Why Americans Don’t Watch Foreign Film
November 11th, 2009 by Ami
This week Pirate Radio is releasing to US cinemas.
It’s a cool new movie about a group of rebellious DJs playing pop and rock music (god forbid!) on an illegal radio station on a boat, back in 60s Britain… In fact, it sounds very similar to a movie I saw four month ago in Europe called The Boat That Rocked. Same actors too (check the interesting interviews with Talulah Riley and Tom Sturridge over on Gordon and the Whale). Yes, it’s the same movie!
Americans dictate world politics, influence global economics, put the first man on the moon, and even have a dream named after them. So why, when it comes to non-studio releases, and especially foreign titles, are American cinemas so very unfashionably late? And why do these movies only ever make it to select major cities (compared to thousands of screens for any bad studio flick)?
The Boat That Rocked was released on April 1st in the UK, then all over Europe. Even the people of Kazakhstan saw it at the end of April (where most people weren’t even familiar with its music until recent decades…). It’s been in Australia and New Zealand, and Argentineans can already rent it on DVD.
So, dear American distributors: First, changing the name is a cheap trick that doesn’t cover the shame of the late release. Second, have you heard of the Internet? Torrents? The Global Village? People are connected and up-to-date, from the arctic wilderness to a rundown tourist bus in the middle of Peru, where I saw Crash the same week it was released to US cinemas.
Why do distributors do this? I think it’s a mistaken belief that Americans don’t appreciate global film and dislike subtitles. As a result, distributors lose money and American moviegoers miss out.
Here is an expose of 10 more atrocities committed this year by American movie distributors. See for yourself if you think the lack of confidence really reflects American audience’s tastes.
10. Broken Embraces - March 18 vs. Nov 20, 2009
30 countries have already enjoyed the new movie by Spanish genius Pedro Almodovar, who brought us Talk to Her and All About My Mother. But apparently two international hits and buckets of awards, including an Oscar, are not enough to justify more than a limited release. The movie will roll out in one (!) city, and two weeks later, in a bold move, in one additional one. Sorry Salt Lake City and Chicago residents, you’ll have to settle for X-Men.
9. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - Sep 11 vs. Nov 20, 2009
Okay, September 11 might not be a good release date for a movie about a corrupt, drug-addicted police detective in post-Katrina New Orleans. But why wait more than two months? If you thought only subtitled, so-called “arthouse” movies suffer late releases, think again. Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Coolidge and Michael Shannon – if they were the cast of a new Hollywood thriller, they would have stormed thousands of screens. But directed by the acclaimed Werner Herzog – forget it. So this Venice Festival winner will see the light of day (or of a film projector) in just 5 cities. Well, the cast and English language help, so aside from NY and LA, Chicago, D.C. and San Francisco residents will get it first. A week later, six more cities will join.
8. City Island - Aug 20 vs. ???
A loveable cast headed by Andy Garcia and Julianna Margulies (ER), and an audience award won back in April at the Tribeca Film Festival, is apparently not enough to justify even a limited release, not even in NYC. Meanwhile, the people of Israel, Brazil, Slovenia, Spain and many others already had the chance to enjoy this indie crowd-pleaser, dealing with a dysfunctional family’s secrets and lies in City Island, in the Bronx.
7. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee - July 10 vs. Nov 27
Premiered at the Berlin Film Festival back in February and released to UK cinemas in July, Rebecca Miller’s new film has already screened in Greece, the Netherlands, Israel, Hungary, Russia, Belgium, France and recently at the Toronto Film Festival. True, this talented director and writer hasn’t proved herself at the box office, but she doesn’t get much chance. Critical acclaim (82% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and a stellar cast (Robin Wright, Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder, Alan Arkin - the charm of every second indie production - Monica Bellucci, Maria Bello and Keanu Reeves) still didn’t get her a vote of confidence from American distributors.
6. Hachiko: A Dog’s Story - Aug 8 vs. Nov 18
Richard Gere has lost his box office charm since Chicago. Maybe getting role advice from the Dalai Lama isn’t such a good idea. Director Lasse Hallstrom, has also seen better days (Chocolat and The Cider House Rules). Still, both have enormous cinematic credit. Jason Alexander and Joan Allen join in a Harry and Tonto type story about friendship between a man and a dog. Based on true story, it’s a remake of a successful Japanese movie. And although it was first screened back in June at the Seattle Film Festival, still Japan, Spain, Russia, Austria, Germany, Singapore and Sweden will all enjoy this touching movie first. If it was a Disney movie with the same plot and cast, I’m sure we’d already be expecting the DVD.
5. Red Cliff - June 2008 vs. Nov 20 2009
I think this one breaks all the lateness records! John Woo’s $80 million Chinese production is armed with awards from major Asian events and is another contribution to the recent slew of popular historical combat epics (following on 300 and The Warrior). But all this is not enough. Neither is Woo’s contemporary Hollywood resume. So long after dozens of countries in Asia, Europe and even Egypt, the US release finally arrives. Red Cliff II was already released in East Asia back in January 2009!
4. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Oct 16 vs. Dec 25
Terry Gilliam is the genius behind both amazing cinematic challenges like Brazil and 12 Monkeys, and unbearable cinematic challenges like Tideland. So yes, his movies are like casino gambling. He teamed again with Heath Ledger (hoping for the latter’s magical box office appeal, that even helped the critically grim former collaboration between them). He sure didn’t count on the later bailing out while still shooting, and so we gained 3 aces standing in to play the same character: Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. The critical reaction is much better than for his last works. But hey, just ask the Bulgarians or the Vietnamese, they can already say if the movie is good or not, and so can film buffs in several other countries.
3. The White Ribbon - Sep 17 vs. Dec 30
Directed by Michael Haneke, the controversial German director responsible for Caché (Hidden) and Funny Games (original and US remake), this movie swept the Cannes Film Festival this year, winning 3 of its awards, including The Golden Palm. It also won a major prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival, and has a remarkable 100% fresh rate on Rotten Tomatoes. It was already released in parts of Europe, soon in Scandinavia, but only at the end of the year in the U.S. And of course, in a limited release. (To be frank, this is the only title in the list that might indeed be too hard for some audiences, judging by the director’s former works…)
2. Gigante - May 22 vs. Jan 1, 2010
Like The White Ribbon, Gigante also swept a film festival this year, winning three of the major prizes in Berlin, followed by a win in San Sebastian. Gigante even won a prize in the Chicago Film Festival, and recently participated in the Toronto Film Festival and LA Latino Film Festival. You’d think after all this, and with Spanish being so widely spoken in the US, that an acclaimed Spanish-language movie would have strong appeal for American moviegoers and gain an up-to-date release. Think again. Maybe when it comes to Horror. But when it comes to a good psychological drama (shhh don’t say “arthouse”), then countries with “large” Latin population like Scandinavia and Poland get to see Gigante first.
1. The Young Victoria – Mar 6 vs. Dec 18
Another acclaimed late arrival: Produced by Martin Scorsese and Graham King, written by the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Gosford Park, and with talented cast including Emily Blunt, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent and Thomas Kretschmann. This one left the British port way back in March on its journey to discover America. On its way, it visited more than 15 countries worldwide, including Finland, the Philippines, Israel and Singapore. UK film buffs have been able to enjoy the DVD since July! The scheduled limited release makes sense when you consider that interested American audiences have no problem watching the movie in both legal and illegal ways now.
And 3 fashionable late arriving animation flicks as a bonus:
Luc Besson’s Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard (sequel to the rather successful Arthur and the Invisibles) will roll out in Europe 3 weeks before the American premiere (Dec 18); Wes Anderson’s all-star and highly acclaimed stop-motion flick Fantastic Mr. Fox is rolling out in limited release now, three weeks after the UK, before expanding on the 25th; and A Town Called Panic, a relatively anonymous French movie, also in stop-motion technique, will start Dec 16, after several European territories and a nice festivals tour.
