Translating code-switching in the colonial context: Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden

Choi, J., Kim, K. H. and Evans, J. (2022) Translating code-switching in the colonial context: Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden. Translation and Interpreting Studies, 17(2), pp. 243-263. (doi: 10.1075/tis.19075.cho)

Abstract

Park Chan-wook, one of the most internationally acclaimed Korean filmmakers, uses language as an important aspect of characterization in The Handmaiden, his adaptation of Sarah Water’s novel Fingersmith. The historical background and the characters’ nationalities are changed, but code-switching between two languages – i.e., Korean and Japanese – recurs throughout the film, thereby enhancing its relevance for the Korean audience. Drawing on the notion of ‘proximity’ and reader response theory, this study examines the role of languages in Park’s characterization and proximation of the original work for the Korean audience, and the extent to which the shifts in proximity and the use of languages contribute to British audiences’ affective experiences when this Korean adaptation is subtitled in English.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Evans, Dr Jonathan
• Authors: Choi, J., Kim, K. H., and Evans, J.
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > PI Oriental languages and literatures; P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1993 Motion Pictures
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures
• Journal Name: Translation and Interpreting Studies
• Publisher: John Benjamins
• ISSN: 1932-2798
• ISSN (Online): 1876-2700
• Published Online: 09 November 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © John Benjamins Publishing Company
• First Published: First published in Translation and Interpreting Studies 17(2): 243-263
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher