'Head-on' ??? - Gegen die Wand (2004) Discussion

[–] Edgar Verburg 19 years ago

Well, it sure was a bit of a surprise when I found out. "Into the Wall" captures the same meaning as the original title. "Head-On" puzzles me.

reply

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rentriki 19 years ago

In general, yes, but the way they use the phrase in the movie (i.e. "Warum sind Sie gegen eine Wand gefahren?" "Why did you drive into a wall?"), "Into the Wall" is a better translation. Although "Against the Wall" perhaps captures the non-literal implication (i.e. the characters are feeling emotionally trapped, as if they were pushed up against a wall) more accurately.

reply

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] el_monty_BCN 19 years ago

Actually, even if it's not a literal translation, I find that the title "Head-on" is not that bad. It also has a double meaning: literally, as in the expression "head-on collision", ususally applied to a car crash, and figuratively, as this is the way the two main characters live their lives, which you could say collide "head-on" with each other. So I think I can live with it.

reply

[–] shallowsel 19 years ago

Guys,
the literal translation is actually 'Towards The Wall' unless I'm mistaken. That sounds better than Head-On for sure.

reply

[–] wlmmn 18 years ago

Guys,
the literal translation is actually 'Towards The Wall' unless I'm mistaken. That sounds better than Head-On for sure.

Well, gegen has more than one literal translation. According to my German-English dictionary, it translates to against, towards, to, contrary to, and compared with. So you can't make absolute statements like that when talking about translations.

reply

[–] Bob_Brooker 18 years ago

but in the context of the film it rather means "against" as symbolized by the male lead crashing into the wall early into the movie.

one could interprete it as ramming against Turkish traditions or maybe getting stuck with life in a dead end...

Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.

reply

[–] emkerrper 19 years ago

I think it's more about the head-on collision between the turkish culture (her brother and father) and the german, western culture (party, sex, etc.).

reply

[–] Bob_Brooker 19 years ago

Note that there's already a movie called "Against the wall" (1994) http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0109053/. Guess they didn't want to confuse viewers with a similar title...

reply

[–] umstrum 19 years ago

Note that there's also a movie called "Head On", and a good one too. it's an australian movie release in 1997. so i dnt think the fact tht other movies already use the same name is an argument to choose the translated title.

reply

[–] queenofsnow 19 years ago

In addition to the car collision and feeling like being pressed against the wall emotionally, I think that Gegen die Wand could mean Against the Cultural Barrier/Wall (norms, etc.) That's the beauty of the German title. It can mean all of these things in German. But having to tranlate it into English, they obviously had to make a trade-off some of these meanings got lost.

reply

[–] gittreel 19 years ago

The English translation works very well. The guy goes head on into a wall, and the charaters dive into their lives head first. Plus they collide with each other, metaphorically, head on.
'Against a wall' in U.S. English tends to mean 'trapped.'

reply

[–] DiesAtTheEnd 19 years ago

Isn't it strange, how the German title is the more beautiful one in this case, while normally it is said, that the English language is the more poetic? A word can have so many meanings in English and only one in German. If Germans need a more fitting word to say something, they just combine a whole sentence into one word...just a thought.

reply

[–] equivalenta 18 years ago

"Isn't it strange, how the German title is the more beautiful one in this case, while normally it is said, that the English language is the more poetic?"

Can you spell Goethe?

reply

[–] DiesAtTheEnd 18 years ago

"Can you spell Goethe?"

Wow, fantastic reply. Obviously, you have no idea what I meant. I am not saying, that it is impossible to use the German language poetically. As a matter of fact, I can not only spell Goethe, but I can also spell Heinrich Heine, Hermann Hesse, Rainer Maria Rilke and many others. If you could be so kind as to explain what Goethe has to do with the fact, that the (usually said) "harsh" German language (as opposed to the English one) is in some cases more poetic? Makes no sense to me, sorry. If you however only wanted to throw in a stupid thought for the mere fun of provocation, please do not reply to this post. Thanks.

reply

[–] kneazles 18 years ago

Ooooo...

finally, someone else who knows German literature and poetry!

SO hard to find.

reply

[–] equivalenta 19 years ago

Yeah, I wondered about that too. I'd go for "Against the Wall", personally. I think it sounds much better.

But hey, this happens all the time. I don't like distributors changing a movie's title in the first place. If you really want to see a certain movie you should be able to pronounce the title. Except maybe when it's really hard, or long. But, then, at least translate it as literally and eloquently as possible.

reply

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Michael_Laws 18 years ago

Come on, "Head-On" instead of "Against the Wall" isn't all that bad. Explain to me why "C'est arrive' prez des chez vous" gets translated into "Man Bites Dog," then you can start nitpicking at this kind of thing.

And after that, well, the game was mine.
-- Francis Begbie

reply

[–] Mikiville 18 years ago

Well, I'm Italian and I find "Against the Wall" more accurate than "Head-on", but I think this one works too...
Now, do you want to know the Italian title for this movie?? It's "La Sposa Turca": in English, "The Turkish Bride"!!! Ahahahahahahah!!! Nothing to say, we are the most creative!!
It's a shame that in Italian title all the original meaning is lost... But it's not the first time, and it will not be the last one...
How and where can I protest???

reply

[–] Michael_Laws 18 years ago

Da dove vieni in Italia? Sono andato a Bologna l'estate di 2004 per due mesi... ma sfortunatamente sto dimenticando la lingua adesso ; (

And after that, well, the game was mine.
-- Francis Begbie

reply

[–] karnibahar 18 years ago

well they do the same thing with the translations into turkish. its really funny to compare the real name and the turkish one. turkish bride is really bad by the way. auch.

reply

[–] Acapulqueno 18 years ago

Here in México, where it's showing in English, the title is "Contra La Pared" or "Against the Wall." Apparently the Mexican distributor also disliked the "Head-on" label.

reply

[–] movie-21 18 years ago

And what about the Italian title: La sposa turca = The Turkish Bride??!! I know someone who went to see the film thinking it would be a romantic love story.... she was VERY shocked!!

reply

[–] latinamericanism 18 years ago

romantic love movie----hahahahhaa LOL
thats fantastic.

Being half American half Turkish I am content with the translation
HEAD-ON

reply

[–] equivalenta 18 years ago

Because your half American half Turkish you're content with the translation HEAD-ON?

reply

[–] latinamericanism 18 years ago

yeah

reply

[–] equivalenta 18 years ago

Whatever

reply

[–] Oskiros-Arg 18 years ago

Yes , my Mexican friend...!!
Here in Argentina, the spanish tittle is CONTRA LA PARED = Againt the wall, more close to the original german name.

But, here the expresion CONTRA LA PARED, have another specific sense in the common people speach.

Put someone, or to be CONTRA LA PARED (against the wall)is to be in big trouble almost without scape, or with a few posiblities to exit.

Them, in this way the name in spanish is very apropiated.

Oscar from Rosario-Argentina

reply