Bodyguards and Assassins [Hong Kong]

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by death valley

based my statement on this review, they normally are pretty reliable

That is fine. They could be pretty reliable -- -- but in this case what I stated above stands -- not everyone in the film speaks Mandarin. In fact, a find it strange that a period piece about early 1900s Hong Kong should have Mandarin.

The info at IMDB is also incorrect. The actors in the film spoke Mandarin and Cantonese.

A quick search also indicates that the film was also screened theatrically outside of Hong Kong in Cantonese.

Pro-B

[death valley]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

That is fine. They could be pretty reliable -- -- but in this case what I stated above stands -- not everyone in the film speaks Mandarin. In fact, a find it strange that a period piece about early 1900s Hong Kong should have Mandarin.

The info at IMDB is also incorrect. The actors in the film spoke Mandarin and Cantonese.

A quick search also indicates that the film was also screened theatrically outside of Hong Kong in Cantonese.

Pro-B

haven't seen the movie yet, so in the movie both Mandarin and Cantonese is spoken but the BR has only Cantonese, meaning the Mandarin dialogue is dubbed ?

very strange: seen enough movies on dvd/BR in which both Mandarin and Cantonese is spoken without dubbing

must be a choice of the director

[xradman]

Originally Posted by death valley

haven't seen the movie yet, so in the movie both Mandarin and Cantonese is spoken but the BR has only Cantonese, meaning the Mandarin dialogue is dubbed ?

very strange: seen enough movies on dvd/BR in which both Mandarin and Cantonese is spoken without dubbing

must be a choice of the director

Really? It's been my experience that most HK films end up with some dubbing if not all actors speak the same language. In fact, I can't think of one movie where both Mandarin and Cantonese are spoken when it wasn't intentional (parts with Cantonese taking place in HK and Mandarin taking place in the mainland). I just got this movie, so I haven't had a chance to see it, but I would be shocked if this isn't like all the other HK movies starring both HK and mainland actors with parts of dialog dubbed.

[death valley]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

That is fine. They could be pretty reliable -- -- but in this case what I stated above stands -- not everyone in the film speaks Mandarin. In fact, a find it strange that a period piece about early 1900s Hong Kong should have Mandarin.

The info at IMDB is also incorrect. The actors in the film spoke Mandarin and Cantonese.

A quick search also indicates that the film was also screened theatrically outside of Hong Kong in Cantonese.

Pro-B

but if the actors spoke both Mandarin and Cantonese in the movie why dub the Mandarin dialogue ? don't the HK viewers like subtitles

I presume with outside of HK you don't mean China itself

I'am curious how the movie in China was shown, in mandarin with the cantonese dubbed or in Cantonese with subtitles

can't sum up a complete list of the movies I've seen in which the Mandarin 9or other non Cantonese) was not dubbed but recently I saw Trivial Matters in which a scene was between a HK guy and a Chinese girl who only spoke Mandarin and the HK guy just spoke Mandarin (so girl was not dubbed)

I do talk about more recent movies (say after 2000) not the older ones

I don't know which percentage of the movie is spoken in Mandarin though

[xradman]

I saw this last night. There are clearly dubbed parts in the movie, but conversely, there are many actors that are clearly speaking in Cantonese and would have to be dubbed if it were to be shown in Mandarin. It makes no sense not to dub one into another. It would be like making a movie where 2 actors are speaking to each other in English and French when they are supposed to be speaking the same language. Among the major actors/actress in this movie:

Tony Leung Ka-fai: HK actor - speaks Cantonese
Wang Xueqi: Chinese actor - speaks Mandarin
Wang Po-Chieh: Taiwanese actor - speaks Mandarin
Leon Lai: HK actor - speaks Cantonese
Nicholas Tse: HK actor - speaks Cantonese and Mandarin
Li Yuchun: Chinese actress - speaks Mandarin
Mengke Bateer: Chinese actor - speaks Mandarin
Donnie Yen: HK actor - speaks Cantonese and Mandarin
Fan Bingbing: Chinese actress - speaks Mandarin
Eric Tsang: HK actor - speaks Cantonese and Mandarin
Hu Jun: Chinese actor - speaks Mandarin
Simon Yam: HK actor - speaks Cantonese

Frankly it's amazing how they are able to make a movie where one actor doesn't understand the other. However, this is how they have always made movies in HK and I guess they are used to it.

[death valley]

came across this vendor, has different coverart compared to the one reviewed on this site but is from megastar

has Mandarin (Dolby True HD 7.1 / dts-HDMA 7.1) but don't know info on the site is correct

maybe there is one for the HK market (Cantonese HD sound) and Chinese mainland (Mandarin HD sound)

[xradman]

Originally Posted by death valley

came across this vendor, has different coverart compared to the one reviewed on this site but is from megastar

has Mandarin (Dolby True HD 7.1 / dts-HDMA 7.1) but don't know info on the site is correct

maybe there is one for the HK market (Cantonese HD sound) and Chinese mainland (Mandarin HD sound)

Their info is wrong. That is the one I got and it has Cantonese TrueHD 7.1 and Cantonese dtsHDMA 7.1.

