But when I do the fan dance, I'm all the red in China

[sovay]

Moment of pedantic happiness. I will confess that I saw A Bridge Too Far earlier today solely for the cast list—Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Edward Fox, Anthony Hopkins, Elliott Gould, Maximilian Schell, Gene Hackman, Hardy Krüger, Robert Redford, Laurence Olivier, to name some—but I was rather pleased to discover not only an episode in World War II history about which I'd known absolutely zero before this afternoon, but a film in which the characters speaking foreign languages are . . . actually speaking foreign languages. I know this sounds like a small thing. But how many films have you seen where, I don't know, the French characters are speaking among themselves, and they're actually speaking English with French accents? (That may have been a bad choice of example. Mel Brooks' History of the World: Part I comes to mind: "We are so poor, we don't even have a real language! Just this stupid accent . . . We all talk like Maurice Chevalier!" Erm.) Here there's English, German, Dutch, Polish, if not French—and interpreters, when language barriers cannot be overcome in straightforward conversation. People who dislike subtitles will probably hate this movie. But I was delighted. Oh, and I think it was a good movie on its own merits, too.

And while we're talking about movies . . .
(Cut for—look, you can probably guess it's a silly quiz from the LJ-cut, right? Right. So just click the link already.)


You are Rita Hayworth in GILDA


Which Film Noir Femme Fatale Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

You know, I bet it says something about me that when I see the name "Gilda," despite the presence of Rita Hayworth and a gun, I still automatically think "Rigoletto" . . .

Comments

[upstart-crow.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the film yet, but this may interest you. My opa and oma come from Arnhem. They lived through this, and it's part of the reason they came to America.

[sovay]

Given that Arnhem gets more or less leveled during the course of this film—and so I would believe during the actual Operation Market Garden—that makes a certain amount of sense. Did they find the film an accurate representation, if they saw it?

[upstart-crow.livejournal.com]

Eheh. Yes, sorry for stating the obvious. Head wonky today from migrane. And actually the other part of the reason they came over was the LDS church, so more or less accurate.

According to my mother, they eventually did see the film, which surprised me. They did not find it at all accurate.

[sovay]

Heh. Ah, well. Maybe if you consider it historical fantasy, then, you'll like it . . .

[upstart-crow.livejournal.com]

Well, I wasn't there personally for Market Garden, so I might see it differently.

Mom couldn't remember exactly what they objected to, and they died before I really got into Dutch history, so I'll likely never know. But perhaps they were just too close to it, and would have found fault with any fictionalized account, no matter how faithful. They never liked to talk about the war too much (and then Opa exaggerated a lot, so we don't know how much is true and how much he embellished).

That's why I hope to get a Fulbright to the NL someday. I'd like to find out as much as I can about what Elizabeth and Peter did during the invasion.

[sovay]

and then Opa exaggerated a lot, so we don't know how much is true and how much he embellished

. . . ?

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

You might like Kukushka (The Cuckoo), another WWII film, which has two deserting soldiers from opposing armies, and the widow who shelters them, all talking at cross purposes in Finnish, German, Russian, and Saami.

And besides, this flick has great reindeer values. And the Lappish woman dresses like the Robber Girl.

Nine

[sovay]

I've never heard Finnish or Saami—I should like that very much.

And the Lappish woman dresses like the Robber Girl.

Whoa. This I've got to see.

[fleurdelis28.livejournal.com]

We are so poor, we don't even have a real language! Just this stupid accent

This I have to see!

[sovay]

You really do. The Inquisition musical number is hit or miss, but I happen to think the portion of the film set during the Roman Empire—Empress Nympho, stand-up philosophers, and all—is brilliant, and bits of the French Revolution stuff are great.

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

Ever seen The Hunt for Red October? The Russians speak English, but this is actually handled with grace by a language trick in an early scene.

[sovay]

I have not only seen The Hunt for Red October, I saw it specifically because you told me about that scene! And it is a pretty cool language trick.