MovieChat Forums > A Shot in the Dark (1965) Discussion > The Spanish Dancers

The Spanish Dancers

posted 19 years ago by Wink23
6 replies | jump to latest

While the man is flamenco-ing, the camera zooms in on one of the woman dancers, and she says something in Spanish. I am so curious! Can anyone tell me what she says? It's not in the subtitles. Gracias!

[–] bccoolj 18 years ago

Yeah, I'm trying to find out too. I've rewinded that scene over and over, increased the volume, anything to try to understand what she's saying. I can't make anything out. Plus, as she finishes her line, she gets quieter to the point of just her mouth moving.

If it's not Spanish, could it be Portuguese? Any takers on this inquiry?

[–] Professor_Fate_86 18 years ago

Because I am incredibly bored, I pulled out the dvd and went to the scene. According to the subtitles, she says:

"ese gitana de cordoba, o sea que eres unico, arsa, mira"

Using Babelfish it translates to

"that gypsy of cordoba, that is that you are unico, arsa, watches"

Doesn't make sense, I know. But it's the best I can do, short of learning Spanish.

Stop staring...I'm not learning Spanish...

[–] bccoolj 18 years ago

Congratulations! You win the electric toaster! Where can I send you the prize? I must have listened to that line at least 2 dozen times trying to pick up on what words she was saying. I know how to translate Spanish, but just trying to figure out the spanish words was difficult.

Thanks a bunch. That solves the riddle. And thanks for the Babelfish tool too. Good link to have!

[–] route661 18 years ago

Sounds like she's pissed about something.
MM

[–] bccoolj 18 years ago

I don't think she was pissed. I described the scene to a co-worker who knows her spanish culture, and she said that flamenco dancing is taken very serious. The facial expressions are never smiling or laughing, but serious almost hateful looks. What the woman was doing in her dialogue was praising the male dancer for his dancing as well as that he was "a gypsy from Cordoba, and he is unique."

[–] DwightFry 14 years ago

I'm a native Spanish speaker, and what she says sounds a lot to me like "Arsa, Hurtado de Córdoba, arsa que eres único, arsa, mi alma". It can't be directly translated, particularly "arsa", an Andalusian gypsy interjection very much like "ole". Hurtado de Córdoba is the name of the dancer, he even gets a screen credit in the end cast list, "eres único" is "you are unique", "mi alma" is "my dear", and the general meaning is what has been already suggested, that the woman is praising the dancer.

What I don't know is why that pointless moment made the final cut. Probably Edwards thought it sounded exotic, or just wanted the audience to wonder!

Account inactive till original titles are back as default. Or Hell freezes over. What happens 1st.