MovieChat Forums > El secreto de sus ojos (2010) Discussion > The only problem with the translation

The only problem with the translation

posted 13 years ago by vasq6876
16 replies | jump to latest

Being bilingual, I often find it annoying when the subtitles are badly done on a film which may take away some of the nuance in what's being said. The subtitles in this one are actually really good, and not being Argentinian or accustomed to their accent, I found myself re-listening to some of the dialog to get what they were saying and found the subtitles to help more often than not. The subtitles also chose words carefully and made pretty good compromises whenever necessary for the unavoidable figures of speech that always make doing such translations difficult.

The only problem I have--and I'll admit right now that it was unavoidable--is in the translation of the title of the film. "El secreto de sus ojos" could just as easily mean "the secred in HIS eyes" as it could "the secret in HER eyes" as it means "the secret in THEIR eyes". This to me was one of the awesomely nuanced bits in the movie. If you watch up to the point Esposito discovers who the killer is, you'd be thinking the title meant "the secret in HIS eyes." What is brilliant is that once the movie is done, and particularly in that last scene where Esposito and Hastings share what could have easily been a drawn out dramatic conversation, but they do it without a single word by just the looks in their eyes, you come to realize that the meaning of the title was "the secret in THEIR eyes."

It's only at the end that you realize that everyone in the film harbored secrets that they were communicating with their eyes. Of course this wouldn't have worked if it weren't for the excellent acting on the part of Esposito, Hastings, and even Morales and Gomez. Like I said, there was really no way around this translation issue, but it's just a shame that the translated title actually gives this away.

I'm so ugly...that's ok 'cause so are you.

[–] Gular-Scute 13 years ago

That and the irksome fact that most translation in foreign cinema is aimed at the American market. Surely there must be an Argentinian equivalent to *beep* Iowa' that would be understood by all but the lower end of a mass audience- who probably wouldn't be watching a subtitled film anyway.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] veryhornyfox 12 years ago

Victorina, I strongly disagree, but maybe with were watching a different translation, or you mean some of the slang.

90%+ of it I thought was translated perfectly, and then there was 10% or less including some slangy parts which I had to read the subtitles as I didn't understand too well.

[–] veryhornyfox 12 years ago

I agree with the well written article, although I had wondered whether it could still be "his" eyes focuses on the one key moment - the photo - (and also "his" eyes when he looks too intently at the lady's breasts and gives away his eveil predator nature).

But yes, maybe you're right, maybe they translated as theirs in the context of the multiple secrets in the film.

Thanks, this helps, as I posted on another thread.

[–] PoppyTransfusion 12 years ago

"El secreto de sus ojos" could just as easily mean "the secred in HIS eyes" as it could "the secret in HER eyes" as it means "the secret in THEIR eyes". This to me was one of the awesomely nuanced bits in the movie. If you watch up to the point Esposito discovers who the killer is, you'd be thinking the title meant "the secret in HIS eyes." What is brilliant is that once the movie is done, and particularly in that last scene where Esposito and Hastings share what could have easily been a drawn out dramatic conversation, but they do it without a single word by just the looks in their eyes, you come to realize that the meaning of the title was "the secret in THEIR eyes."

It's only at the end that you realize that everyone in the film harbored secrets that they were communicating with their eyes.

Nice point and it adds to the social/political atmosphere that enabled Gomez to be freed and Esposito/Sandoval to have their lives threatened. In such a situation one has to keep secrets that might only be detected by looking into another's eyes.

Why problem make? When you no problem have, you don't want to make ...

[–] MetalWorks 12 years ago

Actually this is one of the biggest problems on why Argentinean films sometimes go unnoticed, because in the production process they don't bother thinking about doing a good translation... the other being sound design (Just horrible most of the time)

Something that Italians films always had, an actual english version, because they did bother hiring an English writer to do the script in english and later proper dubbing

I think its a radical aspect, and some colleagues should start thinking about this early on in pre-production

[–] gmansi 11 years ago

And how is the translation of "TEMO" - "TE AMO"?

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] gmansi 11 years ago

Of course, but you cant make the last word starting from the first one, like on spanish... adding a single A

[–] PillowRock 11 years ago

They don't need to. It's not like they replaced all of the shots of the note with an equivalent shots of an English language note. The film is left intact, so English speaking viewers can see how cleanly that transforms in the language of the characters, with the meaning of the note subtitled.

[–] gmansi 11 years ago

by PillowRock » 13 hours ago (Tue Sep 10 2013 14:58:46)
IMDb member since October 2003
They don't need to. It's not like they replaced all of the shots of the note with an equivalent shots of an English language note. The film is left intact, so English speaking viewers can see how cleanly that transforms in the language of the characters, with the meaning of the note subtitled.

OK I understand, thanks

[–] movie_nazi 9 years ago

The translation was not bad but could have been better in my opinion.

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[–] Sitcom_Sally 9 years ago

What does "Napolean Solo" mean? Is that what they call Hans Solo from Star Wars? In the context it seemed to mean he was someone trying to be a hero.

"There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on." - Rod Serling

[–] mecormany 9 years ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Solo

[–] jeffcarroll 9 years ago

No.
He had an UNCLE who was a spy.
Though the Russian one after becoming visible finally got a job as a Pathologist in the US Navy.

[–] ItsNotJust-a-flick 9 years ago

And don't forget the secret in Irene's eyes. Especially in the scene were she expected Esposito would talk about his love for her, but he mentioned the reopening of the case instead. You could see the whole story in her eyes.

***70s - the time when even Stallone had to make a decent film***