MovieChat Forums > The Night Manager (2016) Discussion > No more Fräulein - BIG GOOF

No more Fräulein - BIG GOOF

posted 8 years ago by catflap001
43 replies | jump to latest

In the Zermatt hotel Pine keeps addressing the female hotel clerk as Fräulein. In the 1990s the German language authorities got rid of that assignation. It only exists in old films and books. It is not used anymore. It is considered improper and impolite. In real life the female clerk would have taken him down a peg or two, and sued him for sexual harassment after having slapped him silly. The hotel scenes took place in 2015, not 1915.

Stupid tv writers and producers don't do proper research.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] caulkins69 8 years ago

In the Zermatt hotel Pine keeps addressing the female hotel clerk as Fräulein. In the 1990s the German language authorities got rid of that assignation.

You mean I can no longer have an assignation with a Fräulein? Darn. [Scratches German-speaking world off list of possible vacation destinations.]

[–] angelofvic 8 years ago

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This is an English-language adaptation of an English-language book published in 1993. No matter what the current perceived "rules" are for the German language in Germany or in Switzerland, and no matter when this part of this miniseries is supposed to be taking place, the screenplay is written for an English-speaking audience, who are unaware that Fräulein may no longer be PC and who are very aware that Frau means Mrs. whereas Fräulein means Miss. Therefore unless the female hotel employee is married or widowed, it's no surprise in an English-language adaptation that she is called "Fräulein".
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[–] firstwinsgop-1 8 years ago

Actually it has nothing to do with the writers or the language of the film. Pine himself is an Englishman. Germans may not use the word "Fräulein" that much anymore but English and Americans (there was never any PC movement in American German) still do. So an English character using a German word that is still commonly used in England is perfectly appropriate and expected.

[–] AureliaBuendia 8 years ago

No mention in all these replies that the French have also done away with Mademoiselle, all women over the age of 18 being addressed as Madam. Britain is also moving this way, an airline ticket I bought recently explained that all female passengers would be addressed as Mrs regardless of status!

[–] papageno-66704 8 years ago

Pyne most have learnt German in Namibia (or from a Namibian teacher) 😁. There they still today still speak quite old fashioned German and are extremely proud of the fact that their style of language is completely void of modern German slang.

[–] westley34 8 years ago

What is the big deal? This is a complete work of fiction is it not? They can use whatever words, terminologies, etc that they want to. Of course they should keep it as real as possible by adhering to commonly used words, but this isn't a German film, its an English film. I would call this an extremely minor goof, and maybe even an intentional goof if the script writer just liked the word Fraulein.

[–] LoriBug77 8 years ago

Fascinating thread. No, really!

I wonder what other foreign words we non-foreigners use incorrectly. I'd love to hear some out of date "Americanisms" in non-American films, for example. I get a kick out of trying to figure out which actors are "Brits using an American accent". I'm not expert at it but it's fun to try.

We are on episode 2 of the series, and enjoying it a lot.

[–] katjoeus 8 years ago

Sorry, but it is utter BS to say that the word is "verboten" in German - how on earth did you come up with that?? The fact is that it is no longer used very much, or rather it is not used at all by anyone over the age of 50 or so, I'd say. It just has an old-fashioned ring to it. For me, one of the issues has always been the fact that there is no belittling male equivalent in German - that always irked me. Plus, when applied to older women, it pretty much meant "old spinster" - because you would use it for a woman who is not married, and nowadays we just feel that that is nobody's business. Which is also why Ms was introduced into the English language, so that there wouldn't be that awkwardness of not knowing whether to address a woman as Miss or Mrs.
I'm a German native speaker, by the way.