# un film de De Funès



## Carcassonnaise

This is from a comic book about time travel in which a man from 2012 suddenly finds himself back in the 1980s.  He is driving a car, looking with stupefaction at the surroundings from another age.  And then: "Quant au poste de police: l'impression de se retrouver en plein milieu d'un film de De Funès."
I've got to find some other way of translating this for an American audience who will never have heard of De Funès or his films.  I know he was a comic actor and that he starred in a series of films about gendarmes... presumably that is the reference?  What do Francophones think of, in terms of an adjective for the police station, when they read this?   Merci bien!


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## Micia93

yes, I think that the fact he starred in a series of film about gendarmes is the reference here. The fact is that in these series, the cops were slightly laughed at, showing lack of organization and silly behaviours among others


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## Micia93

Jasmine tea said:


> For some reason the sentence you quote makes me think of the movie "La Grande Vadrouille" with de Funès and Bourvil.



really? but "la Grande Vadrouille" has nothing to do with a police station?


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## Carcassonnaise

Ok thanks... if you had to apply this to a description of the police station - because he says the police station makes him think he's arrived in the middle of a De Funes film set - what might one say??


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## Micia93

the mess everywhere, strange behaviour of cops ...


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## DearPrudence

To me, it just means that he has the impression to be in one of the films in which De Funès might star, and probably more particularly the well-known films called "_Le gendarme_ + ..." from 1964 to 1982, that is, in the 60s, 70s, 80s, with policemen probably wearing old-fashioned uniforms and moustaches, quaint premises, typing machines,...
Not sure you have to go deeper than that...


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## Carcassonnaise

Thanks Prudence.  Don't have to go deeper but have to find some way of translating it without referring to De Funes, who means nothing to the average American reader


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## Micia93

"un poste de police *ringard*" ?


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## DearPrudence

I was just answering your question 


> What do Francophones think of, in terms of an adjective for the police station, when they read this? Merci bien!


I think that "strange behaviour of cops,..." is a bit too far.
It just means he has the impression to be brought back 30 years ago, in a quaint police station. If you find a well-known film of the 70s-80s, that would be quite enough, methinks. But well, that was not even your question


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## carog

The British "Carry-on" series remind me a bit of the atmosphere of a De Funes film. But this probably won't work for an American audience anyway...


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## All in One

What about Leslie Nielsen? He's from a different generation but I believe he is (was...) famous enough.

Also - _un film de *d*e Funès._


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## Micia93

Nielsen's films were wacky and delirious, which was not exactly the case in the series of "gendarmes"
moreover, if the context (poste de police) is important, it must refer to police somewhere, thus my suggestion of "ringard" (also suggested in Prudence's comments)


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## Carcassonnaise

Yes, that could work!  Leslie Nielsen starred in a comic series called "Police Squad" in the 1980s (apparently).


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## Micia93

Carcassonaise, do you need an equivalent film, or a word summing up the description?


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## Carcassonnaise

A translation


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## snarkhunter

I think the "Police Academy" movies could be considered closer to the "Gendarmes" than "Police Squad"...


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## Carcassonnaise

Ok, great, snarkhunter.  I'm getting there slowly with your collective help!


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## Pierre Simon

Hullo Carcassonnaise,

I know it isn't the right period, but how about '... like something out of the Keystone Cops'?


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## Carcassonnaise

All in One said:


> Also - _un film de *d*e Funès._



I dunno All in One... the French author put de De!


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## All in One

Well, his name is Louis *d*e Funès so it can only read *D*e Funès at the very start of a sentence. 



			
				snarkhunter said:
			
		

> _Police Academy_


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## snarkhunter

Writing "_de de_ Funès" is correct. The actor's last name was *de Funès*. So referring to one of his movies would imply the double "de". As strange as this may look, it's still correct!


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## Fred_C

snarkhunter said:


> Writing "_de de_ Funès" is correct. The actor's last name was *de Funès*. So referring to one of his movies would imply the double "de". As strange as this may look, it's still correct!



Bonjour,
En réalité, pour les noms de famille de la noblesse, la particule «de» ne fait pas partie du nom de famille, et elle ne sert qu’à lier le prénom au nom de famille.
Si on nomme les nobles en ne donnant que leur nom de famille, il ne faut pas dire le «de». On trouve des exemples dans la presse avec Dominique de Villepin, ou dans la littérature avec Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, qui sont appelés par abréviation «Villepin» et «Saint-Exupéry». On dit ainsi : «un livre de Saint-Exupéry», et le «gouvernement de Villepin», sans double «de».

Je ne sais pas si Louis de Funès est noble, (c’est probable, son nom complet est «Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza».)
Mais quoi qu’il en soit, on peut considérer que son nom d’artiste est «de Funès», et que pour ce nom, l’usage est de ne pas considérer «de» comme une particule de noblesse.
dire «un film de de Funès» est donc correct, au moins par l’usage.


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## misterk

I second Pierre Simon's suggestion in post #19. For an American audience especially,  the Keystone Cops is the classic metaphor for bumbling policemen who can do nothing right.


