"... the kind of subtitles that I like: the shortest possible, never going over a shot, as streamlined as possible. You have a margin of how many characters you can have in a subtitle and I try to keep it the lowest possible. I’d rather people watch the movie than read the subtitles. It’s cool to be respected for something that is almost not noticed...the best thing you could say about a good subtitle is that is goes without being noticed." Andrew Litvack

Subtitler Litvack was interviewed by Manu Yanez Marillo in the latest issue of "Film Comment" magazine. Litvack works closely with French directors, sometimes co-writing screenplays in addition to translating the dialogue for English-language audiences. He has written subtitles for films starring Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert, and Jean Dujardin.

I have a rudimentary grasp of the French language so I can tell when the subtitles are an edited version of what the characters say. Litvack explains the reasoning behind this and I respect his methodology. Subtitles should never hamper the viewing experience and I've found that when the job is done well, I'm barely aware that I am reading the dialogue rather than just hearing it.

Litvak did not subtitle "Gibraltar", the film discussed in this week's feature review, but it is a French production. Admirers of Cedric Jimenez's "The Connection" will also respond to "Gibraltar". Both are period pieces, set in the 1970s and 1980s respectively, and are based on true-life stories with ties to drug trafficking. Gilles Lellouche plays an uncomplicated Marseille drug lord in "The Connection" but his role in "Gibraltar" is mulit-faceted. As I write in my review, his character views himself as a victim but Marc Duval is far from innocent.

There have been a few successful English-language versions of international films such as "The Birdcage", based on "La Cage aux Folles". Today, I watched the trailer for the Australian remake of the Icelandic film "Rams". The Aussie version has the same title and stars Sam Neill and Michael Caton. They play two rival sheep farmers, who also happen to be brothers conducting a decades-long feud. (You can read my review of the original film on the Drama Movies site.) I am somewhat apprehensive after viewing the trailer, as the remake seems to take the edge off the story and emphasize the comedic elements over the dramatic. We shall have to wait for the final product, however. In an interview, Michael Caton stated the producers are adamant on a theatrical release for "Rams". If nothing else, the movie showcases the beauty of Western Australia's landscape.

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Here's the latest article from the Drama Movies site at BellaOnline.com.

Gibraltar Film Review
Betrayal is rife in "Gibraltar". Gille Lellouche stars as a morally compromised businessman turned drug informant. Unjustly imprisoned by his own government, "Gibraltar" is based on the true-life story of Marc Fievet.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art307097.asp

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Angela K. Peterson, Drama Movies Editor
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