MovieChat Forums > All Quiet on the Western Front (1979) Discussion > No Attempt at a German Accent?

No Attempt at a German Accent?

posted 20 years ago by TastesLikeApples
28 replies | jump to latest

You'll notice that the authentic feeling that you should get from seeing a war movie is completely absent here. It's not the fact that the actors don't speak German, that can be forgiven (it would obviously be too difficult for them). But rather, it's the fact that none of them even ATTEMPT to speak their lines with a German accent! It would be okay if they at least all spoke with the same accent, but one of the soldiers sounds American while all the others are British! Ridiculous. They're actors, but why didn't they act? Ian Holm was the closest to a German accent, if you could call it that.

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[–] huelgoatforest 20 years ago

It's better that they didn't try; in my opinion. Otherwise, the movie could have been riddled with REALLY BAD German accents. Although, I really think the film should've been made in Germany, by Germans.

[–] StefL 20 years ago

I have to agree with the first reply above. Either you make a movie in an 'original' language, or you let the actors speak 'normally' in whatever language you decide to make it in. Having people speaking with fake 'accents' is just ridiculous - just as the habit of some English language news networks to have a voice over speak with Russian/Arabic/French or whatever accent that seems appropriate for a person being filmed. Heck, what's wrong with subtitling them?!

[–] TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews 19 years ago

I was just about to comment on your post, but then I read your very first line.

You'll notice that the authentic feeling that you should get from seeing a war movie is completely absent here.

...

I don't know where to start telling you how much you missed of this film, so I'll just say that you really should stay away from serious movies or at the very least stop talking about them, since you obviously don't get them.

If you're too open minded, your brains will fall out.
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[–] dos_emulation 19 years ago

An accent would take away from the meaning. You're meant to be able to connect with these people, not feel culturally isolated.

"Never let schooling interfere with your education." -Mark Twain

[–] dangermouse_ii 19 years ago

I must agree it would have been nice to have a little accent here and there. So many actors in good films could make it better with a little effort in that department.
"Cross of Iron" = they all sound Brit
"Conspiracy" = they all sound Brit
"Enemy at the gates"....etc...

[–] the-dead-dude 19 years ago

Yeah, you know, with Star Wars, it completely threw me off. Half the people spoke like Americans and the other half spoke like Brits. And then there was Chewbacca.

[–] huelgoatforest 19 years ago

I'm waiting for a German Studio to create their own version of "All Quiet on the Western Front".

I think I'll be waiting a long time. :(

[–] garethgazz 19 years ago

Making it in German would defeat the object, to show the Germans as HUMAN BEINGS. If it was in German, even if it was subtitled, less English speaking people would have seen it. It's not a film about Germans for Germans, it's a film about Germans for English and Americans, to try and broaden the view we have of German soldiers because of the way they are portrayed in so many movies.

Using German accents would have been TERRIBLE. That's such an amateur thing to do from an actors point of view. And anyway why bother? What's authentic about German characters speaking English with a German accent!? It's best to just let the actors use their own accents. Besides the accents shouldn't make a difference, why weren't you paying attention to the story and the underlining messages instead. That's the kind of film this is, that's why there's not much dialogue, no endless rambling for all the thick people in the audience like in We Were Soldiers...

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] bozohitler321 18 years ago

i suppose that on seeing Charlotte's Web as a child you remarked "But mummy, animals dont talk. How silly. THey should have made it full of grunts , moos and squeeks!"

you are supposed to be viewing the movie from the point of view of a german soldier. if you were german, you and your companions would NOT be the ones with the accents right? so whats the problem?

i bet you complained every episode of star trek that had klingons speaking english too.

....it's only a movie.....

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Fiiiiiona 18 years ago

Well, it did annoy me that some of the people spoke with an American accent and some of them spoke with a British accent.

[–] Fred_Paris 17 years ago

Maybe you should watch European movies then. You'll see that in the French ones they speak French with a French accent, in the Italian ones they speak Italian with an Italian accent, etc. Although I have to concede that in the British ones they do tend to speak with a British accent (although a number of Scotts, Welsh and the occasional Irish make it in there too).

How odd.

[–] rosestoeses 17 years ago

one of the main things about watching a movie from before the 90's is almost no one actually tried to act and those who did are the only ones who lasted. No audiences really cared about the acting- then it was cheap enough and it was an escape from the real world, it was just entertainment. no one needed it to feel authentic.

[–] kefferpgh 17 years ago

I have to totally agree with you. They could pass for americans for goodness sake. Like you said it would make the movie much more authentic and believable. That's what helps make the movie. Either get different actors or teach them how to act. I think maybe I would have liked it just a tad more with that included.

[–] majestic-man 16 years ago

I feel that if the actors attempted German accents, then, depending on their ability (or lack thereof) with dialects, "All Quiet On The Western Front" might have sounded like a HOGAN'S HEROES episode.