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## Carcassonnaise

Yes, it's a good idea... but keeping the 1980s image is primordial here.


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## Itisi

'...in a French comedy from the 80s.'  Wouldn't that be enough? (if the man has landed in France, obviously!)  People can use their imagination about the policemen!


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## misterk

Carcassonnaise said:


> keeping the 1980s image is primordial here.



The great bulk of the de Funes films date from the 1950s and 1960s. So I don't think the reference to the de Funes films is a reference to the 1980s, but rather to a well-established image of bumbling cops -- the specific time period is not critical.


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## Carcassonnaise

Well, yes, but... context is all!  This is a book entirely based on the humour of a contemporary man travelling back in time to the 1980s.  Everything he sees looks so seedy and laughable compared to the designer chic world he lives in in the 21st century.  This particular passage is all about how alien and laughable the 1980s world he is passing through is... and the point is to say that the police station was like something out of a film of the period (the gendarme films of de Funès were late '70s, early '80s).  Honestly, I think the closest translation I can get with an American audience is to say: "As for the police station: it was like something out of _Police Academy_".  
Thank you all.


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## Wasabih

In a novel, I would have written a little note at the bottom of the page to explain why referring to de Funes, but it's quite uncommon in comic books.
If the story is about time travel, I guess there are many references to old things that will appear to be French. And also, if the character is French, I don't see why he would refer to Neslie Nielsen, who is not particularly known for his policeman character in France. And to the Keystone Cops neither (totally unknown here). EDIT: or Police Academy.

So if the fact that the story sets in France is completely unrelevant, then go for it. But if it is clearly said and if the French references are numerous, then choose another solution such as "... from the TV series my parents used to watch".

This is my opinion.


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## Itisi

Wasabih said:


> In a novel, I would have written a little note at the bottom of the page to explain why referring to de Funes, but it's quite uncommon in comic books.
> If the story is about time travel, I guess there are many references to old things that will appear to be French. And also, if the character is French, I don't see why he would refer to Neslie Nielsen, who is not particularly known for his policeman character in France. And to the Keystone Cops neither (totally unknown here). EDIT: or Police Academy.
> 
> So if the fact that the story sets in France is completely unrelevant, then go for it. But if it is clearly said and if the French references are numerous, then choose another solution such as "... from the TV series my parents used to watch".
> 
> This is my opinion.



Welcome to the forum, Wasabih!  And I agree.


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## Carcassonnaise

Hmmm, Wasabih, you point to the difficulty I have with this novel!  The fact that the character is French and that it is all set in France is NOT irrelevant.  So I am having to do two things - find references that are meaningful to Americans but which would also be known in France... no small undertaking   I had thought "Police Academy" was known in France??


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## Carcassonnaise

Okay, my new thought (for the next five minutes ) is to say "As for the police station, it was like something out of a dated comedy."  This isn't as specific as the original, obviously, but it conveys the sense of contempt and mockery inherent in the man's attitude to all he is seeing.  Unless of course anyone else has another Brilliant Suggestion.


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## DearPrudence

(yes, _Police Academy_ is known in France, especially by people in their 30s I would say. And the title was not even changed)


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## Itisi

Carcassonnaise said:


> "As for the police station, it was like something out of a dated comedy."


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## Carcassonnaise

Oh, heavens, now you have me chancellant again, Prudence!!!  Well, at least I have a couple of suggestions I think will work now.  Thanks so much everyone.


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## Kelly B

...right out of _the Pink Panther_? 
It covers the right decade, there are enough of them that they're familiar to a broad age range, and it even has (oh, be still, my heart) fake French accents.


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## snarkhunter

Kelly B said:


> ...right out of _the Pink Panther_?
> It covers the right decade


... I'm afraid not so!
The first instalments date back to the mid-60's, and up to the late 70's. All those that came after this were made after peter Sellers passed away and were either a shame on the producers ("Trail of the Pink Panther", 1982) or something that actually had little to see with the spirit and wit of the series ("Curse of the Pink Panther", 1983, & "Son of the Pink Panther", 1993).


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## Wasabih

Kelly B said:


> ...right out of _the Pink Panther_?
> It covers the right decade, there are enough of them that they're familiar to a broad age range, and it even has (oh, be still, my heart) fake French accents.



Good for the French accents, but it is a cartoon where the police is rather secundary, really not realistic and not representative of the 80s decade. So I don't think it could work here.


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## vsop44

Kelly B said:


> ...right out of _the Pink Panther_?
> It covers the right decade, there are enough of them that they're familiar to a broad age range, and it even has (oh, be still, my heart) fake French accents.



Kelly  B  is onto  something  there . That  was  my  idea  too  as  Inspecteur  Clouseau  was the  well known  bumbler  of the french police .
 Even it  it misses  the decade , the name  of  inspecteur  Clouseau  will be  recognized by most  americans  over  40 ...

O/T  I saw  most of  the pink panther  movies  in    drive in theatres !


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