Filmtext as a Product of Several Cultures: the Problem of Transferring Cultural Concepts (Based on Films about Mulan)

Abstract

The problem of cultural transformations or transference remains a relevant object of research in film discourse. Of particular interest is the study of the representation of cultural concepts in films. It is noted that the film text is a complex linguistic product that can undergo primary, secondary and more transformations through comprehension by representatives of different cultures. There are many recipients have an opportunity for seeing a product of mass culture, therefore filmtext can also generate cultural transfers. There is a special position in the scheme of cultural transfer in the filmtext is occupied by the translator in the status of an intermediary and interpreter of culturally significant components of the original, responsible for the availability and maximally equivalent perception of information. This article examines the stages of cultural transfer and their influence on the final filmtext for the Russian viewer (final recipient); a classification and comparison of linguistic and cultural concepts are carried out based on the material of the films “Mulan” produced by Walt Disney Pictures (2020) and “Hua Mulan” (花木兰) produced by Beijing Film Company (PRC, 2019). The authors came to conclusion that the linguistic and cultural concepts selected in the course of the study have undergone several stages of cultural transformations during the transfer, contain “imprints” of this culture and therefore may not be understood by the final recipient.

Keywords

• cultural transfer, filmtext, film discourse, cultural concept