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Yes. Every show about Rome the actors have British accents. Is it just to make them sound high-class or WTH?
Not talking at all about sub-titles. Talking about British accents.
I wonder if it really IS Shakespeare's influence.
I think it is the influence of Shakespeare and just plain practicality. A lot of these movies and TV shows are shot in Europe, so they hire European actors. Even in STAR WARS, the Imperial Officers have British accents because it was shot at Pinewood Studios in England, so they hired English actors. GAME OF THRONES is shot in Europe, so they hire mostly European actors. HBO's ROME ... same thing. History Channel's VIKINGS ... same thing. Even going back to SPARTACUS, most of the Romans were cast with English and/or Shakespearean-trained actors.
I remember a few years ago when people complained that in GAME OF THRONES all the slaves in one episode were dark-skinned. "Racism!" cried the hoi polloi. But Martin told the truth, "The show is shot in Morocco, and when you put out a casting call for extras, not many Swedes show up."
To differentiate among different types who lived in the Roman empire, it became a Hollywood tradition to use English actors with upper class accents to portray the Roman patricians, English actors with Cockney accents to portray the soldiers and everyday citizens, and American actors to portray the slaves, martyred Christians and other marginal types. If they had a part of some foreigner who didn't fit in any of the above categories, then they would grab someone like Anthony Quinn who was serviceable as an all purpose third worlder.
It provided audiences with a familiar frame of reference for distinguishing among the Roman classes.
If they try to make characters sound foreign, i.e. authentic, they will be speaking English with another kind of accent, so what difference does it make?
We know that people did not speak English and having them speak it with any accent will not sound authentic.
It's either in English with some kind of accent or it is subtitles (which Americans are not particularly fond of).
I was impressed that The 13th Warrior with Antonio Banderas in the lead role as Ibn Fadlan actually had the Russ Vikings (I think they were supposed to be the Russ/Swedish Vikings?) speak some approximation of ancient Nordic, at least in the beginning until Ibn began to understand what they were saying. Then they switched to English with an accent, if I remember correctly! It's been a while since I watched it. But at least in the beginning their dialogue was recognizably Nordic/proto-Scandinavian. (The Viking actors, or at least some of them, were in fact Scandinavian.)
I was impressed that The 13th Warrior with Antonio Banderas in the lead role as Ibn Fadlan actually had the Russ Vikings (I think they were supposed to be the Russ/Swedish Vikings?) speak some approximation of ancient Nordic, at least in the beginning until Ibn began to understand what they were saying. Then they switched to English with an accent, if I remember correctly! It's been a while since I watched it. But at least in the beginning their dialogue was recognizably Nordic/proto-Scandinavian. (The Viking actors, or at least some of them, were in fact Scandinavian.)
The Hunt for Red October actually tried something like this. The Russian characters start out speaking Russian (with subtitles), then the camera closes in one a speaking character's mouth, and mid-sentence it switches to English, cluing in the audience that the movie is now "translating." Throughout the rest of the movie, the Russian characters speak English with a Russian accent --- except for Sean Connery, who is Lithuanian, who speaks English with a Scottish accent.
My favorite WTF along these lines is the original Highlander. The main character was supposed to be Scottish, but had a French accent throughout. His mentor was supposed to be a Spaniard, who spoke with a Scottish accent throughout (thanks again, Sean Connery). And then you had the villain, who basically just growled all his dialogue.
None only do many of the Games of Thrones actors speak with an English accent, it's a northern English accent. At least they did in the first two series that I saw. I was quite amazed when I heard the accents, as it's not one used often in television or movies.
As for Jesus and his contemporaries having English accents........ well of course! Everybody knows Jesus was a white Englishman, with blue eyes. Common knowledge.......
None only do many of the Games of Thrones actors speak with an English accent, it's a northern English accent. At least they did in the first two series that I saw. I was quite amazed when I heard the accents, as it's not one used often in television or movies.
Sean Bean is from the North. Michele Fairley is from Northern Ireland. Beyond that, I don't know.
Sean Bean is from the North. Michele Fairley is from Northern Ireland. Beyond that, I don't know.
I haven't seen the series for years, but many of the actors spoke with northern English accents. I couldn't figure out why at the time, unless it's were the series was set. I stopped seeing it after the baby dragons arrived.
My recollection is that they did not all have English accents, only one of them did.
It was the Last Supper, and you know the scene, with him telling the gathered apostles that one of them would betray him.
They were all eager to deny it. "Faith and begorra, Lord, I'd never do it." "Sure'n it tain't me, Lord!" "By all the shamrocks in Ireland, it would never be me." To a man the apostles denied it in the most beautiful Irish brogues you ever did hear, until it all came down to Judas.
"I say, old chap. One wouldn't be implying that it would be I, would one?"
I've been watching Versailles, which is set in the court of Louis XIV. Everyone speaks with an English accent--the characters who supposed to be French, the characters who are supposed to be Dutch, even the one who's supposed to be German. The only character with a different accent is the Queen, who has a Spanish accent.
I've been watching Versailles, which is set in the court of Louis XIV. Everyone speaks with an English accent--the characters who supposed to be French, the characters who are supposed to be Dutch, even the one who's supposed to be German. The only character with a different accent is the Queen, who has a Spanish accent.
They just ain't even tryin'
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