The coverart on Blu-ray.com is the one from the slip cover and coverart on DDDHouse is from the actual case.

[Harlock415]

These days, HK people have had to learn Mandarin more. Many understand Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. What you'll see in Bodyguards and Assassins is that mix of the languages. My mother has a basic understanding of Mandarin, and English, but her native language is Cantonese.

The movie that was shown in the mainland was entirely in Mandarin, so the Cantonese was redubbed into Mandarin.

[death valley]

Originally Posted by Harlock415

These days, HK people have had to learn Mandarin more. Many understand Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. What you'll see in Bodyguards and Assassins is that mix of the languages. My mother has a basic understanding of Mandarin, and English, but her native language is Cantonese.

The movie that was shown in the mainland was entirely in Mandarin, so the Cantonese was redubbed into Mandarin.

this is very interesting; so if I'am correct the Chinese also rather dub, so no subtitles, "foreign" languages (just like the Germans and French here in Europe) ?

That's a shame, I would like to hear the original actor, not some other person... never understood this

Any change an international version could emerge in which Mandarin and Cantonese is spoken (would think this should be possible since most "western" guys need subs anyway)?

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by death valley

but if the actors spoke both Mandarin and Cantonese in the movie why dub the Mandarin dialogue ? don't the HK viewers like subtitles

Well, for the same reason during the late 60s, 70s, and 80s, many Italian and French directors had their films screened in Italian and/or French when the actors in them clearly spoke a variety of different languages. During the early 60s, for example, many American directors appeared in Italian films and spoke their lines in English -- in Francesco Rosi's Hands Over The City (1963) Rod Steiger's lines are entirely in English, and he is dubbed by an Italian actor.

Originally Posted by death valley

I presume with outside of HK you don't mean China itself

Correct. Malaysia and Singapore.

Originally Posted by death valley

I'am curious how the movie in China was shown, in mandarin with the cantonese dubbed or in Cantonese with subtitles

It was shown in Mandarin and Cantonese. Mandarin for certain areas in the Mainland and Cantonese for Hong Kong, parts of Macau, etc.

Originally Posted by death valley

can't sum up a complete list of the movies I've seen in which the Mandarin 9or other non Cantonese) was not dubbed but recently I saw Trivial Matters in which a scene was between a HK guy and a Chinese girl who only spoke Mandarin and the HK guy just spoke Mandarin (so girl was not dubbed)

I do talk about more recent movies (say after 2000) not the older ones

I don't know which percentage of the movie is spoken in Mandarin though

There are a number of contemporary Chinese films that are dubbed, so Bodyguards and Assassins is clearly not setting a new trend.

Pro-B

[AnimeOnBlu]

http://dddhouse.com/v3/product_detai...roductID=10749

A new LE version has appeared with a second Blu-ray (BD25) with new extras. Main disc appears to be the same as the version currently available.

[Sagacious Koreo]

Aw man, I hate it when they release LE's later on.

[Harlock415]

I liked this movie quite a bit. Not the wall to to wall action with Donnie Yen kicking Ass as I thought it would be, but the drama and acting were quite good and held everything together for the chaotic and wild end, with several action pieces strung together. Nicely done. Really nice performances from everyone.

[The Dragon]

Originally Posted by Harlock415

I liked this movie quite a bit. Not the wall to to wall action with Donnie Yen kicking Ass as I thought it would be, but the drama and acting were quite good and held everything together for the chaotic and wild end, with several action pieces strung together. Nicely done. Really nice performances from everyone.

+1.

Originally Posted by Sagacious Koreo

... Aw man, I hate it when they release LE's later on.

Yeah. and we sometimes have no way of knowing this is going to happen. If we have a choice from the beginning, you could spend toward what you actually want.

[pchin]

Originally Posted by Harlock415

I liked this movie quite a bit. Not the wall to to wall action with Donnie Yen kicking Ass as I thought it would be, but the drama and acting were quite good and held everything together for the chaotic and wild end, with several action pieces strung together. Nicely done. Really nice performances from everyone.

I totally agree! Few of my friends didn't quite like it since this movie isn't the typical martial art actions. Fortunately for me I do enjoy it very much....the story plots, the characters & finally the action which is the icing of the cake.

[Markgway]

The original language track is primarily Mandarin with some Cantonese scenes (i.e. Jacky Cheung speaks Cantonese in the pre-title sequence). The bulk of the movie is Mandarin (even HK actor Tony Leung speaks Mandarin throughout). It would appear, going by comments made previously in this thread, that there are versions out there that are dubbed entirely in Mandarin or Cantonese.

Here's a video link I found with the first 9 mins bilingual as intended.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xe7...-of_shortfilms

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by Markgway

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xe7...-of_shortfilms

Does anyone have this bilingual edition and who released it and where?

I picked up the E1 (UK) BD off e-bay and it's 100% Mandarin.

[Markgway]

Ignore my previous two posts... I now believe that although the Cantonese actors redubbed their roles for the dual language track the ENTIRE movie is meant to be spoken as Mandarin. My mistake... and in this case an easy one to make.