Translation tools in multilingual Korean films: changing ideas of translation

This article examines Bong Joon-ho's, Snowpiercer and Park Chan-wook's, Decision to Leave with a view to identifying how different languages are used for characterization and a narrative, and the extent to which the meanings encoded in the interplay of different languages in the film are delivered to the audiences relying exclusively on English subtitles. We focus on the role played by these different languages and a translation device (e.g. translation machines) appearing in films. We argue that both translation devices and different languages used are carefully designed and devised by the directors not only to contribute to audiences’ meaning-making processes and to enhance affective engagement with the film but also to challenge linguistic hierarchies. Translation machines are even used to defamiliarize languages used by characters and to maximize audiences’ experiences. Yet, these are not necessarily considered during translation, which may deprive audiences relying on subtitles of affective experiences. This study ultimately argues that the differing approaches to representing translation demonstrate different public understandings of translation.