Technorati Tags: foreign film, film festival
Popularity: 8% [?]
November 11th, 2009 at 7:59 am
After reading, I’m assuming you mean “Why Americans Don’t [Get To] Watch Foreign Film[s Until Much Later Than Everyone Else]“. If so, then I really have no idea.
But if you meant it the other way, I can’t say I’m an American that hates foreign film. I find a rare few that are worth watching, but I do watch. One recent example that sticks out to me as being the most appealing to American audiences (and especially those who read graphic novels) is the DEATH NOTE live action series of films.
The premise alone is genius, yet simple… write a name in a notebook, that person dies. But it’s not long before the notebook goes from being used for criminals (a la Dexter), to being used for very bad things. And the repercussions reverberate through 3 films… all shown in the US for 1-3 days ONLY before holding them for 6-10 months before finally releasing them to DVD years after their original Japanese theater release.
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November 11th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
I’m an American and I love foreign films! Some of the best movies I have seen have been foreign. Just because the distribution companies assume they can’t turn a buck doesn’t mean we don’t want/watch them. BTW, good list of movies. I’m going to watch a few of them.
Thanks…
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November 12th, 2009 at 6:07 am
I think they don’t like this type of movie
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November 12th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Americans don’t watch foreign films [except for kung fu flicks],because if they aren’t in english it’s a pain in the ass to watch the movie,and read the subtitles.Besides not many Americans speak a foreign language,half of them can barely speak english
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November 13th, 2009 at 4:12 am
I think the point has somewhat been missed here. The title “Why Americans Don’t Watch Foreign Film” isn’t meant to be taken in such a way to suggest that Americans just don’t care for foreign film. The writer even states, “I think it’s a mistaken belief that Americans don’t appreciate global film and dislike subtitles.” Meaning…Americans do like and appreciate global film.
According to the article, there are tons of foreign film written and produced, which incl big names in terms of actors of writers. These films even win awards. However, they are not released to the U.S. for quite some time, while other countries get access to them much earlier on. And when these films are released to the U.S. they are given such limited publication that most people never hear of them.
Therefore, it is not that American’s don’t watch foreign film because it is not given to us. Of course, there is a lot of access to foreign film online and elsewhere. But walk into your local Blockbuster and it’s quite a small section.
If foreign film were as mass-advertised as any huge Hollywood movie, maybe it’s possible people would be just as prone to watch foreign film as any other type. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and as the writer suggests, “distributors lose money and American moviegoers miss out.”
I am American. I love foreign film. I’ve rented many of them from an online movie distributor. My roommate had never really watched foreign film (or other different types of film, for that matter) and did not have the patience to sit in read subtitles. However, as time went by, she started to join me in watching not only foreign film, but films most people probably have not see. It really expanded what she knew about movies, and she became very interested and open-minded in her movie choices.
I think this is the point. If Americans were more exposed to more global film it’s likely they’d watch more of it.
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November 13th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
There is an alternative to subtitles (since reading is so hard for you) called dubbing. Usually, if the subtitles for a particular film aren’t great, the dubbing will be. That way, you can listen to it in English, and the lips will only be slightly off - not enough to ruin a great movie like The Orphanage, for instance.
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November 13th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Ugh, you know that last one @12:20 PM is intended for Andrew, but these aren’t threaded replies for some reason.
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November 13th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Yea well, we down here in ZAR, also have to wait like 6 months before we can view the movies made overseas. One of our video-shop chains managed to get their hands on released movies from overseas, and rented it out.
Shortly there after, they (the video-shop chain) was involved in a court case where the distributor(of the movies from overseas) told the court that they(the distributor of the movies from overseas) will decide when other countries will watch their movies and they will not have it any other way. The video shop chain got a huge fine… and all the movies were removed from the shelves…
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November 15th, 2009 at 1:37 am
This post isn’t suggesting that Americans don’t care for foreign films. On the contrary, it was addressed to American distributors of such films, and of English language indie films (making it not just a subtitles issue), listing examples of how they limit their exposure and reach of interested audiences.
