Thankfully, Alfonso Cuarón Confirms There Won't Ever Be A Dubbed, Color Print Of 'Roma'

You knew it was bound to happen. With today’s film culture, the question was destined to be asked. “What if we took Alfonso Cuarón’s beautifully crafted Spanish-language, black and white Mexican period film, ‘Roma,’ that is his most personal film to date and put some color in it and dub it?” Hold on while I throw my computer out the window.

Thankfully, Alfonso Cuarón is here to set the record straight. If you want to enjoy the beauty and technical achievements of “Roma,” you’re going to have to sit through a black and white film, with Spanish and subtitles. End of story.

“They can request a color print but won’t get one. Nothing will be dubbed. I don’t believe in that. This is my vision. Subtitles — and that’s all,” said the filmmaker to Page Six.

We only bring this up, not because we think a color print and English dub is a good idea (it’s not), but because it shows that the modern film audience just can’t grasp the idea of a film released in 2018 that isn’t in color and doesn’t have an English-language version available.

As a film fan, you very well could have heard a family member say this after you try to recommend “Roma,” “What, you expect me to read the subtitles?” Or perhaps they’re fine with the subtitles but see the black and white, saying, “But it looks so old-fashioned with the black and white!” If that’s the case, then just quietly walk away and avoid any physical altercation.

But the fact that Cuarón even had to answer the question shows that Netflix has a bit of an uphill battle convincing the casual fan to experience “Roma.” Not only is it not in color and almost completely in Spanish, but the subject matter doesn’t feature superheroes, ‘80s nostalgia, monsters, or people walking around in blindfolds. It’s not an easy sell to the average person cycling through the thousands of titles on the streaming service.

Hopefully, there are a few brave souls that are willing to give a beautiful black and white, Spanish-language film a shot. Maybe, just maybe, they will become enraptured in the story that Cuarón attempts to tell in “Roma.” And if that’s the case, then they will understand that the filmmaker would be absolutely nuts to even contemplate a dubbed color print.

Or most likely, they will just skip over it and watch the new Adam Sandler film. Oh well.