Breakdown of В целом, этот фильм оказался интересным, хотя начало было скучным.
быть
to be
интересный
interesting
фильм
the movie
этот
this
Questions & Answers about В целом, этот фильм оказался интересным, хотя начало было скучным.
What does в целом mean here?
В целом means overall, on the whole, or generally speaking.
In this sentence, it gives the speaker’s general evaluation of the film, despite one negative part later mentioned.
A few similar English translations:
- Overall, this film turned out to be interesting...
- On the whole, the film was interesting...
It often appears at the beginning of a sentence, but it can also appear elsewhere depending on emphasis.
Why is there a comma after В целом?
Because в целом is being used as an introductory adverbial phrase, and it is often set off with a comma in writing.
So:
- В целом, этот фильм оказался интересным...
This comma helps mark overall as a sentence-level comment. In less formal writing, punctuation can sometimes vary, but this comma is very normal and natural.
Why is it этот фильм?