Communication in film has been explored in many different ways over the years. Stories were told through songs, dances, complicated battles and, of course, through the spoken word. Since most Hollywood films are made in English, it becomes a hindrance when a story is set in a different country or time. The need for complete historical accuracy is often set aside in favor of making scripts as easy to follow as possible for viewers. Foreign languages become "English with an accent" and regional accents become exaggerated for effect.
Another issue is the capacity of the actors themselves. While many artists are multi-talented, dedicate countless hours, and even immerse themselves in the world they are about to bring to the screen, there are times when this, unfortunately, is not enough. English actors who put on an American accent can become a caricature, and American actors who try a "British" accent sound like royalty, regardless of where the character comes from in the United Kingdom.
10
Robin Hood (2010)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Russell Crowe is a man of many talents, but accents aren't necessarily one of them. Although the Australian actor can pass as both American and British, there is little regional nuance in his dialect work. The story of Robin Hood is canonically set in the height of the 12th and 13th centuries, in and around the settlement of Nottingham. While, understandably, there are no recordings of people's voices from that time, there are ways to analyze the written word to imagine what people sounded like back then. There is also the option of taking advantage of the current accent abundant in the area.
The actors in Robin Hood It doesn't seem to do anything. With two of the main leads Australian, some Brits from various areas of the UK and some Americans added to the cast, saying there is any accent accuracy is almost impossible. With Crowe himself opting for a sort of English-Scottish-American hybrid, Cate Blanchett leaning towards PR, and the rest doing their best to blend in. The film is well shot and offers an interesting insight into the story of Robin of Locksley, but the attention to accents leaves a lot to be desired.
9
Gangs of New York (2002)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Set in late 19th century New York, Gangs of New York portrays many different groups of people, all living in a melting pot of culture and accents alike. With many Irish immigrants, people born in the US, and a host of other ethnicities as well, the actors had a lot to live up to. Daniel Day-Lewis opted for a very broad Irish accent, which he committed to throughout. The accent may not have been completely historically accurate, but it remained consistent and made it a character choice.
Cameron Diaz, on the other hand, struggles to maintain her accent the entire time. with certain phrases hitting the mark and others betraying their modern Californian sound. Watching her try to navigate this Irish-American version was widely considered distracting. This confusion of pronunciations and word choices may highlight the tumult of the times, but any experienced viewer can tell you that in many cases this was unintentional.
8
One Day (2011)
Directed by Lone Scherfig
Before the popular Netflix adaptation with Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall, the beloved novel was adapted into a film with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. David Nicholls' moving story spans more than 20 years, starting in Edinburgh in the 1980s. The characters come from London and Yorkshire, and this regional divide is part of what makes them who they are. Class differences and education, privileges and struggles are topics they argue and disagree about. They come very close to being together on several occasions, but their differences are both what attracts and repels them.
This very much includes the way they speak. Dexter is elegant and arrogant, while Emma's working-class Yorkshire accent is exacerbated when she becomes excited about politics and injustice. Anne Hathaway is a generational talent and even managed to do a good job with a Regency accent in Becoming Jane. However, the nuances of the Yorkshire accent were a bit too much to handle. She never maintained consistency, moving in and out of regions from scene to scene. The focus was clearly more on landing a Hollywood star than on giving the character more authenticity.
7
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
The story of one of the most famous vampires in history has been retold many times. Francis Ford Coppola's vision was very theatrical and melodramatic. His sweeping visuals and exquisite costumes are at the forefront of the narrative, and he chose actors who would suit the look of the film, more than necessarily delivering historically accurate performances. Since the story is set in late 19th century England, with flashbacks to Eastern Europe, the accent work should have been basically straightforward.
However, with many American actors facing their own individual struggles with accents, the story wasn't so simple. Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves have great chemistry and a fantastic screen presence, but sounding English is not something either of them should add to their resumes. Gary Oldman really stands out in his Dracula voice, which can sometimes seem a little cartoonish. All in all, the cast sounds very different from each other despite all coming from the same circles.
6
Gladiator (2000)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Many films set in ancient times tend to use British English accents to denote class divisions. This is not uncommon and has been the case for many, many years. Seeing as the plot of Gladiator is set in ancient Rome, it would have been difficult to follow the story if it was told in that specific ancient language. Modern Italian was always an option, but as it was intended to be a blockbuster, opting for this British solution seemed like a good compromise.
