Posted: June 12, 1999 at 02:54:19: by Goodgulf
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: You and I will never agree on this, but Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is a book. A real world book (about an imaginary world to be sure), but a BOOK nonetheless. As such, it might well and good to say that accents can be whatever they may be (and there is no doubt that the producers have the right to do whatever they wish), but in the end that won't change the fact that it is an English tale. The language, not only of the narrator, but also of the characters themselves, is decidedly and unabashedly English. Tolkien may very well have been writing the book in response to the overseas, specifically American, popularity, but he was still creating a "mythology" for England; he was really just telling a tale.: Tolkien may present himself as the translator, but he is not. He is the "creator". There is only so far you can carry the idea of the Red Book of the Westmarch. There is NO Red Book. It's a plot device only. : When I hear the BBC productions, I think to myself that those are the accents which Tolkien's language and diction demands. Kevin Costner--or any of his counterparts--in Middle-earth is out of place. I tend to agree, but some years ago I realized that the books have been translated into numerous languages with fans in many countries who relate to the story just as fondly as we English speaking people do. And now, with the new film being made, there will undoubtedly be foreign distribution with either subtitles or dubbing. I can't see how we can maintain the argument for British accents in a Japanese dubbed film. This whole debate will seem silly to people who don't speak English. And how shall the film distinguish between different dialects? Rohan spoke a language similar to Hobbitish, but different enough that the Hobbits recognized a few words, and could probably make themselves understood, but really had to resort to Westron to facilitate discourse. So what "accent" do the Rhohirrim have if the Hobbits have a British accent? And what of the Orcs? Do they just speak with bad grammar with a Bill Sykes cockney accent? I hope I'm making my point clear. I very much agree that a British accent will sound better to my ears (I'm American BTW), and the British can say convoluted lines and carry it off without sounding odd. Or even say "I've got to take a crap" and make it sound like a line from Hamlet. But a good American actor can do it too. What we're all fussing about is whether or not Jackson hires actors good enough to speak lines without making the audience flinch, irregardless of their "accent". And finally, I think I've been a bit elitist and chauvinistic regarding the accent question. After all, I enjoyed the film The Ten Commandments without crying that none of the actors spoke with an Egyptian or Hebrew or even a Jewish accent (ala Fiddler On The Roof). And can't we make the same argument about that film as we can about LOTR regarding which accent to use?
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