of film, most films have been done in English, only because Americans and the English really were the biggest contributors in this media over the years.

It's interesting to note this wasn't the case before WWI - America was important, but so was Italy and France and so forth.  Huge portions of their film industries were destroyed in World War I, then again in World War II, and in that vacuum American film making became dominant and never let go.

I've never really seen a comparison of the number of English-language films VS non-English.  It'd be an interesting project to attempt.  It might be worth noting that even in the 30s and 40s, Japan by itself made hundreds of films a year (and still does).  By the 60s, Hong Kong production and Chinese/Taiwanese production was also pretty huge.  And, of course, India now produces like 1000 films a year. 

Not the main point, though - American film making was certainly the world's most influential for a long, long time.  And still is, really, if for no other reason than our films dominate the box offices of almost every country on earth. 

Why not? If the language of the characters is German, yet the film is substituting English for German for the purposes of the film, then why wouldn’t the language of the opera have the same substitution? I had never noticed that before, but the next time you watch it, notice that sometimes the musical scenes are sung in English, meaning that the opera was actually written for the German language. I was impressed by this.

That's a good point, and a good decision by the film makers I think.  I generally do not have a problem with a film being done in English, even if it is a historical piece.  Stories themselves are pretty much universal, and a film maker may like a story from a culture that doesn't speak English.  He'd be giving himself a huge handicap (both artistically, and financially) to try to make it in the original language.  It's very challenging to make a movie in a language you don't speak.

However, there are times where I do NOT think it is appropriate to do this.  Sometimes I feel the language and culture itself is a little too intrinsic or important in some way.  For this reason, I'd find a movie about, say, the Cultural Revolution done in English by Chinese actors to just be strange. 

[frank]

... It seems to me that other countries rarely do this, or much less than American film makers anyway. In other words, you don't see a French film maker doing a film set during the American Revolution, for example, and having American characters speaking in French. ... 

I'm not sure, if I got this right, but usually German productions with German actors will produce in German, no matter where the setting is. Kinski in Aguirre, e.g., speaks German, not Spanish. On the other hand, I like sticking to the actual languages (with subtitles) much more, e.g. Rutger Hauer playing an American (!?) gangster in the English named, but German film "Knocking on heaven's door" speaks English, when the rest doesn't. Similar with German productions featuring Dennis Hopper.