Subtitles Mangled for Let the Right One In DVD (UPDATED)
Some interesting news from Icons of Fright about the American DVD version of the Swedish vampire hit Let the Right One In:
“The subtitles had been drastically changed since the last time I saw it, and dare I say… had been completely dumbed down? Sure, the basic gist of what the characters were saying was kind of there, but missing completely was the dark humor, subtleties and character nuances which made the movie so powerful and a favorite amongst audiences last year.”
Icons goes on to compare the subtitles in the theatrical version screener and the DVD release side by side, and the differences are stunning (sometimes laughably so). Sadly, I’ve only seen the DVD version. It was shown at the University of Delaware International Film Series (apparently they’re having problems finding a new 35mm distributor) a week and a half ago, and I left there wondering why the heck anyone would actually like this movie. I’d love to be able to rewatch it with more accurate subtitles, since clearly there’s more to Let the Right One In than I thought.
Let me know if you’ve seen both (or either) versions of this film. Also, has this ever happened before? I know foreign films are sometimes way off in their subtitles, but have there been other similarly dramatic changes in subs from screen to DVD?
UPDATE: According to A.V. Club, Magnolia Pictures has responded to fan uproar by restoring the theatrical subtitles to all future DVD pressings. Just make sure your copy has the words “SUBTITLES: ENGLISH (Theatrical)” on the back of the box. Now if only there was some way to figure out which copies Netflix has, we’d be in business.
Tags: international film series, let the right one in, subtitles, vampires