I’ve watched Squid Game with English subtitles and also dubbed in English. I’ve read about the main translation problems, but I think those are always present in any translation. Worse in movies because how do you explain the meaning behind the Korean name for the game “Red light, Green light” in a film translation? Translation is an art and nuance is often sacrificed for the sake of time. Also, they really pay movie translators next to nothing and press them for timely release of the film/tv program.
The spoiler scene you referenced (aside from cultural, sexual, and sensitivity issues) is also pretty funny. The bad guys are clueless and only partly understand the secondary business they are in. There’s a lot of bravado about how they don’t need the doctor anymore (obviously not true!) But the line you refer to is also a joke - we’re terrible but we would never do that because that crosses their standard macho rule. There are a number of jokes that the translation doesn’t make clear. (According to the actors, director/writer, etc.)
What really fascinates me is how fast the writer gets the viewer to care for specific characters and hate others while leaving doors open for the viewer to change their minds. Watching the reaction videos you can see how quickly the viewers begin to care about the characters.
if we want our readers to like some characters and dislike others, it’s important to pay attention to how other writers accomplish it. Movies can use dialogue, color, music, lighting, and editing to pull us in the intended direction. In writing fiction we can use some of these techniques in our descriptions and in the length of our sentences. A linear type of learning about each character that takes much longer than the same scene in a movie. In movies it can all happen at once. That’s what I would like to do with my writing.
Bridgerton is on my list. I’ll have to start watching it.
