The Translators

For films with similar titles, see Translator (disambiguation).

The Translators
Directed byRégis Roinsard [fr]
StarringLambert Wilson
Alex Lawther
CinematographyGuillaume Schiffman
Music byJun Miyake
Release date
  • 23 November 2019 (2019-11-23)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Budget$10.6 million [1]
Box office$3.1 million [2]

The Translators (French: Les Traducteurs) is a 2019 French mystery thriller film directed by Régis Roinsard [fr],[3][4] based on the experience of the simultaneous translators in 2013 of Dan Brown's novel Inferno.[5]

Plot

The publication of the last part of the globally successful book trilogy Dedalus is imminent. In order to ensure a smooth start without data leaks or spoilers, the translation of the book is to be carried out in complete isolation and under strict security precautions. The nine translators, who represent the countries where "Dedalus" sells the best, are therefore taken to a bunker to translate the book into their respective languages. Since the identity of the successful author Oscar Brach himself is unknown, the translation project is managed and carried out by his publisher Éric Angstrom. The translators receive only small sections of the secret book each day, which are to be translated gradually. After just a few days, however, the first ten pages are published on the Internet by an unknown person. In addition, Angstrom receives a ransom note with a demand for several million euros in order to prevent the publication of further pages. As a result, Angstrom continues to put pressure on the translators and terrorize them in the hope of identifying the blackmailer. This leads to growing mistrust within the group, along with Angstrom pushing the group members individually, which then results in the suicide of the Danish translator Helene.

Meanwhile, through flashbacks, the viewer learns of the English translator Alex Goodman's plan to steal the manuscript. To do this, he teams up with some of his fellow translators and seems to have stolen and copied the book from Angstrom even before the start of the translation project.

As more and more pages of the book are published, the situation in the bunker escalates more and more, and when Angstrom shoots Goodman and Katerina, the Russian translator, the previously loyal security forces also turn against the publisher, who is then arrested. Goodman visits the prisoner some time later and reveals to him his identity as Oscar Brach. In protest against Angstrom's methods and greed, the successful author has himself mingled with the translators in order to expose Angstrom. During this conversation, Goodman also reveals that the bookseller, Georges, whom Angstrom killed after he refused to continue working with him, was actually a close friend of Goodman's. Goodman had met him as a child and later showed him his work, "Dedalus", agreeing to publish it only if Georges pretended to be the author.

Due to the confession and other events, Angstrom remains in prison. Goodman's true identity is thus secured and the murder of Georges is avenged.

Cast

Trivia

This movie was inspired by the unique translation operation of Dan Brown's Inferno in 2013, which was conceived to prevent leaking and "guarantee the simultaneous publication of the novel worldwide".[6] The translators were divided into two groups and worked from Milan and London respectively. In 2017, the same operation was repeated for the translation of Origin, the fifth book in the Robert Langdon series, with 26 translators working together in Barcelona.

References

  1. ^ "Les Traducteurs (The Translators) (2020) - JP Box-Office".
  2. ^ "The Translators".
  3. ^ "The Translators". Les Arcs Film Festival. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (30 January 2020). "'The Translators' ('Les Traducteurs'): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  5. ^ The Guardian Thu 30 Apr 2020 note by Julia Webster Ayuso (Retrieved Jun 17 2024)
  6. ^ Ayuso, Julia Webster (30 April 2020). "Literary lockdown: how translating a Dan Brown novel made for a thriller plot". the Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2022.


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