Immagini e suoni
Why Meryl Streep speaks better Italian than you
Inside Italy’s fiercely protected, high-art world of dubbing
Walk into a cinema anywhere in Italy to watch the latest Hollywood blockbuster, and you won't see subtitles. Instead, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise will speak flawless, silky-smooth Italian.
This is doppiaggio (dubbing), one of Italy’s most fiercely protected artistic industries. Born in the 1930s when foreign languages were banned on Italian screens, dubbing evolved into a high art form centered around the Cinecittà studios in Rome.
Voice actors (doppiatori) are revered national celebrities. In fact, legendary Italian actor Ferruccio Amendola dubbed Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Sylvester Stallone for decades, becoming the single iconic voice behind an entire era of American cinema for Italian audiences.
Next time you watch a classic Hollywood movie, flip the audio to Italian with English subtitles. It’s an extremely entertaining way to train your ear to standard Italian (and a hilarious experiment in cognitive dissonance).
Try watching Tom Cruise pontificate in perfect Italian and see how long you can last before your brain short-circuits!
