Substandard blog on subtitled movies.

This week I have decided to become cultured, the three films I watched this week have all been foreign movies and have all been subtitled!!

The first film I watched was : 'The Bicycle Thief'

'A man and his son search for a stolen bicycle vital for his job'. The tag line really sums this film up. Set in post war Rome Antonio Ricci has been struggling to get a job for a year before he is offered one putting up posters over town. At the time of being offered the position it is made clear that a bike is needed, Ricci recently pawned his bike and there is a mad panic as the family try and collect items around the house to be able to buy the bike back. On his first day of the job the bike is stolen and Ricci in his son Bruno frantically hunt all over the city to find it. This film is truly funny in places, with many heartbreaking moments. Bruno steals the show with a great performance of adorable humour. 

Director: Vittorio De Sica
Cast: Antonio Ricci: Lamberto Maggiorani, Bruno Ricci: Enzo Staiola.


The next film I watched was : 'The Skin I Live In'

This film, whilst entertaining, is pretty screwed up. Genius and brilliant plastic surgeon Robert Ledgard (Banderas) has been working on synthetic skin that can withstand damage. He declares to the scientific community that he has been developing it on mice but in fact it is being developed on a women named Vera, who is being held against her will and is closely linked to the tragedy he would rather forget. The film is very entertaining but be aware there are some scenes that might be uncomfortable, it's definitely not a family film. 

Director: Pedro Almodovar
Cast: Richard Ledgard: Antonio Banderas, Vera: Elena Anaya   







My final toe dip in to the pond of the subtitle was : 'Downfall'





The film behind the YouTube parodies. The film centres round the final days of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party hidden out in his Berlin bunker. Germany are on the brink of defeat, Berlin surrounded by the Russians, Hitler is standing resolute proclaiming that the war can still be won and demanding that the soldiers continue to fight to the death. Himmler and Goering start working against Hitler which leads him to become paranoid and suicidally depressed. I enjoyed the movie but I felt it went on a little bit seeming as we all know the ending. Throughout watching this I also couldn't help thinking what must Bruno Ganz have said when approached to play Hitler. Surely 'It's the part I was born to play' would have been too much in this circumstance. 


Director : Oliver Hirschbiegel
Cast : Adolf Hitler: Bruno Ganz, Joeseph Goebbels: Ulrich Matthes, Eva Braun: Juliane Kohler