# Danish TV Thriller: Forbrydelsen (The Killing)... quality TV



## llantwit (Aug 24, 2010)

I'm just about to finish a box set of this Danish TV series and it's bloody brilliant. A mate of mine from Holland suggested it, and said it was similarly compulsive viewing to the best HBO dramas. I think it's more like the slow-burning classic BBC crime/political thrillers, with a bit of Henning Mankell-style gloom thrown in, myself.
It's quality Scandinavian dark crime stuff at its best. 20 episodes set over 20 days following a murder investigation that's bound up with heaps of political intrigue. Brilliant characters, good dialogue, and a really great plot.
IMDB here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0826760/
If you want the box set with English subtitles you have to pay through the nose for it to be shipped from Australia from a shop called Dymocks (it's been shown in Oz by the public broadcaster there and is a bit of a cult hit). If you can speak Danish you can get it from Denmark, obviously, or you can get it with Dutch subtitles from Holland. The German's have shown it, too, but the arses dubbed it into German, which is typical and just really shit and annoying.
It's available on torrent, too, I think, but I haven't checked any versions out... just search google for "Forbrydelsen (The Killing) English subtitles".


----------



## Reno (Aug 24, 2010)

llantwit said:


> If you can speak Danish you can get it from Denmark, obviously, or you can get it with Dutch subtitles from Holland. The German's have shown it, too, but the arses dubbed it into German, which is typical and just really shit and annoying.
> It's available on torrent, too, I think, but I haven't checked any versions out... just search google for "Forbrydelsen (The Killing) English subtitles".


 
Maybe that's because they want German's to watch it and they didn't have you in mind. You'll find that many countries where there is a lower rate of Enlish speakers (Italy, France, Spain among them) dub all foreign language television series. Just like in the UK, most people won't read subtitles there.

The series looks good, maybe it will turn up on BBC4 at some point.


----------



## llantwit (Aug 24, 2010)

Reno said:


> Maybe that's because they want German's to watch it and they didn't have you in mind. You'll find that many countries where there is a lower rate of Enlish speakers (Italy, France, Spain among them) dub all foreign language television series. Just like in the UK, most people won't read subtitles there.


I know why they do it, but I still think it's shit. 
I'm part of the German TV market, too. Watch it all the time. I'd massively prefer it if they'd subtitle foreign stuff instead of employing the same voice actors to do the voices every time.
It takes away loads from the original to have the sound messed with like that. I like the Wallander series', and I've seen them dubbed in German and it's just not as good. Same goes for movies over there.
Might be good BBC 4 fodder. Deserves a viewing over here, I reckon.


----------



## butchersapron (Aug 24, 2010)

There's a 2nd series of this too that ran last year.


----------



## llantwit (Aug 24, 2010)

Did you see any of it?
Didn't see the 2nd series in the Oz DVD shop. Might D/L.


----------



## butchersapron (Aug 24, 2010)

I haven't seen any of either series, have heard good things about it though. Will be looking for it later.


----------



## Reno (Aug 24, 2010)

llantwit said:


> I know why they do it, but I still think it's shit.
> I'm part of the German TV market, too. Watch it all the time. I'd massively prefer it if they'd subtitle foreign stuff instead of employing the same voice actors to do the voices every time.
> It takes away loads from the original to have the sound messed with like that. I like the Wallander series', and I've seen them dubbed in German and it's just not as good. Same goes for movies over there.
> Might be good BBC 4 fodder. Deserves a viewing over here, I reckon.



Yup, it is shit, but the odd thing is that if you grow up with it you don't notice how crap it sounds. The series looks like it would be my type of thing. I'll look out for it (subtitled).


----------



## butchersapron (Aug 24, 2010)

You should be thankful it's not done a way which is pretty common in Russia - leaving in the original dialogue and having a Russian translate 'live' on top of that.


----------



## llantwit (Aug 24, 2010)

Reno said:


> Yup, it is shit, but the odd thing is that if you grow up with it you don't notice how crap it sounds. The series looks like it would be my type of thing. I'll look out for it (subtitled).


Too true. My missus prefers Jodie Foster's voice in German.


> You should be thankful it's not done a way which is pretty common in Russia - leaving in the original dialogue and having a Russian translate 'live' on top of that.


Oh shit. Never seen that. Hope I never do.


----------



## gnuneo (Aug 24, 2010)

if you like danish films, i'd also recommend "Riget" (The Kingdom", the first two series were magnificent (haven't seen the 3rd series american version). Its way funnier if you have spent time in skandi and know the rivalry between the swedes and danes. 


Brødre (the brothers) is also very watchable for the moral dilemmas it presents.

actually, for such a small country DK produces some excellent cinema.


----------



## gnuneo (Aug 24, 2010)

butchersapron said:


> You should be thankful it's not done a way which is pretty common in Russia - leaving in the original dialogue and having a Russian translate 'live' on top of that.


 
the poles do that as well (or used to?). The most annoying possible method.


what's so wrong with bloody subtitling, its unlikely illiterates will watch foreign films anyway, and so much of the magic of a film is lost without the original language in the background!!


----------



## skyscraper101 (Aug 24, 2010)

Reno said:


> Maybe that's because they want German's to watch it and they didn't have you in mind. You'll find that many countries where there is a lower rate of Enlish speakers (Italy, France, Spain among them) dub all foreign language television series. *Just like in the UK, most people won't read subtitles there*.



Actually, I think people in the UK generally much prefer to read subtitles than watch a dubbed film or TV show IMHO.


----------



## butchersapron (Aug 24, 2010)

Terribly Happy - one of fav films of 2008, even if the Coen bros influence is a little too evident.


----------



## Reno (Aug 24, 2010)

skyscraper101 said:


> Actually, I think people in the UK generally much prefer to read subtitles than watch a dubbed film or TV show IMHO.



It's true that the British wouldn't watch dubbed films, but then most of the time there isn't the option anyway. What I meant is that most British people won't watch anything foreign, because it tends to be subtitled. There isn't the need to either, because most films and TV series made are English language, so it's only a minority, also interested in art films, etc, that will watch anything subtitled.

US series and films dominate in all of Europe, that's why they resort to dubbing in non-English speaking countires. I can't get my family in Germany to watch the subtitled option on a DVD, they will always choose the dubbed version. The exception is places like Holland and Scandinavia where almost everybody does speaks excellent English.


----------



## gnuneo (Aug 24, 2010)

reno: i've thought that has to do with the sizes of the countries - the smaller countries are used to imported 'foreign' language media, whilst the larger countries tend to manufacture their own media-base - and have a dominant class that wants to restrict knowledge about other cultures as much as possible (it seems).

it annoys the crap out of me when NewsNight etc dub over what the people are saying in their reports, because they always make them sound retarded, and its impossible to check the veracity of the over-dub.

i've noticed on more than one occasion quite severe differences between what the person was saying, and what was dubbed over.


----------



## Reno (Aug 24, 2010)

gnuneo said:


> reno: i've thought that has to do with the sizes of the countries - the smaller countries are used to imported 'foreign' language media, whilst the larger countries tend to manufacture their own media-base - and have a dominant class that wants to restrict knowledge about other cultures as much as possible (it seems).



It also has to do with the size of the country, but there certainly isn't a dominant class in Germany that "wants to restrict knowledge about other cultures". Considering how much Europe is culturally dominated by the US, it's a bit late for that.


----------



## gnuneo (Aug 24, 2010)

well, the B52 made sure Germany's 'market' was opened for US imports. But it is still noticeable that the larger countries try to control the inflow of media from other countries.


----------



## Orangesanlemons (Feb 22, 2011)

Bumped to say that I've just watched the first two episodes of this, and it's bloody fantastic.
It combines the procedural and political machinations of The Wire, washed-out Danish landscapes, loads of obscure anti-Swede jokes and the merest hint of Twin Peaks. Amongst other stuff. It's slow, but not 'slow' iyswim, and grabs you hard in the first five minutes (whereas the Wire took about five hours).

Recommended.


----------



## AnnaKarpik (Feb 23, 2011)

I've got as far as episode ten, I'm really enjoying it and will almost certainly watch the rest.....


but I have to guess what is happening half the time because the whole thing is so fucking dark (as in, lacking light).


----------



## girasol (Feb 23, 2011)

I started watching it because of this thread, actually, now on episode 9, and then I'll be able to watch it on real time this weekend on BBC4.  (You do know it's available on BBC4 and iplayer, right?)

Lund resembles Sue Perkins from certain angles though 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xzy0f


----------



## nick h. (Feb 23, 2011)

gnuneo said:


> well, the B52 made sure Germany's 'market' was opened for US imports.


 
 How did the Vietnam war affect German TV?


----------



## Chz (Feb 23, 2011)

And what is up with her jumper that never gets dirty or smelly and magically heals from stab wounds?

Lol, just googled Sarah Lund's Sweater and I'm not the only one.  Fantastic series though.


----------



## girasol (Feb 24, 2011)

yep, the sweater has become something of an icon.  I kept thinking that too though, always same clothes.  Ok, I know she had packed everthying, but still.  Or maybe she's like Jeff Goldblum's character in The Fly, a wardrobe filled with the same outfit?


----------



## spliff (Feb 24, 2011)

gnuneo said:


> ... .. what's so wrong with bloody subtitling, its unlikely illiterates will watch foreign films anyway, and so much of the magic of a film is lost without the original language in the background!!


And it's interesting to note with the Wallander's and this series how often the English sub-titles match up to what is being said. iyswim.


----------

