Or maybe that was the director's idea to add to the xenophobia. Let's see:
Officer before boarding aircraft:
All lala reididid kot tidee! Zee did midid ishoon!
Prosecutor:
Too toodoodoo! Vilym Hiyess sin!
I agree. There should have been subtitles all the way, especially before the end.
shareI think it added to the effect that we couldn't understand what they were saying as it puts us in the same boat as Billy, where all these officials are screaming bloody murder and he had no idea what they were saying
share^ Exactly it's so that the audience is as confused as Billy, obviously.
*I saw in your eyes that you hate the world, I hate it too...*
Yeah, but much of the audience in this movie who spoke Turkish and Maltese probably laughed their asses off, because the Turkish is very poorly spoken, except by the prosecutor and in the begining of the movie, the customs officer and men doing a quick check by the airplanes were speaking Maltese.
shareI like the idea of no subtitles when the main character whose POV we're experiencing doesn't understand. But he is clearly understanding and speaking Turkish by the end and we STILL aren't clued in. No biggie since you kind of get the gist every time, but still.
shareYeah, that got to me too. I guess the idea was to show everything from Billy's point of view-being in a strange country not being able to understand others. In Not Without My Daughter, the same thing occurs, which is funny because both books were written by the same person.
shareOh, I didn't see this subject before and forgot that I did reply to it awhile back. Again, probably they decided not to use them so we would feel like Billy, not being able to understand what the *beep* was being said.
shareI'm going to translate what I think they're saying in certain scenes, particularly the warden:
Scene: Billy in the cellar about to be beaten
Hamidou: Who's this? Billy Hayes! Welcome to Sagmalcilar. I know your name. WHAP!
Scene: Hamidou suspecting Jimmy of escape
Hamidou: Well, well, you tried it once, now you tried it again. Why? Take him away!
Scene: Max accused of selling hash to Rifki
Hamidou: Why did you sell this hash?
Max: I didn't sell him anything
Hamidou: I know you! Youre a junkie! Why did you sell this hash? You sold him the hash!
Billy: Rifki sold it to...
Hamidou: shut up, you!
Hamidou: Guards, take him away!
Scene: Billy trying to get to the sanitarium
Billy: Excuse me! Excuse me! I have $100 for you if you will take me to the sanitarium! Honest! Here it is!
Hamidou: Well, sounds good! You won't escape will you? Okay! Come with me
Billy: You're not taking me to the sanitarium?! Stop, stop!
Hamidou: (throws Billy to the floor) You didn't fool me, boy, you're trying to escape. William Hayes! You've been here too long, William Hayes! (Hamidou racks him, then throws him across the wall and slaps him). You are *beep* and dead, William Hayes! (He pulls his pants down, then Billy pushes him away and....)
Pretty good idea there, I'll admit it. I wonder if the DVD would have the subtitles, just to clear the whole thing up?
share(Yeah, I know I'm responding to an old post)
I have a copy of the 20th Anniversary Edition DVD, and it doesn't have any options to translate the Turkish. The subtitles/captions are in English and French only, I'm afraid. I have the one with the gold slip case, but there be other editions out there. Good luck!
--Douche Nozzle tormentor since 1867--
Hamidou (to Jimmy) - "Nodu, nodu."
Prosecutor - "BOO!"
Hamidou to Jimmy: BITTeroo! (Turkish for "I beat you.")
shareHamidou to his kids: You see what happens to you when you are not a good boy?
shareI think it is actually unnessesary to know what did they say. It does not affect our understanding of the movie.
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