• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

American accents in films (movies)

jaybe

jaybe

Member
I find it impossible to understand some actors in American films these days.
I need sub-titles.

I'd say the younger ones are the most difficult. Have you stopped speaking English over there?

Is it regional accents, or just general sloppiness? Although I can understand the old films with a strong Bronx accent, I love that!

Do you have a problem understanding our regional accents?
 
And I have trouble with accents in some British films. I'm just back from watching Brick Lane. I loved the book, but could not understand what most people were saying in the film. It was best when they switched to Bengali and I could read the subtitles.
 
You know I couldn't understand the girl with French accent in The Davinci Code (I hope Stewart doesn't read this, or he'll have something to say) ;)
Good thing I read the book beforehand, otherwise I would've been totally lost.
 
Many people, for many reasons, intentionally speak in ways that are understandable only to themselves and those in their immediate social circles. For example, some american blacks may want to remain culturally insulated for reasons such as remaining unintelligible to authorities who can interfere with their lives, or simply to remain unique and interesting. This is true of other minority cultures elsewhere as well.

It can also be a purely regional thing, obviously, where people are geographically isolated.


All this language diversity can be very titillating for language fiends and humans in general and filmmakers make use of this for niche markets and smaller films. I, personally love to decipher odd speech in films, though sometimes, I admit, I must use the closed-caption feature or the mute to read what in heck those people are saying. And by odd, I mean anything I have a hard time understanding.:)
 
British accents

silverseason said:
And I have trouble with accents in some British films. I'm just back from watching Brick Lane. I loved the book, but could not understand what most people were saying in the film. It was best when they switched to Bengali and I could read the subtitles.
Click to expand...

I have trouble watching the BBC Office. For me, it sounds like they're just pronouncing the first half of each word and it cuts off from there.
 
Libra6Poe said:
I have trouble watching the BBC Office. For me, it sounds like they're just pronouncing the first half of each word and it cuts off from there.
Click to expand...

Watching the Simpsons, the 7-11 guy with his British accent helped me understand British accent more. :flowers:
 
Gilgamesh said:
Watching the Simpsons, the 7-11 guy with his British accent helped me understand British accent more. :flowers:
Click to expand...

"7-11 guy"? Please tell me you're not referring to Apu...

I usually have no problem with either American or British accents. I'll confess that I need subtitles to watch The Wire, though.
 
Which ones on The Wire did you find the most difficult to understand? I was shocked when I found out that McNulty and Stringer were played by British actors, there was no trace or hint of an accent with them.
 
lenny nero said:
Which ones on The Wire did you find the most difficult to understand? I was shocked when I found out that McNulty and Stringer were played by British actors, there was no trace or hint of an accent with them.
Click to expand...

I guess the single most difficult one had to be Snoop. But especially in season 1, I needed subtitles for pretty much every street-level discussion. I got used to it eventually, but there was always some little exchange that had me going "I have no idea what he said, but I'm sure it was bad-ass." :cool:
 
I can only think of an utterly dreadful film I watched the other night. 'Identity.' Couldn't understand the lead actress ( Amanda Peet?) but John Cusack and the rest were fine.

Most of the time I switch them off.
 
While we are talking about difficulty in understanding speech on TV and in movies, let me register a complaint about those terribly authentic films where are significant conversations take place on noisy street corners. Important information is exchanged with traffic rumbling in the background. As a person with hearing difficulties (I wear hearing aids in both ears), I just can't get it.
 
Perhaps they make the sound inaudible on purpose. So we can't hear the rubbish they are talking. Thus saving money on decent script writers.
 
beer good said:
I guess the single most difficult one had to be Snoop. But especially in season 1, I needed subtitles for pretty much every street-level discussion. I got used to it eventually, but there was always some little exchange that had me going "I have no idea what he said, but I'm sure it was bad-ass." :cool:
Click to expand...
I was gonna guess Snoop! I struggled sometimes with her laid back drawl.
 
I'm terrible for this. Most recently, I watched films with Stallone and Bruce Willis and couldn't understand a word either said.

I always put subtitles on now anyway, whatever I'm watching. It's just an habit I've got into that annoys all my friends.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top