accents in movies

[vibr8tor]

I have a question about accents in movies. I was watching a movie the other night which took place in Russia. The actors spoke english, but with a russian accent. First off, that bugs the fucking crap out of me, because i'd rather just hear them speak their language with subtitles than hear fake accents which are only being used to remind me of the supposed location. I really doubt that most people there sit around chatting it up with thick accents when they could just be talking like locals

but anyhow, on to my question. do foreign films (and by foreign i mean anything not made in the US) which are set in the US ever have the actors speaking their foreign language, but with an american accent? Like if the movie i saw was reversed, meaning it was made in Russia and was supposed to take place in the U.S., would it possibly have the actors speaking Russian with a thick american accent? cuz that's just fucking retarded.

 

[His Name Is Frank]

It would be alot easier. Foreigners seem to have no trouble mimicking any variety of american accents, whereas americans typically butcher any accent outside their own.

The worst is when you hear an american actor doing a southern accent. It's like nails on a chalkboard and it's their own country for Christ's sake!

 

[xxkcxx]

That's an interesting question I've never thought about.

I'd like to know myself.

 

[Belisarius]

Now that *would* be interesting.

Surely some Brits or Aussies can chime in about this...

 

[vibr8tor]

It would be alot easier. Foreigners seem to have no trouble mimicking any variety of american accents, whereas americans typically butcher any accent outside their own.

I don't think it would be easier. Lemme give you an example... if I open up a spanish book and read from it with no attempt at all to master the dialect and proper pronunciations, that would be the equivalent. And the reason foreigners usually sound foreign is because of those differences. So I'm not really talking about someone like Nicole Kidman, who can pull off an american accent flawlessly. I'm talking about an entire cast intentionally speaking their language (like spanish), but with no intention of sounding spanish.

 

[His Name Is Frank]

Well when you flip the script like that, I'd have to say it would be rather difficult for those foreign bastards to pull it off. Typically, american characters don't even factor into foreign films from what I've seen. Other than the occasional british film, then they tend to use real yanks.

 

[His Name Is Frank]

Here's a somewhat related article to your thread:

Laurie Understands Why House Is A Flop Back Home
14 January 2009 11:28 PM, PST

House is a flop in England - because the Brits hate hearing a mangled American accent, according to the show's English star, Hugh Laurie.

The former funnyman can understand why his medical drama hasn't set the ratings on fire in Britain, like it has in America and on mainland Europe - viewers there can't stomach his dialect.

Laurie tells Playboy magazine, "I'm quite dubious anytime I hear any of my countrymen playing American. I think that's why House doesn't do so well in England... The British are wise to me.

"Any sort of linguistic affectation drives the English absolutely mad... We're all out to detect falsehood and artifice in the way English speakers speak."

Source

 

[xxkcxx]

^ I don't get it because I'm always in awe of how good Laurie sounds on House. Like when you hear him in his normal voice, not only is there the British accent but also his voice is much higher. I think he sounds great on House. Sexy too

 

[His Name Is Frank]

Guess it all depends on which side of the ocean you hear him from.