Steven Spielberg Omits Spanish Subtitles
in ‘West Side Story’
Breitbart,
by
Warner Todd Huston
Original Article
Posted By: Dreadnought,
12/2/2021 3:25:44 PM
Steven Spielberg’s long-awaited remake of Stephen Sondheim’s hit musical, West Side Story, is raising eyebrows after the director decided to release the film without subtitles to help English-speaking audiences follow along with the Spanish dialog.
Spielberg and writer Tony Kushner decided to hew toward authenticity for the scenes involving the Puerto Rican characters and have them speak in Spanish in many of their scenes. However, Spielberg also decided to forego subtitles to help strictly English-speaking audiences understand what the characters are saying in the Spanish-only and mixed Spanish-English scenes, The Blast reported.
Some Spanish-speaking commenters on Twitter were thrilled that Spielberg was excluding English-speakers from understanding the Spanish scenes.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Dreadnought 12/2/2021 3:26:04 PM (No. 995212)
'Stunning and brave.'
4 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Nashman 12/2/2021 3:29:22 PM (No. 995214)
I predict it will be an El Bombo.
58 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Ida Lou Pino 12/2/2021 3:33:02 PM (No. 995216)
Given the great Stephen Sondheim's recent demise - - there was a slight chance that I may have gone to see this move - - but - -
- - since they don't want me to understand it - - I won't go.
Hasta la vista, baby!
46 people like this.
Not to mention the original cultural appropriation in stealing the entire concept from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
50 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
BigGeorgeTX 12/2/2021 3:38:24 PM (No. 995224)
It's not as if I'm planning to see it, regardless.
20 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Catfur27 12/2/2021 3:41:53 PM (No. 995226)
Hollywood Rule #1....it's ok....no, it's "cool"...to offend white people.
23 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
red1066 12/2/2021 3:41:57 PM (No. 995227)
So watch the original version of the movie. It's better anyway. Remakes are NEVER EVER better than the original movie.
42 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
SilkCity 12/2/2021 3:43:33 PM (No. 995230)
"Press 1 for English"...
25 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
AltaD 12/2/2021 3:48:13 PM (No. 995235)
#6 isn't wrong but I think that might be an old rule, current hollywood rule is that it's required to offend (normal) white people.
18 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Knotwyrkin 12/2/2021 3:51:14 PM (No. 995240)
Ah yes, yet another liberal's step towards equality by discrimination and exclusion.
13 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Tet Vet 68 12/2/2021 4:01:03 PM (No. 995247)
Thanks for the heads up. This movie will go on I'm never going to see category. Get woke go broke.
19 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Rather Read 12/2/2021 4:08:00 PM (No. 995254)
I've never liked West Side Story. I'm giving this a pass.
18 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
ConCynic 12/2/2021 4:10:40 PM (No. 995257)
Thanks for the "heads up". I won't waste my time.
12 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
Rand Al'Thor 12/2/2021 4:13:50 PM (No. 995259)
Easy remedy - just won't watch it. No way they could improve on the original anyhow.
12 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
jalo1951 12/2/2021 4:14:28 PM (No. 995261)
I can only assume that Steve thinks we all need to learn Spanish so we can be totally "woke". This is his way to push us in that wokey direction. Besides, with all the Spanish speaking ILLEGAL aliens invading our country, and with this Congress, they just might make Spanish our national language. FJB
11 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
Zeek Wolfe 12/2/2021 4:18:04 PM (No. 995270)
#7 except for Magnificent Obsession (1954) Speilberg movies are too smarmy so Wst Side Story is a non-starter for me.
5 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
SALady 12/2/2021 4:39:05 PM (No. 995283)
Lets see, there was about a 0.0000000001% chance I would have ever seen this movie before this incredibly stupid stunt. Now there is not a bats chance in Hades that I will ever see it.
Go woke, go broke!!!! Which is exactly what I hope happens to everyone involved with this movie!!! Of course, they will just blame it on "racist" old white people. Of course, back when there was no wokeness in Hollyweird, white audiences saw the original "West Side Story" in massive numbers. I really don't expect a repeat in any way this time -- especially if they are going to make it hard for English speakers to understand what is going on.
5 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
Avikingman 12/2/2021 4:42:41 PM (No. 995286)
"I know a boat you can get on."
10 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
franq 12/2/2021 4:43:49 PM (No. 995288)
I have a DVD of the original. That is all I need.
7 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
JunkYardDog 12/2/2021 5:06:29 PM (No. 995300)
No english? No problem-o! I distinctly remember how, in the ORIGINAL movie, the Puerto Rican girls were so happy to be in America, compared to the 3rd world s-hole that PR was/is/continues to be. Spielberg is a stunningly arrogant @hole. But I repeat myself.
15 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
November Rose 12/2/2021 5:08:19 PM (No. 995302)
A very large number of movie goers will not go to see this remake. The original was inauthentic inasmuch as I remember Rita Moreno as the only PuertoRican in the movie. A remake in a language that many viewers will not understand with no subtitles is one of the dopiest idea I’ve ever heard.
