Can someone translate the title for me? - Au hasard Balthazar (1966) Discussion

[–] cinimon 19 years ago

On the Criterion DVD, which I too just saw, an extra is "Un metteur en order: Robert Bresson", a 1966 French TV show on the film, in which Director Bresson says, in the English subtitles, that he wanted a Biblical name, Balthazar was one of the Three Wise Men, that "nobles from Baux..." used to refer to themselves with this title, and that he liked the rhythm/sound of it (as best as I can remember). While not a translation, which I can not find either, I hope this is of some use.

I had thought that "hasard" was related to chance.

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[–] nothingiscool 19 years ago

Balthazar by Chance

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[–] FabuleuxDestin 19 years ago

I think it's just one of those daft rhyming phrases people say to each other seem to be fond of, a bit like "a la tienne, Etienne" or "see you later, aligator" in English. Interestingly, French pop star Jacques Dutronc used the phrase in his hit La fille du pere noel (Santa Claus' Daughter)... I wonder which came first?

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[–] Pierre_D 9 years ago

This is correct. You'd need an idiomatic collocation and so on. Something like Best of luck, Buck or Nance has no chance or somesuch. It's not meant to be literally translated.

Watch, learn, question, but do not disparage as we are all in the throes of our own conflicts.

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[–] !!!deleted!!! (5034693) 19 years ago

I used freetranslation.com, and the phrase translated to "At random Balthazar".

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[–] wlcooper1 19 years ago

AltaVista's Babelfish translates it as "randomly Balthazar," but I think Jerry Langford's idomatic translation is closest to the intended meaning, sort of like "that's the breaks, Balthazar."

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[–] ObsoleteVernacular 19 years ago

yes its basically Balthazar at random, which fits the film

Last Film I Watched-
Pickpocket - Robert Bresson (9/10)

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[–] MovieMan0283part2 19 years ago

I always thought it was Look Out, Balthazar! My very preliminary French would seem to support this.

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[–] SixtusXLIV 19 years ago

If you do not speak a latin language (and maybe Greek, which I ignore), the notion of fate or destiny is probably not part of your culture.
Today the modern western culture presumes that man is sole master of his destiny.
It is false, it will bring the western culture to doom.
Shakespeare wrote in "Julius Caesar" : The fault, dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that are underlings".

So, beeing a European Latin I propose "Your fate, Balthazar". It matches the final scene where "sheep" gather around Balthazar the donkey when he dies.
It's a kind of tribute of lower animals to a wiser one that passes away. That is Fate.

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[–] rock_bustin 19 years ago

Poppycock!

"Today the modern western culture presumes that man is sole master of his destiny.
It is false, it will bring the western culture to doom. "

What is the false reasoning here ?

Not that man presumes his sole mastery, but that *YOU* presume there
is anything called "destiny". If you were required to actually prove
such a thing existed you would quickly see what pretentious nonsense
your pathetic attempt to inject sophomoric Phil 101-style arguments
into this otherwise film-oriented thread truely are. Grow up.

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[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] gspinoza 19 years ago

My Italian Dictionary of Movies, written by Paolo Mereghetti, states that "Au hasard Balthazar" was the motto of the Baux-de-Provence counts, which believed to be descendants of the biblical Balthazar. The most likely meaning is therefore "Balthazar by chance".

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[–] thibault_raisse 19 years ago

As a french (but maybe other french have responded in this board before), I'd like to give my point of view.

In fact, the expression "au hasard" is used in french as "shot in the dark" in english.

Like when someone is asking you a question you should not be able to answer, but you do and then add "and yet it was a shot in the dark" (is this expression still used in english ?), in french : "et pourtant je l'ai dit au hasard".

"By chance" is more likely to be translated in french by "par hasard", another way to say "accidentellement" ("accidentally"). So does "randomly" (which intensifies the "unpredictable" sense in "accidentally").

So, even in french, this title is not really meaningful. It must had been chosen because it sounds good and let you free to explain it the way you want.

What do you think of "Balthazard shot in the dark" ? :)

Thibault

P.S : In "La fille du Père Noel" Jacques Dutronc says "Je m'appelais Jean Balthazar" who is supposed to be the Père Fouettard's son (Père Fouettard is a tale's character, a sort of french "Mr. Bogeyman" used to frighten children).

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[–] anarcist 19 years ago

"Shot in the dark"
A wild, unsubstantiated guess; also, an attempt that has little chance for success.

I like that idea that there is little chance for success.
The idea is that the odds are against him.

Also in English, to take a shot in the dark is to 'hazard' a guess.

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[–] s-roesinger 18 years ago

Not being a native speaker of French, I'd though like to contradict Thibauds theory.

Although he is absolutely right in saying that the meaning of
"it happens to be Balthazar" would rather be "Par hazard...", i think that exactly this is what Besson had in mind.

A life, a fate ... made visible on the example of a donkey.
So it happens to be Balthazar ... might have been any other creature.

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[–] phelpsg1 17 years ago

"Balthazar Shot in the Dark" works very well.... after all (SPOILER AHEAD!) that is exactly Balthazar's fate!

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[–] gdaffin 18 years ago

I think it means "Balthazar at Risk"

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[–] excellent_baleine-1 18 years ago

since "au" means "at the" or "to the", I thought the title might translate as something like "to the pain of balthazar" or "at the expense of balthazar." I had forgotten that "au hasard" is more of an expression for "randomly" or "by chance." but it can probably be read both ways, literally and as an expression, and this was probably intentional, because both interpretations make sense.

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