Should have been in Italian
It's too bizarre watching English actors pretending to be Italian, but talking in English accents. I would have preferred Italian audio and English subtitles.
shareHonestly, based on what I saw it could have been set anywhere. We only knew it was Italy because they told us it was Italy. From that point of view, I don't mind the English actors.
On the other hand, there were so many different English accents that it was annoying. Now throw in the Italian actors. The woman playing the police secretary had an accent but not one so strong that she couldn't be understood. The actress playing the mother was the opposite. Finally, add Francesco Quinn and his cross of American and faux British accent.
The end result was just this mishmash of accents that was distracting.
“If they let Jack do it his way the show would be just 12” – snorgtees.com
If they had used an Italian cast, would you have recognized any of the actors? I wouldn't. If PBS wanted to actract my attention to a program, they would need to use a name or face I am familiar with. I think that is what the were trying to do. It's funny.... I'm in Dallas and I couldn't distinguish one British accent from the other. I knew Francesco Quinn's accent was fake, and the Italian actress's accent wasn't so strong that I was able to understand her. But I couldn't tell one English accent from the other. But people from outside the U.S. say the same thing about U.S. accents! I can tell a Northern twang from a Southern drawl in a heartbeat....
If they had used an Italian cast, would you have recognized any of the actors?
Maybe. Maybe not. I watch a lot of foreign films. I don't need to know the names or faces of the cast members to enjoy a film. The original Dragon Tattoo films I enjoyed very much (and I didn't read the books beforehand). Didn't know one face in the cast.
“If they let Jack do it his way the show would be just 12” – snorgtees.com share
Agree with you 100%.
That's the same problem I had with Wallender. There are enough British literary masterpieces not to have to scavenge and and "standardize" material from other cultures. I'm a New Yorker but I've had the privilege of living in beautiful Italy (and elsewhere) so this REALLY irks me. I'd much rather hear the original language and read subtitles than endure dubbing, so you can imagine my feelings about this.
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I love you too but I'm going to mace you in the face!
I've spent time in Italy and it is truly a beautiful place, and the people there are very attractive. I have visited London and Amsterdam as well. Does it IRK you when you hear actors from other countries trying to speak with an "American" accent? (just wondering) I saw portions of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and the Sweidsh cast looked good. Since the entertainment industry is looking for a way to make a buck, it makes more sense to them to reshoot a movie with actors the public is familiar with, than put in subtitles.... Makes sense to me....
Since the entertainment industry is looking for a way to make a buck, it makes more sense to them to reshoot a movie with actors the public is familiar with, than put in subtitles.... Makes sense to me....
I understand why they do it. And I don't have a problem with it. I just think, in this case, the execution wasn't as good as it could have been.
“If they let Jack do it his way the show would be just 12” – snorgtees.com share
What irks me more than the accent is the imitation of a national identity that doesn't cut it. I stick to my guns about subtitles vs dubbing, that's my personal preference. As for the business aspect of it - well it is what it is. Many distributors are traded on Wall street (I also invest in stocks) so they seek the widest audience possible. More power to them. Not my kind of viewing product. Of course there are exceptions - Lord of the Rings as an example of very lucrative film-making which is also a work of art.
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I love you too but I'm going to mace you in the face!
Consistency is my concern. If it's an all Brit cast, playing Italians--fine. If it's a Brit & US cast playing Swedes---great. It is still a foreign language to all.
However, having it set in Italy, with all the characters being Italian, with 2 speaking with Italian accents---is disconcerting.
Carpe Noctem!