Monday, March 19, 2007

cross-cultural communication

Tonight is first time in a long time that I'm happy to have a TV. Pulp Fiction is on, probably the movie I've seen the most times of all, far ahead of Salt Lake City Punk, Auberge Espagnole and Crash. The difference today is that the film is dubbed in French.

This makes indeed for a hilarious experience. I didn't understand everything, but given that I know most lines by heart I was able to pick up a few words and expand my slang vocabulary. Butch said with a French accent is just too hilarious. Why does every name have to be frenchified here?

There were a few disconcerting aspects also. Jules' delivering his Ezekiel 25:17 doesn't have the same intensity when dubbed. Acting includes speaking as well. Fabienne doesn't have her cute accent. Everyone already speaks French. There is no Zed's dead, baby, Zed's dead. And I didn't get the joke with the three tomatoes. T'es tout rouge was the punch line.

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