Silent Films – What Is There to Translate? – Ost und West (1923) in English, German, and Yiddish

Abstract

The article explores the translation of silent films, specifically focusing on the film, Ost und West (East and West) (1923). It addresses the broader question of whether silent films can be translated and delves into the methods and practices used to render these films in German, English, and Yiddish. In the case of Ost und West, an engaged comic drama that was seen in Austria as a thoughtful and heartening work in support of beleaguered Viennese Jews, was transformed in the United States into a slapstick comedy befitting a Vaudeville presentation and, for some, into a film that is actually offensive to Jewish viewers and should be censored for its alleged sacrilegious tendencies. The argument in the article addresses the broad nature of such research, which extends beyond textual translation to a wide selection of primary materials and the consideration of social, economic, cultural, and historical contexts. Accordingly, it is argued that film translation requires a multidisciplinary approach that combines insights from Film Studies, Translation Studies, and cultural and historical contexts. The findings describe the manner in which the film, Ost und West, was translated, adapted, and received in different contexts and review the scholarly reception of the film, which is at times anachronistic and limited by a narrow disciplinary approach.

Keywords

• audiovisual translation
• film translation
• silent films
• german
• english
• yiddish