One problem with this arrangement is that the actors seemed to work alone in each of their interpretations of what the characters should sound like. Crowe maintained his usual mix of Australian, British and American. Joaquin Phoenix, who is ostensibly American, adopted a dapper English effect but was not able to maintain it all the time. Connie Nielsen's Danish accent appears here and there, and the lack of rules when it comes to dialects and accents is evident. This trend continued throughout the sequel to some extent, so perhaps this was Ridley Scott's homage to consistency.
5
Gucci House (2021)
Directed by Ridley Scott
This film is set, for the most part, in 1970s Italy, but very little Italian is spoken. Instead, the actors adopt various versions of the Italian accent while speaking English. It could be argued that a story so focused on this Italian fashion house should have been filmed in its original language, but in order to have the caliber of A-list English-speaking talent, Ridley Scott chose to tell the story in English. . It's possible that having the cast deliver the script in Italian would have been much worse.
Jared Leto's interpretation of the Gucci accent was the most bombastic of all the actors. This divisive performance was a hit with some critics, who thought his larger-than-life performance added a lot of character to the film, while others found it ridiculous and almost offensive. There are accent issues, and neither Lady Gaga nor Adam Driver escaped criticism, but Leto's choices were certainly the most prominent.
4
300 (2006)
Directed by Zack Snyder
Ancient Greece is the setting for this historical epic. Violent, highly stylized, and dark in tone, this tale of a Spartan king is filled with anachronistic language. Writing the script in the original dialects of Ancient Greece would have been very difficult to do, and executing it perhaps even more difficult. Thus, the popular choice was made to use British English, with seemingly limited guidance given to the actors.
Gerard Butler opted for his own Scottish accent, which would have made more sense if any of his other songs sounded similar. Lena Heady sounds much more refined, and Michael Fassbender and Dominic West's accents match no one else's. However, this didn't seem to affect the audience that came to theaters, and it grossed almost half a billion dollars worldwide.
3
Les Miserables (2012)
Directed by Tom Hopper
This musical film is set in 19th century France, so naturally all the characters speak English. Based on a stage musical inspired by Victor Hugo's epic novel, Les Misérables it had been part of the zeitgeist for many years. After breaking records on Broadway and the West End, it was no wonder a film adaptation was on the cards. To reach as many global audiences as possible and follow the original songs written for the stage, the characters in Les Misérables speak in a variety of English accents.
While Hugh Jackman adopts a standard English accent, with his Australian accent appearing every now and then, Anne Hathaway sounds much more elegant, as does Eddie Redmayne. Russell Crowe takes audiences on a journey through many different regions and musical styles as he brings Javert to life. The inconsistency is clear, but through music everything makes much more sense.
2
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Directed by Kevin Reynolds
The historical inaccuracies of this classic 1990s film are visible in every scene, and the accents are just one of them. From the mullet hairstyles to the interestingly interpreted costumes, the characters in this production should not be taught in school. Although highly entertaining, with a memorable soundtrack, accents are a clear problem. Compared to other films where the biggest issue is whether the regional accent is authentic enough, here there's a lot of leaning towards a full-blown American accent.
Kevin Costner, Michael McShane and Christian Slater can't hide the fact that they're from the United States, and it's been a running joke among viewers and critics since the film's release. The lack of need to recreate any historical accuracy in the film feels like a conscious choice, and viewers are asked to just enjoy the story they've heard so many times and not pay too much attention to how something is told.
1
Maria Poppins (1964)
Directed by Robert Stevenson
A charming story that features a magical nanny and various cartoon characters may not seem like a historical biopic, but since it's set in early 20th century London, viewers should expect some kind of linguistic consistency. Although there are many differences between the way the children speak and the Banks, Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) offers a version of English with a very standardized sound, in line with what one should expect at the time.
It is, however, Dick Van Dyke's attempt at a Cockney accent that has attracted widespread criticism over the years. It's not the easiest accent to replicate, but what comes out of his mouth isn't comparable to any known accent or language. Over the years, it has been ridiculed and ridiculed and surpasses many"worst accent" list, but at this point, this only adds to the film's whimsy. Although historically unrecognizable, this version of Cockney is now the world's official version of Mary Poppins.