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Re: French use of 'vous' vs 'tu' in the movie Blue

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2018 11:27 am
by MarkLondon
I realise that this thread is really old, but I happened to recently re-watch this (first time since it came out, which was quite a while back . . . ). I noticed the vous usage between them too. I put it down to a intentially forced formality between them, to actually force out with language the actual state of intimacy created between them as a result of the prior illicit affair. At least that was what I read as her motivation. From his side it might have been a bit of guilt of the betrayal of his deceased colleague, coupled with respect for her widowed position, and also his viewing her as a sort of unattainable perfection. Lots going on there but I thought it added an interesting nuance and was a nice example of something that is literally untranslatable in the subtitles. In a more flexible English narrative translation you could probably signal this dynamic between then in a more roundabout way with subtle formality markers, but it would be challenging. But definitely cool nerdy fun for linguistics fanatics like us lot!

Re: French use of 'vous' vs 'tu' in the movie Blue

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:27 pm
by sfuqua
Sir and Ma'am can be used in the American South as a way distance oneself from someone you are mad with. I have no idea about French.

Re: French use of 'vous' vs 'tu' in the movie Blue

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 3:31 am
by reineke