American accents in historical movies

[Liverpool-kid]

English accent represents England, to me an English accent (non regional) is neutral and in historical movies, unless its an American historical movie (oxy-moron ?) is as bad as a glaring continuity error, one example is in Gladiator, the head of the Pretorian guard, who's name excapes me, speaks in an American accent, in my mind he might as well be carrying an iPod as much as a sword !<br /><br />I saw Film 2006 this week and they reviewed Marie Antoinette, staring Kirsten Dunst, who portrays the French Queen speaking with an American accent, this is simply wrongness in my opinion, this is almost as crazy as &quot;Alexander&quot; who's leading actors all sounded as if they had just stumbled off the set of Bally Kissangel !<!--IBF.ATTACHMENT_214333--><br /><br />

[cupcakelove]

I don't see the problem with actors speaking in the accent of their targetted audience.&nbsp; She should be speaking french, not english with a french accent, if they are really trying to be authentic.

[Sheeplovr]

<p>you want them to speak french?</p><p>or with accent </p><p>the illusion of the movie is we are french to so we hear english like if we knew french</p><p>like
in star trek when the klingons are all together and they speak english
but not really its in klingon but the perspective is where its at</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[Fezticle98]

American accent? What's that?

[furie]

Olivia d'Abo, the sister from the wonder years, has the best american accent. I was shocked when i first heard her speak.

[narc]

<p>&nbsp;</p><strong>Sheeplovr</strong> wrote:<br /><p>you want them to speak french?</p><p>or with accent </p><p>the illusion of the movie is we are french to so we hear english like if we knew french</p><p>like
in star trek when the klingons are all together and they speak english
but not really its in klingon but the perspective is where its at</p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Klingons are all speaking English because the universal translator automatically makes it appear as if they are speaking that way. </p><p>Except in the scenes aboard Birds of Prey or the Klingon homeworld where they speak English. I have no explanation for that. Q'apla!&nbsp;</p>

[suggums]

the secret is everyone has an invisible babelfish<br />

[MadMatt]

<strong>suggums</strong> wrote:<br />the secret is everyone has an invisible babelfish<br /><p>No, the secret is that the Tardis telepathically translates any language into one you will understand.&nbsp; </p><p>Sorry, almost forgot about the original point.&nbsp; </p><p>Why is it so much better that historical movies use a British accent?&nbsp; Just because&nbsp;the UK has&nbsp;been a country longer and has a &quot;longer history?&quot;&nbsp; That is&nbsp;a rather narrow interpretation.&nbsp;</p><p>Unless it is a documentary or is intentionally trying to recreate an event, a movie requires you to maintain a suspension of disbelief.&nbsp; To use your example of &quot;Gladiator&quot; - Russell Crow was supposed to be <em>Spanish</em>, yet did not speak with any sort of Spanish accent.&nbsp; While you were taken out of the scene by the guard with the American accent, I was taken out of the entire movie by Crow's Australian accent.&nbsp; However, it is just a movie - you can either look beyond the flaws of convention or you can't.</p><p>It's all a matter of perspective.&nbsp; And for the record - I agree with you to an extent.&nbsp; However, everything is relative; an English accent can prove to be just as disconcerting or distracting depending upon the situation.</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by MadMatt on 10-19-06 @ 4:53 PM</span>

[narc]

I actually get annoyed if there is a historical movie with a British accent for no apparent reason. I hate when the Romans sound like Brits - unless it's something like &quot;I, Claudius&quot; or something. The only time British accents should be mandatory is if its something like Shakespeare, or British history or a British play. <br />

[RapistWit]

<p>Our greatest historical documentry, Star Wars, portrays all Imperial officers with British accents.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I was watching The Unbearable Lightness of Being the other day and it stuck me odd that the actors would be using Hungarian accents. The actors weren't Hungarian.Nobody really spoke Hungarian in the film. Yes I understand that (well done) accents can&nbsp;help to suspend the disbelief but it seems a bit disingenuous for everyone to be faking it. </p>

[Cigar Sid]

<p>No one&nbsp;can pull of great lines with a scotish accent like,</p><p>&quot;I love ya, always have.&quot; and &quot;Not the now.&quot;</p><p>No one except the true king of Rock and Roll, Mel Gibson.</p>