Now I don’t expect German speakers, or anyone for that matter to know the finer points of Yorkshire geography and see the play on words in the title. But really? “Yorkshire Killer” is that the best they can do?! And how do they come up with German titles for foreign films anyhow? Is there some sort of marketing committee that sits down and decides each title on its own merit? “Ve knw vot ist best für ze peple. Zis Film haz a Killer und ist in Yorkshire. Ve callz it ze Yorkshire Killer.”
There’s a small part on me that dies each time I see the latest daft film title and the mind boggles as to how they come up with them:
Jaws - Der weiße Hai – The White Shark. D’uh. The title means nothing in English, it’s a name so why on earth does it have to mean something in German?
Home Alone – Kevin, Allein zu Haus – Kevin, alone at home. Yes we got that much in the English title, why do we need to know his bloody name?
Once upon a time in the West - Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod – Play me the song of death. Eh?! Ya fuggin’ what? Such an alluring title downright ruined.
Where Eagles Dare - Agenten sterben einsam – Spies die lonely. This title not only has nothing to do with the original, it also has nothing to do with what happens in the film.
Airplane! - Die unglaubliche Reise in einem verrückten Flugzeug – The incredible journey in a crazy airplane. This is another favourite, rather than actually having a name with some sort of enticement, the Germans like to describe half the plot within the film title. Perhaps says something for Germans themselves?
Bridgit Jones Diary - Schokolade zum Frühstrück – Chocolate for Breakfast. WTF?! They didn’t change the name of Anne Franks, so what’s with Bridget Jones? And why to Chocolate for Breakfast? By the same logic, why not change name of The Last Tango in Paris to Ass Sex?
I could go on all day like this but I think you get the idea. What can also be dire is the German version of films post dubbing. I had the misfortune to sit through the German version of The Big Lebowski, a film I love. The more I watched it, the more it became apparent to me that whoever had dubbed it had completely missed the point. Anyone that’s seen the original will know that the protagonist of the story, The Dude, is a spaced out moron who finds himself completely out of his depth. And that’s the joke. Yet in the German version they manage to make The Dude sound somehow cool. Why?
Returning to “Red Riding”, I can’t help but think they took an incredibly easy cop out. It’s only a TV drama so was never going to make lots of money, and if it does get some sort of following it would only be on a cult level. If they’d have kept the original title, perhaps some of these people would have asked some questions and informed themselves as to why the title was actually Red Riding. I know I would have...