Ah! The first non-junior theme blog in over a month!
So this afternoon I saw a Swedish film at the Wilmette Theater. It's English title is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The direct translation of the Swedish title, however, is Men Who Hate Women. (Thanks to Therese, our Swedish exchange student, for bringing this to my attention.) This second title is quite fitting, since the plot has a lot to do with sadistic rapists.
I found the change of title very interesting, mostly because it never occurred to me that the titles of foreign films would be changed for American releases. After my initial surprise, my American-Studies trained self began to wonder why the title would have been changed.
Seeing as the purpose of the movie industry is to produce art and to make money, I imagine that the change is due to one of those factors. The author of the original book from which the screenplay was adapted is now dead, so it could not have been due to his artistic wishes. (Although, interestingly enough, the book is called The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in both countries.) This leaves the financial reason.
I do not believe that a movie released in the US with the title Men Who Hate Women would do very well in the box office. Someone out there, however, thought that such a title would do very well in Sweden.
Maybe the concern was that such a male-driven society would not tolerate such a title, and that no one would go to see it.
Under any title, it was a very intriguing movie with an interesting plot and very well-developed and complicated characters. I would highly recommend it.
Lizzy this is really strange that they would change this, especially if the book title is the same. You say that the purpose the movie industry is to "produce art and make money", but I think that it's really all about money. By entertaining, and having people to pay for that entertainment, the movie industry is making money. So, of course, having an entertaining movie (like one based off of a best-selling book) will make more money, but I think that money is the main objective.
ReplyDeleteI agree when you say that the Swedish title would not work in America, unless it was a comedy about guys who hate their ex-girlfriends. I think the women in America would take greater offence than a "male-driven society" though.