Posted: January 14, 1999 at 11:47:24: by Oberon
: : I'm in a muddle about how the accents *should* sound. As with
: : the question of the kind of clothing, weapons, and
: : architecture, I don't think the accents should evoke any one
: : dialect too strongly. Differentiation should be made between
: : distinct cultures: a rustic hobbit accent should sound somewhat
: : different from the fierce primitiveness of the Rohirrim or the
: : high men of Gondor. Beyond that, however, I'm not sure what's
: : the most appropriate way to go. I've always imagined the
: : dialogue with a vaguely English accent. Others may differ,
: : however.: : I do not think box office considerations should enter into the
: : discussion. But Jackson has indicated that New Line may have
: : the final word on that. : Look at this way. Jackson is not an American director. He should not be required to make an American film if that's not what he wants to do. Nor should he be required to "Americanize" his films if he doesn't wish to. I agree 200%. No, more than that! But the chap paying the bills, I suppose, has the final say. And New Line is an American studio, and they're fronting quite a tidy sum of money. Add to that the fact that the U.S. will be the largest market for this movie, and you can see where pressure might come in to consider American dialects. It would be far from the first time that a studio has intervened on creative or casting decisions, regrettably. Such commercially-motivated decisions sometimes do increase the appeal of the movie, but I can't think of a time when it's resulted in a *better* movie. For an example, you have only to look at the recently released director's cut of Orson Welles' TOUCH OF EVIL and compare to the (still good) studio-hacked version that originally ran in theatres. BLADE RUNNER is a another, though less extreme, example. : My opposition is to gratuitous inclusion of American accents. It seems to me that Jackson doesn't want them. If he has to use such accents to ensure the success of the film, then the freedom of adaptors is infringed. Can't argue with that. My feeling is that Jackson will fight the inclusion of American accents, at least for simple commercial reasons. But if push comes to shove, it's a fight he'll almost certainly lose. If New Line insists on it, they'll probably get it. Let's hope Jackson gets his way in this matter.
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