(The) Missing the point? Multilingual drama on the BBC | new tuesdays
The first season follows (James Nesbitt), a father desperately searching for his five-year-old son, Oliver, who vanished during a family holiday in France. Because Tony does not speak French, the show employs selective subtitling to place the audience in his shoes: The Missing (2014) subtitles
In the BBC anthology drama , subtitles are used as a powerful narrative device to reflect the main characters' feelings of isolation and confusion. (The) Missing the point
: Because the subtitles are missing at this critical moment, neither Tony nor the non-Russian-speaking audience can be sure if the boy recognizes him. This leaves the central mystery of the show—and Tony's search—hanging in a permanent, heartbreaking state of uncertainty. heartbreaking state of uncertainty.