Viewing Multilingual Films in the Original and Translated Version(s): What Message Do Audiences Receive?

This chapter examines the dynamics involved when translating audiovisual texts in which certain lines spoken by some characters remain incomprehensible to other characters, the audience, or both. Through a series of case studies, the chapter explores the nature and functions of multilingual films and their translation. Central to the discussion is the question of how the original film’s message is cast in the dubbed/subtitled version of the same product and, as a consequence, what kind of viewing experiences the original and target audiences have. Special attention is devoted to the various L3s (i.e., languages, dialects, or accents) and their roles in original films and their translated versions. The case studies illuminate what audiences are expected to grasp in the original and translated films through dubbing, subtitling, or a combination of both techniques.