Rethinking the Art of Subtitles

Early on in the 2004 supernatural Russian thriller Night Watch, the protagonist, trying to prevent a witch from casting a spell on his unborn child, yells at the top of his lungs in protest. For English-speaking audiences, the subtitles do more than just translate the literal meaning: the words “no” and “stop” with three exclamation points are shown on different parts of the screen in large, moving letters.

Share