Translating code-switching in the colonial context
Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden
Park Chan-wook, one of the most internationally acclaimed Korean filmmakers, uses language as an important aspect
of characterization in The Handmaiden, his adaptation of Sarah Water’s novel Fingersmith. The
historical background and the characters’ nationalities are changed, but code-switching between two languages – i.e., Korean and
Japanese – recurs throughout the film, thereby enhancing its relevance for the Korean audience. Drawing on the notion of
‘proximity’ and reader response theory, this study examines the role of languages in Park’s characterization and proximation of
the original work for the Korean audience, and the extent to which the shifts in proximity and the use of languages contribute to
British audiences’ affective experiences when this Korean adaptation is subtitled in English.
Keywords: characterization, code-switching,
, Park Chan-wook, proximation,
Published online: 09 November 2020
https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.19075.cho
https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.19075.cho
Filmography
Filmography
Agassi/The Handmaiden
. Directed by Park Chan-wook 2016 London: Artificial Eye 2017 DVD.
Boksuneun naeui geot/Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
. Directed by Park Chan-wook 2002 Seoul: CJ Entertainment. Film.
Chinjeolhan Keumjassi/Lady Vengeance
. Directed by Park Chan-wook 2005 Seoul: CJ Entertainment. Film.
Oldeuboi/Oldboy
. Directed by Park Chan-wook 2003 Seoul: Show East. Film.
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