Translating for (And From) the Italian Screen - (Saggistica) by Philip Balma & Giovanni Spani (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Literary Nonfiction. Film. Italian American Studies. For those who believe that the choices involved in subtitling or dubbing foreign films are merely physical in nature--fitting the written words within the borders of the photogram, synchronizing the sounds of translated dialogue with the lip movements of actors--TRANSLATING FOR (AND FROM) THE ITALIAN SCREEN offers dramatic proof to the contrary. What emerges from this volume is a sophisticated and profound understanding of the cultural stakes of such operations. As evidenced by these ingenious case studies of the transformations undergone by Anglophone films when shown on Italian screens (or vice-versa), the cultural implications can be terribly tone-deaf (e.g. Monty Python and the Holy Grail), deeply harmonious (e.g. The Nanny), or ideologically distorted (e.g. La ricotta). In compiling this rich and provocative collection of essays, Balma and Spani have rendered it impossible for readers to maintain a naive view of the role played by subtitling and dubbing in the all-important transmission of cross-cultural understanding.--Millicent Marcus

Review Quotes

For those who believe that the choices involved in subtitling or dubbing foreign films are merely physical in nature--fitting the written words within the borders of the photogram, synchronizing the sounds of translated dialogue with the lip movements of actors--Translating for (And From) the Italian Screen offers dramatic proof to the contrary. What emerges from this volume is a sophisticated and profound understanding of the cultural stakes of such operations. As evidenced by these ingenious case studies of the transformations undergone by Anglophone films when shown on Italian screens (or vice-versa), the cultural implications can be terribly tone-deaf (e.g. Monty Python and the Holy Grail), deeply harmonious (e.g. The Nanny), or ideologically distorted (e.g. La ricotta). In compiling this rich and provocative collection of essays, Balma and Spani have rendered it impossible for readers to maintain a naïve view of the role played by subtitling and dubbing in the all-important transmission of cross-cultural understanding.

--Millicent Marcus, Professor of Italian and Film Studies, Yale University

Balma and Spani address here the complexities of a lifelong cross-cultural dilemma: dubbing America vs. subtitling Italy. The featured articles argue a strong case inside Italy's dubbing industry and its reception of American films. They also explore the context and reasons for Hollywood's predisposition to keep Italian productions unaltered. By addressing key issues relevant to the fields of film studies, TV, and media theory, this volume sheds new light on the insights of Italian culture. A very compelling and necessary addition to cinema scholarship.

--Rémi Lanzoni, Associate Professor of Romance Languages, Wake Forest University