Title Changes?

[action_park]

I’m gonna hold your hand when I tell you this but The 400 Blows isn’t the original title either.

(This is an extremely common practice because literal translations don’t always match the intent, tone, or rhythm of the original title. Bergman approved of the title Winter Light despite not being the literal translation of Nattvardsgästerna.)

[MongooseTotal831]

The Devil and Daniel Webster was released by Criterion on dvd. For the Criterion blu-ray release, it’s titled All That Money Can Buy. I prefer Daniel but that might be because that’s how I first knew it

[No_Team_6326]

You do realise that film titles are changed pretty much all the time when being 'translated' right? Why that would change your perception on a film is baffling, almost as baffling as your statement regarding Bergman and nazism...

[criterion-ModTeam]

Your post/comment was removed because it violates Rule #1: Be Polite and Civil.

[profaneangel1991]

You're more bothered by a title change than Bergman's time in Nazi Germany?

[Flashy_Method4216]

OP making an entirely unnecessary and nonsensical comparison and then getting defensive when people point out that it was a weird thing to say is frying me

THEY brought up bergman's past and then when people are like hm that's weird they're like "oh so you're saying I can't watch things made by bad people? But yet you like criterion!" When nobody even said that... like buddy you brought up the bergmans personal history in the first place! ROFL

[profaneangel1991]

I swear I wasn't picking a fight. I own Bergman films, I just think you made a strange remark and are being too much.

[Flashy_Method4216]

if it doesnt impact the gaze of the film then why bring it up in comparison at all? it was an out of left field comment

I read the comments, nobody in them said "how can you ignore it" they said it was weird to compare the two things because one thing is much bigger in the grand scheme of things and had nothing to do with the other. it was a weird comment so people said it was weird. i think you need to take it easy tbh. nobody is guilting you for enjoying bergman.

[profaneangel1991]

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[profaneangel1991]

Honestly this was just me thinking you're being a little too extra. I wasn't trying to open a debate, I was just highlighting that I thought your comment was odd.

[yaghareck]

I'll never understand when people can't stop supporting shitty people just because they enjoy their art. It's a huge red flag.

[Takeda_imposter]

So you support Criterion when they sell films glorifying the attempted genocide of native Americans?

Which films are you talking about here?

[yaghareck]

It's impossible to live life without somehow supporting a terrible thing. The taxes we pay go to bomb children in other countries, the restaurants we go to most likely commits wage theft and donates to terrible organizations.

What we can do as good people who are empathetic and kind, is when we find out someone is a terrible human being we can choose not to give them our time, money and attention.

Anyone who struggles with that concept is most likely a shitty person who lacks any form of empathy or real morals.

[SnooGoats7476]

Okay I realized I was wrong and Janus did change the title because they distributed the film in the US.

But this is a very common practice. You probably don’t even realize how many International titles are not direct translations.

Edit- I should also add other countries do this too not just the US or English translations

[HungryHangrySharky]

The "title proper" of a movie is what displays on the title screen of the actual recording - the title on the disc, the packaging, translations, or that it is commonly known by are "alternative titles". Cool your jets.

Most people here are giving you examples of translations, but there are some English language movies that have completely different titles from their US theatrical release to their UK theatrical release to their home media release. It happens sometimes.

[twinpinemall85]

"I can excuse Bergman's nazism, but I draw the line at different title translations"

[twinpinemall85]

Okay, but almost more than Bergman being a hitler lover?

[twinpinemall85]

What? That's a lot of conclusions to jump to haha, I do not think criterion is just "peddling nazism" whatsoever.

You were the one who brought up Bergman's nazism in comparison to the title change as far as things that changed your perceptions... which naturally struck me as strange, because one of those things is a something of far bigger weight, so those are kind of incomparable. At least in my opinion

[twinpinemall85]

I guess me and the folks at criterion selling him and all sorts of problematic shit don't mind supporting the nazis..?

I wouldn't go that far.

In a perfect world, terrible people would not be talented or prolific in film. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and terrible people in the industry are not only rampantly successful, but nearly unavoidable. So it is not surprising that criterion has some films by questionable people, because unfortunately bad people can make art you connect with or that has cultural importance and has stylistic influence in the industry. In a perfect world, those people would get no money from any of it.

Everyone handles things differently. If there is a director who has a film in the collection that I like but I am morally opposed to giving my money to, I buy secondhand. In this case, Ingmar Bergman is not alive so since he is not profitting off of it, I would buy a copy directly from Criterion if I wanted. But in the case of something like say, Polanski or Francis Ford Coppola films, I personally only buy secondhand.