Language and translation in classic westerns: revisiting stereotypes in They Died with Their Boots On and Fort Apache

Abstract

ABSTRACTDrawing on Michael Cronin’s analysis of Stagecoach, and on narrative theory and image studies, this paper aims to examine the role of language and translation in two classical Hollywood westerns, namely They Died with Their Boots On and Fort Apache. It will consider whether these films provide only negative representations of Native Americans and whether the linguistic and paralinguistic elements present in the films undermine those narratives. It will also compare the English originals and the Spanish dubbed movies in order to probe whether the narratives presented in the original films are maintained in the target versions. For this purpose, I will study the various textual layers present in the films, including the use of Injun English, the discourse of Anglo and Native Americans, the use of Spanish, and the translation of all these into Spanish. The study shows that the original films question old stereotypes of Native Americans, while the Spanish versions rely on more conventional narratives.