It'll be fine if someone japanese could say his or her point of view about the movie, and about the Japanese character, that we didn't manage to understand very often. What is he saying at the end, after he saw the war pictures in the magazine?
Turn on the subtitles.
And he kept saying "Shut up" in the end.
There aren't any subtitles. That's the point, isn't it? Have you seen a version with subtitles?
Kambei of the Descending Gormful Bedafter Gumi.
The MGM dvd has subtitles, which does translate Mifune's dialog. (Maybe the older Anchor Bay dvd had no subtitles)
shareReally? Wow! I must look that out. So what does he say? tell us the most important bits. When does he tell the pilot his name? And what is the song he sings at the end? It sounds like an anthem or something equally important to him; he is crying as he sings it.
Kambei of the Descending Gormful Bedafter Gumi.
If you're not above using P2P, there are subs for the torrent that is widely available.
shareHow is this film played in Japan? Wouldn't it be some sort of an interesting international experiment when Japanese viewers could only understand the Japanse actor?
share[deleted]
I can't believe they translated the dialogue. That destroys a pretty big element of the film.
------------
She's gone to warn the wizard! Come on, get my tin hat!
Took the words right out of my mouth, brain. American audiences are supposed to struggle along with the Lee Marvin character when it comes to interpreting the intentions and actions of the other side; ditto for Japanese audiences.
share[deleted]
I speak japanese and the first half of the movie he was cussing him out. They weren't sentences, just bad words actually. When he found him lying in the mud, he said, wake up, stand up, more bad words and thats it. And when they were building the raft all he said was we have to make the raft strong to get over the big waves. Then the ending of the movie he told him to shut up 4 different ways several times.
shareThanks, TDHenry, that's exactly what I would have guessed. Can you answer my query about the song/anthem? It's obviously important to him.
shareKind of a late reply, and you may already know the dialogue, but here is Mifune's song nonetheless:
"When I go on sea
I will become a corpse in water
When I go on hills
I will become a corpse with moss
If my spirit can be near the Emperor
I would not be regretful about myself"
-at this point Marvin drops the tray, Mifune offers more sake, and they transition to the Life magazine/No God exchange
It's a while since I saw this movie. I speak both languages, but the one I watched had Marvin's dialogue with Japanese subtitles, but Mifune's without as it was a Japanese-release video. I think he was singing a hymn, but I can't remember. I recall at one point where they are getting drunk, Marvin asks Mifune if he believes in God, and naturally Mifune hasn't a clue what he is saying.
shareBump. This seems to be a pretty important thread.
shareThanks for the translation, TDHenry
There's a larger question involved here: Should you translate dialog in ANY film, where the character himself doesn't understand? Should the viewer stay in identification with the character, through the lack of understanding, or should the viewer be in a more privileged point of view?
As for this film, one could make an argument both ways. Certainly it helps us identify with the Lee Marvin character more, but why shouldn't we understand the Toshirô Mifune character as well?
When your eyes are blind with tears,
but your heart can see
Another life, Another galaxy
Yes! Well done, old chap! Nice and cataphasial — like a porcupine during winter harvest - - the season of yielding - -
burrowing deep into grandma's featherbed and such before the sun reaches the dew pt. of reference on that cold winter's eve.
Much of your translating is surprisingly accurate, though it's not, and never can be, a perfect mathematical equivalency:
English: Japanese:
(2×3)-4 = 2
Of all famous Japanese grumblers, Mifune ranks 2nd only to Shingo Katori of SMAP×SMAP fame. Toshiro's incidental mumbles
and grumbles in this film are, on occasion, worth knowing. To Lee, or rather to himself regarding this most annoying Lee,
Toshiro mumblegrums the following:
"So you say! And so you've said before! I heard less (¿bitching?) from my wife during our wedding (¿sleep?)"
—PmCƒ(×)
Excellent point. That was the idea behind the initial theater release version, which had no subtitles. (I know, I was there.) One is supposed to feel the characters' frustration, and one certainly does. Subtitles would have spoiled the director's intentions, and the movie, too.
But in a direct answer: No. If the character(s) doesn't understand, why should the viewer?
Nice post, thanks to all and bump it out!
......... Ç|;0) .......
You seem to believe that only people who understand either English or Japanese would ever watch this movie. There are many other languages around the globe, do you realize that? How would the rest of us understand what the characters say? Should we pick a side and have only his dialogue translated? ROTFL
shareThis is a very good point. 😀
share[deleted]