what's up with the French?
Just curious, does anyone know.. was the use purely a theatrical thing of the time?
or was it more a upper-society English thing to intermix french into everyday conversation?
thanks!
Your second guess is correct.
share
MovieChat Forums > Topsy-Turvy (2000) Discussion > what's up with the French?
I found it paradoxically amusing, since I've always thought the Brits disdain the French.
shareThe French are our next-door neighbours; we've been squabbling more or less cheerfully for a thousand years and more. We don't 'disdain' them, we pretend we hate them. Actually it's a lot more complex than that.
We Brits, at least of my generation, still know a fair amount of French; we learnt it at school and on exchange visits and so on. It's the language of sophistication, of food, of wine, of ballet, and to some extent, of love. Je t'adore, cherie.
I would say people who don't know anything about the French and have no wish or curiosity to find out for themselves, believe everything they read in the gutter press and generally hate them.
I'd say the same is true about those French people hating the Brits, which they all muddle as being English.
The Upper Class and Upper Middle Class, on the other hand, are very fond of all things French and the same goes with the French Haute-Bourgeoisie regarding Britain.
L'Entente Cordiale fell on deaf ears as far as most of the British people were concerned and it is still the case. But who could blame them when they hear French people repeating that Paris is "La plus belle ville du monde" or Les Champs Elysées is "La plus belle avenue du monde" and all that twaddle what they hear The French Media gloat about year in year out ?
But really it is a matter not of different people but of different species. They could never really like each other. Like cats and dogs.
Beyond Sullivan's continental tour, it was Sir Arthur, his friends, and the cast, who were mostly responsible for the French (and Italian) spoken in this film. Much of that was musical terminology which should not be chalked up as an affectation.
shareMusical terminology is usually Italian or German. Sullivan routinely used Italian on his manuscripts.
shareOf course. So do I, singing in a not-very-good amateur choir. Tutti, and tacit, and VS, which is volti subito, turn the page quickly. I also write in things like 'watch out!'
Music happens in Italian, ballet and cookery happen in French. Aviation happens in English; anyone think of any others?
Edit - martial arts, or at least karate and related, happen in Japanese.