10 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
kono 12/2/2021 5:09:48 PM (No. 995303)
This is such a touching gesture; but how racist of them!
I choose to interpret this as Anglo-supremacist. If they want it to be interpreted in some other way, they can translate it for me.
Same with respect to the movie scenes -- if they care that English speakers hear what they are saying for what they intend it to mean, they can keep the English subtitles during the Spanish-language parts. Else, they are implying that we are able to understand without translation.
2 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
Snortleblatt 12/2/2021 5:33:31 PM (No. 995312)
So. . inquiring minds want to know: when it gets shown in Spanish-speaking countries, will the English-language parts have Spanish sub-titles?
11 people like this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
formerNYer 12/2/2021 5:54:00 PM (No. 995325)
I'll watch the old version - Stevie can stick this one in his culo!
5 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
offrope 12/2/2021 6:12:50 PM (No. 995352)
I predict that within the first month the movie will flop so badly that they'll pull it from theaters and put in the subtitles.
4 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
Faithfully 12/2/2021 6:29:02 PM (No. 995370)
the original movie (propaganda) disturbed me as a child. Dancing knife fighters in ugly New York. Yuck.
5 people like this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
TJ54 12/2/2021 6:33:43 PM (No. 995371)
I don’t plan to see it anyway
3 people like this.
Reply 28 - Posted by:
Newtsche 12/2/2021 6:34:36 PM (No. 995374)
Almost as brave and stunning as being proud of his adopted child of color who is a porn "actress".
5 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
qr4j 12/2/2021 6:35:14 PM (No. 995376)
I don't usually watch films with subtitles anyway. When I do, I spend so much energy on reading the words so as not to miss the dialogue, I don't actually see much of the film. I might as well be listening to an English translation on radio or audio-only recording.
Foreign films can be great. But I prefer ones dubbed in English even if the mouths don't sync up.
1 person likes this.
Reply 30 - Posted by:
MindMadeUp 12/2/2021 6:53:57 PM (No. 995393)
I can't wait to not go see this.
7 people like this.
Reply 31 - Posted by:
privateer 12/2/2021 7:01:24 PM (No. 995402)
Silly Conquistadorks enjoy thinking that Spanish is as good and richly expressive language as English. Most of the world knows better. But it does have that inanimate objects have gender thing going for it.
2 people like this.
Reply 32 - Posted by:
caljeepgirl 12/2/2021 7:27:49 PM (No. 995419)
I loved, loved, loved the original.....truly unique among musicals, and Bernstein's music is absolutely wonderful!! While I assiduously avoid remakes, l'm going to make an exception for this movie; I completely trust Spielberg to not mess this one up. Very much looking forward to it!!
1 person likes this.
Reply 33 - Posted by:
Kate318 12/2/2021 8:36:13 PM (No. 995460)
Get woke, go broke. While Spielberg has made some darn good movies, this bone-headed, virtue-signaling move will backfire at the box office. When anyone prizes political theater over story-telling, that someone is a jackass with nothing to say.
4 people like this.
Reply 34 - Posted by:
Sully 12/2/2021 8:38:51 PM (No. 995464)
1. Did he include little ditty where the Latinas sing "Everything Free in America?"
2. "Let's go" Spielberg.
7 people like this.
Stevie really knows how to insult his audiences doesn't he? I hope this tanks bigly. I will stick with the original movie.
4 people like this.
Reply 36 - Posted by:
Scribelus 12/2/2021 10:01:02 PM (No. 995509)
I can hardly wait for the all-Mandarin version with Russian subtitles.
3 people like this.
Reply 37 - Posted by:
DVC 12/2/2021 10:15:00 PM (No. 995515)
I'll be certain to miss it.
1 person likes this.
Reply 38 - Posted by:
Nashman 12/2/2021 10:35:59 PM (No. 995526)
It will tank and then suddenly rising from the ashes, quickly, will be…. The subtitled version. You watch.
4 people like this.
Reply 39 - Posted by:
smcchk 12/2/2021 10:54:58 PM (No. 995531)
So we can get rid of Press 1 or 2 now since we are adhering to original languages? I love West Side Story but wondered, while watching the trailer, what they would do to make the average American angry or uncomfortable. Thanks for the heads up. (If I remember correctly, The Godfather used subtitles when the dialog was in Italian. As an Italian-American, I didn’t think to be upset.)
4 people like this.
Reply 40 - Posted by:
Gazela 12/2/2021 11:16:27 PM (No. 995541)
If any of the actors have authentic Puerto Rican accents, native Spanish speakers from other ~regions~ may wish for subtitles.
1 person likes this.
Reply 41 - Posted by:
kewmac 12/2/2021 11:25:22 PM (No. 995544)
FJB, FSS and Lets Go Brandon! Another movie I won't watch. So what else is new.
1 person likes this.
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