Americans Hate Eastern Europe
The wife and I watched The Illusionist last night via Amazon Unbox download into the Tivo. (Quick sidebar: if anyone out there has a Tivo service hooked up to a fast-speed wireless connection, Amazon is giving you $15 to try out their new PPV delivery service. Check it out.) Anyway, solid thumbs in the middle 3 stars from me to the movie, but what really bothers me is a trend common in many period flicks:
Why do the characters have British accents when they're not British? Does this seem odd to anyone else? They don't do this for any movies besides ones set in Europe. Is it because an Austrian accent would detract from the dialogue? Then why do an accent at all? You don't see American accents on movies set in Mexico. (Are there any American movies set in Mexico?) What about other countries? Do they do this in Dr. Zhivago? It's been 10 years since I've seen it. Are there others?
That's my beef of the day. Feel free to comment if you can enlighten me on any of this.
Also, in the next few weeks, I'll be featuring a new segment on The State of Upheaval. My wife has questions, I try to answer them. We'll see how long it takes me to give up.
7 comments:
American movies in Mexico -- http://gomexico.about.com/od/shoppinghandicrafts/tp/movies_in_mex.htm
Maybe it's a lack of knowledge for Americans on what Eastern European accents sound like? Not a problem with Mexican ones.
I need to come up with questions!
To add to the list of American movies set in Mexico:
Rx
Traffic
Anyway, I'm freakin' sick of these damn period pieces. I've never been interested in that time in history and you're not going to trick me into getting into it now just because you made a movie during that time. Did the illusionist NEED to be set in that time and place? Absolutely not. The movie would have been able to tell the same story and show the same amount of emotion if it were set in modern times, using a rich chick from the OC and a boy from Chino that grows up to be someone like Copperfield.
But will it stop me from watching the Prestige....no.
I think what Geoffrey is saying is that he would prefer the movie be set in the "time of the pirates."
I'm gonna have to disagree with what you said about The Illusionist working just as well in a modern setting. You need a focus on the monarchy and a more controlling hierarchical society.
Yeah, Geoffrey. I think you're just suggesting a Fox drama with magic. No way that would work.
Smackdown!
Also, the Prestige is sooooooo much better. I liked both movies, but the Prestige was more twisty turny and involved fake science, which is fun.
Seriously. I had the entire plot of The Illusionist figured out in the opening scene.
Ancient Romans always seem to have British accents in movies. I never quite got that, but I guess it's better than them having Italian accents.
"Caesar, I'ma gonna stabba you in tha calzonah!"
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