top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon

Lost in translation: French titles of films in English

Cannes Film Festival starts on Wednesday – here we look back at the some of the surprising choices for translations of film names

Mystified by the name of the Beatles’ “mockumentary” film A Hard Day’s Night , the French translators gave up and called it Quatre Garçons dans le Vent (Four Trendy Boys).

These days the French distributors of English-language films often do not even make as much effort as that: increasingly they just assume their audiences know enough English to cope without them bothering at all. For example Fantastic Mr Fox and Kick-Ass left untranslated, or token efforts like Mytho-Man: The Invention of Lying (a mythomane is a compulsive liar), where something was added to the English name.

At other times a title is left in English but modified because of a tricky expression or word (Harsh Times = Bad TimesStep Up = Sexy Dance), or a possible unfortunate connotation in French (Capote = Truman  Capote).

Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France

Then some film titles are translated fairly literally into French, such as La Guerre des Etoiles (Star Wars) or Autant en Emporte le Vent (Gone with the wind).

Others, however are less obvious.

Can you guess what films or series the following were?

Agence Tous Risques (literally “the all-risks agency”, from assurance tous risques, comprehensive insurance)

L’Or se Barre (“the gold clears off”, a pun on se barrer and une barre, a [gold] bar)

Maman, j’ai Raté l’Avion (“Mum, I missed the plane”)

S.O.S Fantômes (SOS ghosts)

Chapeau Melon et Bottes de Cuir (“bowler hat and leather boots”)

Les Dents de la Mer (“the teeth of the sea”)

Docteur Folamour

…and a couple that were only used in Quebec (which tends to be stricter on avoiding anglicisms than France):

Du Soleil Plein la Tête (“a head full of sun”)

Mon Fantôme d’Amour

 

Translations:

The A-Team, The Italian Job, Home Alone, Ghostbusters, The New Avengers, Jaws, Dr. Strangelove, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Ghost.

 

(This article first appeared in a previous edition of Connexion).

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Income Tax in France 2023 (for 2022 income)*
Featured Help Guide
- Primarily aimed at Britons, covers pensions, rent, ISAs, shares, savings and interest - but also contains significant general information pertinent to readers of other nationalities - Overview of online declarations + step-by-step guide to the French printed forms - Includes updates given automatically after this year's site opened
Get news, views and information from France