Linguistically Significant Films

Date: 17-May-2005
From: Michael Barrie <mike.barrie
utoronto.ca>
Subject: Linguistically Significant Films
https://linguistlist.org/issues/16/16-1639.html
I have received such a large number of replies to my query on
linguistically significant films that I have categorized them as shown
below. Thank-you to all who replied. I have also incorporated the results
of the earlier list
( http://www.ling.ed.ac.uk/linguist/issues/7/7-1708.html ) so as to create
one large master list. If a film fits into more than one category, it is
listed in all relevant categories. Many films were mentioned merely because
of the language the film is in. For example, Atanarjuat was offered because
the enitre film is in Inuktitut. Clearly, I cannot list every film that
happens to be in some language or other, but films in Inuktitut are few and
far between, so I created a category ''Films in uncommonly screened
languages''. Some people gave lots of information about the film in
question...others a very brief mention. The information compiled below
reflects this. If anyone wants more information on a particular film, I
suggest going to http://www.imdb.com to find out more. Finally, I have
decided to edit out extremely little. Thus a film's inclusion on this list
may seem dubious to some; however, I leave that for the reader to decide.
0. Other sources
Sum: Films and Documentaries on Endangered Languages
http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/16/16-1562.html
Website for a course on Language and Popular Culture (contains link to film
resources)
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/popcult/syllabus.html
1. Fiction
1.1 Interesting characters/careers related to linguistics
Chan is Missing (directed by Wayne Wang), 1982 has a sociolinguist
character based loosely on Deborah Tannen.
There's a ''star Trek TNG episode with a deaf character who uses telepathy
with 3 different people who ''interpret'' for him. When they all die, Data
learns ASL in record time.
C.J.Cherryh's ''Foreigner'' series, the fate of two species depends on a
translator/diplomat. Bilingualism and a solid grasp of grammar play an
important role in this series.
Nell 1994 Michael Apted. A young girl has grown up in isolation with her
mother, who is speechless as the result of a stroke. After the death of the
mother, she is forced to encounter the outside world, where a cold-hearted
psyhologist is more interested in studying the language-deprived Nell than
in helping her. Starring Jodie Foster.
Clear & Present Danger (1994) - forensic linguistics
The Fugitive (1993) - forensic linguistics & speech recognition
Ball of Fire 1941 Howard Hawks. A lexicographer (Gary Cooper) realising
that the slang section of his dictionary is outdated visits a nightclub in
order to update it. It turns out that the nightclub singer is engaged to a
gangster on the run from the police.
The exorcist 1973 William Friedkin. This horror classic features linguists
from the Georgetown University linguistics department decoding a message
from the devil by playing a tape backwards. In reverse, the devil
apparently speaks standard American English.
Barwy ochronne (Camouflage) 1977 Krzysztof Zanussi. A Polish film in which
the action revolves around a linguistics summer school.