Translating the subtitles of the film "Hitchcock" into Maltese

Abstract

The main aim of this dissertation is the translation of the subtitles of the biopic Hitchcock released in 2012 and directed by Sacha Gervasi, into Maltese. Since the text being put under the lens belongs to the audiovisual realm, a look at audiovisual translation, both with regard to the technological element and its ties with the art of cinematography sets the scene. Apart from the translation itself, one of the objectives of this dissertation is to try to highlight the importance of the medium of film which is more than just a mere background; leaving quite a strong impact on the translator and the choices he makes. The subtitler, be it in a professional setting or an academic one, is ultimately juggling three languages: the Source and Target Text and film language. Any subtitler worth his salt should have at least a basic knowledge of the tools used by film-makers to captivate their audience while also trying their best to secure critical acclaim. Indeed, one has to be careful not to let the translated text hinder the audience’s appreciation of the film. Moreover, at times the words used have to reflect the anticipation of what’s to come or a certain build-up of events. The movie within a movie element on its own warrants quite a thorough study. Thus, a whole chapter is being devoted to the original Hitchcock masterpiece, Psycho and the biopic, with detailed reference to crucial scenes in both movies, the towering figure of Hitchcock the genius film-maker and his relationship with his life-long companion and prime collaborator Alma Reville. The steps taken to complete the project are laid out, followed by the translation itself. A closer look at the linguistic and cultural challenges coupled with the strict time constraints faced during the translation of the audiovisual text ensues. The concept of taking the viewer abroad and widening his world view, rather than bringing the text close to him was largely upheld. Foreignisation is the technique most translators and translation scholars opt for and advocate. Though domestication is sometimes necessary to avoid misleading the target audience, if this technique is prioritised, it may be conducive to a lack of equivalence between both texts. Certain phrases that are inherently linked to the American culture were left untranslated, as any attempt to transcribe them by adhering to the lexical and orthographic rules of the T.T. would have led to a loss. On a more technical level, one cannot disregard the extreme caution on the part of the subtitler not to exceed the limit imposed by the scene when it comes to the number of words and characters. There is also a very short time window per scene which has to be adhered to religiously; otherwise, this could impact negatively on the synchronisation of the text with the character’s utterances, apart from complicating the viewer’s life unnecessarily. Ultimately, this dissertation seeks to prove that the holistic translation of any text, belonging to any medium cannot be achieved if the translator fails to capture the essence of the words and does whatever it takes even by reworking the words within a different structure to evoke the same feeling or convey the same message to the target reader.