And regarding subtitles, while getting used to them is quite easy, dubbing is indeed a common alternative. It’s very popular in France, Germany and many other countries, although I can’t imagine hearing “Yippee-ki-yay, mo***” or “I’ll be back” in different voices…
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November 15th, 2009 at 1:40 am
To Pieter – this is what can be called a lose-lose-lose situation: the chain, the public and the international sellers, all lose from this lack of exposure forced by the American distributors. Legally, the chain didn’t have the rights to rent out the films, but it should be the interest of the international sellers to have their titles largely and efficiently exposed. Maybe once the ongoing revolution in content delivery will stabilize and take shape, it will be followed by a revision in the distribution business (which I believe is inevitable). But this is a subject for a separate post, which I hope to write soon.
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November 17th, 2009 at 10:03 am
While I would be optimistic and say that Americans would like a film regardless of where it comes from, as long as it’s a good film, it doesn’t seem the studios seem to think so. Else we wouldn’t have remakes of Asian films like Oldboy or The Ring. If people were confident that these would thrive, they would just promote the film as is, rather than remaking them.
Most people wouldn’t know The Departed is a remake of Infernal Affairs if you don’t tell them. So, for most of us who do actively try to enjoy films from other countries, we have to rely on word of mouth over the internet. That adds a whole other level of engagement that is really unnecessary for most people who don’t really care all that much about what they watch. I care, personally, because of more personal reasons for watching films from Asia.
Still, this is only a recent shift in my mindset. Even now, accepting my active engagement in finding films I will find personal connection to, I still run into road blocks like region codes (incidentally, an MPAA gimmick) or NTSC/PAL technical issues. Because of current situations, I don’t have the money to buy a good DVD player that circumvents these issues at the moment, though I will one day.
You won’t hear about a lot of foreign films or independent American films because of how this film industry is driven. Some big name movies have marketing budgets larger than what some films even cost to make, and I think that’s just shameful. Michael Moore wants to campaign for having at least 1 theater per multiplex featuring a foreign film or a documentary, rather than 6 theaters for Harry Potter. Why do we need even 5 theaters for Harry Potter?
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November 28th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Netflix is not releasing the numbers but millions of netflix users are viewing millions of foreign and independent film. I am working on a list of up coming foreign releases to netflix from now thru 2010
http://tiny.cc/dfwforeign
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November 30th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Nice article. I thought to let you know that you webdite isn’t getting displayed properly on android web browser on my pda.
Have a nice time…sorry for typos
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December 5th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Speaking of Netflix, I and many thousands others have watched and been enthralled by the Swedish film Let the Right One In (title translated here) with English subtitles at Netflix, where you can get streaming as well as rent DVD’s. The word among the some 6,000 fans on FB is that the dubbed version is dreadful, and the new subtitles created for the US distribution group Magnolia’s DVD, horrible and insulting. But the subtitles for the streaming version are lovely and easy to read on a computer screen.
I mention LROI not only because I found it at Netflix before I could see it anywhere in the US (I missed it at Tribeca Film Festival) but because it was released in Europe at least a year before I discovered it — and it is being re-made already before having a serious US release by the maker of Cloverfield. A small jewel, a delicate masterpiece, is overlooked. But the wide US audience will see, well, something by the guy who made Cloverfield.
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January 27th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Well, for Americans that think they dislike foreign films because of subtitles, a few great one’s are dubbed ones with some great voice actors. I haven’t seen many European films yet. I few great Asian films that are dubbed is:
Azumi, Azumi 2, Death Note, Death Note: Last Name, L: Change The World, Infernal Affairs Trilogy(the basis for The Departed).
As for subtitled only, I use to not like it, but the more you watch the more of a speed reader you’ll become. I’ve seen one Spanish film that has got to be one of my favorites - Pan’s Labyrinth.
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