There have been many great films over the decades, a few of them may even be considered classics, but how many of those films you adore are sub-titled? Probably not many if the truth be known.

If any film fan restricts their viewing habits to one language then they are missing out on some mind-blowing films; it is allowed that a film can be watched that doesn’t have the Hollywood seal of approval stamped all over it, some people just don’t look that far.

According to taste, all sorts of films are out there, but for me, epic action dramas are my current interest. One film that has it all is the stunning “The House of Flying Daggers”. This film has a breath-taking style that few films could ever hope to attain, a true visual work of art on the screen. The characters are well observed, and the pace and action is faultless; could it be done any better?

The fact that this great film is subtitled will make many viewers switch off, but it’s an experience that anyone that is into film should see. It’s difficult to see why sub-titles and hearing the original soundtrack should deter a person to disregard the film, the story it has to tell, on the single fault that is isn’t in your first (and probably only) language you know.

Watching a dubbed film is a painful experience at the best of times; it has always been something that animation can probably get away with but films are a different matter. In the past this may have been acceptable but to see ridiculous voice-dubbing over respectable actors’ performances is an insult to their abilities.

Before Jet-Li starting appearing in more mainstream films, many of his earlier work has been on TV with feeble dub versions, this not only ruins his performance but also the films; the voice actors always sound like a bunch of circus clowns! No dubbed film can express the original intentions of the director, actors or script writers, taking the soul from a movie will never give the 100% experience the makers intended.

The best solution is to avoid live action dubbed films, they have no place being watched now! There has been an argument that people don’t want to read a film they’re watching; the other side of that debate is why, for example, would a Chinese film be made in English? All cultures have their own language and therefore their own films.

If watching another culture’s film means having to read sub-titles then I’ll continue to do that if I don’t speak the language; seems a fair compromise to make. Any film should have the original soundtrack as standard and not be made into a farcical sounding “foreign” film as many have been.