MovieChat Forums > Swallows and Amazons (2017) Discussion > Amazons with Northern accents

Amazons with Northern accents

posted 8 years ago by TristanTzara
9 replies | jump to latest

I have not seen this film as yet, but have devoured the books for many years now and saw the 1974 film when it first came out. I did see the trailer for this latest venture and was somewhat baffled by the apparent Northern accents spoken by the Blackett sisters. Surely these girls, who are about as upper middle class as you can get, would have gone to the very best schools and been brought up speaking a sort of BBC English? I am not making a judgement here, as perhaps they make it work in the context of this film, but I would be interested to hear what others think.

[–] Bigmoviefan 8 years ago

They are from the Lake District. They live there. So they have the accents.

To suggest that a public school education means you have a 'posh' accent seems a bit odd.

Plenty of northern people go to northern public schools. Doesn't mean they ditch their accents.

[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

nowadays a northern person wouldn't ditch their accent if they went to a public school, but in the 1930s they very likely would have done. prejudice against regional accents was quite strong in that era.

[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

You are right. Someone of the kind of background the Blacket girls have would not have had a north country accent in those days, they would have talked what you rightly identify as 'BBC English'.

[–] ladytawny 8 years ago

I agree that it's highly doubtful that they would have spoken with a Yorkshire accent; however as we are being picky here, please forgive MY pickiness in suggesting that Received Pronouciation (RP English) is the correct term for when you speak without a regional accent, (as the Blackets would have done probably) and not 'BBC English'. The latter is more concerned with how and what is said vocabulary and grammar-wise, whereas ''BBC English' can still be spoken with a Northern accent in theory and often is nowadays! Unfortunately (in my opinion) the days of a televised standard accent is waning in favour of a patchwork of every accent on record, in order to appease the Politically Correct. I can't help but wonder if authenticity in adaptations such as this is sometimes cast to the wind these days when it comes up against having to fulfil a quota of specific representations, be they female, black or ethnic, disabled, LGBT or religious - maybe the producers thought it was a good regional plug as this book was otherwise rather short of black, one-armed lesbian vicars? But I digress!

(Apologies if anyone finds this offensive; I'm not being anything-ist, I just value authenticity and can't abide gratuitous tokenism, as it's embarrassing!)

[–] Bigmoviefan 7 years ago

"Yorkshire accents" says ladytawny

The book - and film - are set in Cumbria. That's the Lake District. Nothing to do with Yorkshire.

In fact, looking into the details, the young girl who plays Peggy is FROM the Lake District. Lives near Windermere, it seems. How awful that a proper Cumbrian speak with a Cumbrian accent.

Then ladytawny says "I can't help but wonder if authenticity in adaptations such as this is sometimes cast to the wind these days when it comes up against having to fulfil a quota of specific representations, be they female, black or ethnic, disabled, LGBT or religious - maybe the producers thought it was a good regional plug as this book was otherwise rather short of black, one-armed lesbian vicars? But I digress!"

There are no black people, no disabled people, no LGBT people, no religious people in the film.

But you carry on, with your pre-conceived speech. If it makes you feel good.

How awful it must to be you, worried about "other" accents.

[–] louiseculmer 7 years ago

personally i am quite happy to hear people speaking with regional accents so long as I can understand them. The children in the film speak quite clearly and if it was a present day story i wouldn't have any problem with it, But in the 1930s i really don't think children like those would have spoken with that kind of accent. prejudice against regionak accents was very strong.

[–] konijn1971 7 years ago

Political correctness shapes society in mysterious ways. People often say it kills regional diversity, but apparently it also simultaneously enforces that diversity. Perhaps political correctness isn't a very good label.

[–] frankleonhardt 7 years ago

Arthur Ransome wrote using regional accents all the time. The fact the Blacketts' words were in RP means that this is what the author intended, like it or not. As to whether this would have been authentic: Mr Ransome did his research. But if you doubt he did...

Robert Turner (their late father) is implied to be a naval officer killed near the end of WW1, although I don't believe this is ever spelled out.

Mary Turner (mother) and her brother James did come from Cumbria (there are references to things they did in their childhood nearby), and they did know Robert (they climbed the Matterhorn together in 1901 according to a note in Swallowdale). However, they were probably boarding school educated, and James definitely went to Oxford. The Blackett sister clearly got to boarding school elsewhere too. Therefore it's very reasonable to assume they'd speak in RP.

A lot of this information comes from Picts and Martyrs (Nancy speaking of the Great Aunt, and the Turners' early life with her) and the front of Peter Duck.

The film is therefore not authentic to the books. Neither it Titty's name. Whether this matters is opinion.

[–] paulhfromthedeep 7 years ago

I only just found out about this remake and despite being a middle aged man im quite excited. However one of my first thoughts was 'did they keep titty's name in?'.............and... they didnt.

Dissapointed they felt the need, that and, as you say, the accents. I'm still looking forward to it.

Although I was largely accepting of the need to probably change the dogs name in the new Dam Busters movie, if it ever gets made.