3:10 to Yuma (1 Viewer)

[OzDigger]

British actors tend to be viewed as being more serious and American actors aren't keen on playing villians as it may affect their career.

 

[Tex]

Interesting. I assumed it would have been more of a cultural thing.

 

[Harrytheheid]

British actors tend to be viewed as being more serious and American actors aren't keen on playing villians as it may affect their career.

Nuthin' of the kind Oz.
It's a well known fact that we're awe BAAAAAD in the UK. That wife of mine continually harks back to ME (?) burning down their Summer Palace north of Beijing in 1860......(?)

 

[Capitolron]

Nuthin' of the kind Oz.
It's a well known fact that we're awe BAAAAAD in the UK. That wife of mine continually harks back to ME (?) burning down their Summer Palace north of Beijing in 1860......(?)

Did Mel Gibson do that movie ??

 

[OzDigger]

Nuthin' of the kind Oz.
It's a well known fact that we're awe BAAAAAD in the UK. That wife of mine continually harks back to ME (?) burning down their Summer Palace north of Beijing in 1860......(?)

Not to mention Washington

Which always reminds me of the Benny Hill line "I said not to mention it"

 

[OzDigger]

Interesting. I assumed it would have been more of a cultural thing.

Culture certainly does play a part in this as does political correctness and current events. For example, during WWII German accents were often used by the baddies, and in the Cold War period baddies were usually actors with Russian accents.

As for political correctness. I feel movie makers are very nervous about who they portray as being evil incase they get a backlash from the relevant minority group. However British people seem to be exempt as it's apparently still OK to refer to an English person as being a pom or a limey, yet terms such as Jap etc are not acceptable

 

[Tex]

And you guys burned Hampton, Virginia before DC in that war.
I still think it is the accent. Bad guys must have accents.

On a similar note, why do ancient Romans and Greeks always speak with British accents? It is not fair.
But then, had the characters in Gladiator, for instance, spoken like Americans, would anyone have been able to take it seriously?

 

[binder001]

The accent comments remind me of when I was younger and doing some WW2 battle reenacting. There's nothing like seeing a big Waffen SS trooper in full camo suit and weaponry, and have him greet you with a Tennessee drawl saying "howdy y'all". Even John Banner sounded more sinister than that!

Gary

PS John Banner was Sgt Schultz in "Hogan's Heroes"

 

[jazzeum]

Culture certainly does play a part in this as does political correctness and current events. For example, during WWII German accents were often used by the baddies, and in the Cold War period baddies were usually actors with Russian accents.

As for political correctness. I feel movie makers are very nervous about who they portray as being evil incase they get a backlash from the relevant minority group. However British people seem to be exempt as it's apparently still OK to refer to an English person as being a pom or a limey, yet terms such as Jap etc are not acceptable

Quite right as to the English characterizations but I don't believe those are acceptable either.

 

[UKReb]

Interesting thread! As in the States there are many different English accents and dialects i.e. the North East accent would simply not be understood if it was used in a film- trust me American audiences would need sub-titles to translate the dialect.

But "The Queen's English" is what most of Hollywoods British Villains speak in the movies. Actors such as Anthony Hopkins/Alan Rickman/John Hurt/Brian Cox/Malcolm McDowell etc. etc. But the peculiar thing I find is that when these actors are asked to play Americans with the appropriate American accent (and they all have at one time or another done so) they do deliver a reasonable and believable Yankee voice. Yet if an American actor is asked to supply an English accent it just doesn't work unless the role calls for a "pretending to be English part".
But this question of using British actors portraying Americans has been gathering momentum in Hollywood these past 10 years and the one I do recall that surprised me the most was when Spielberg cast Damien Lewis- who is as British as you can get- in the lead role of Captain Winters in "Band of Brothers".

 

[Harrytheheid]

Interesting thread! As in the States there are many different English accents and dialects i.e. the North East accent would simply not be understood if it was used in a film- trust me American audiences would need sub-titles to translate the dialect.

But "The Queen's English" is what most of Hollywoods British Villains speak in the movies. Actors such as Anthony Hopkins/Alan Rickman/John Hurt/Brian Cox/Malcolm McDowell etc. etc. But the peculiar thing I find is that when these actors are asked to play Americans with the appropriate American accent (and they all have at one time or another done so) they do deliver a reasonable and believable Yankee voice. Yet if an American actor is asked to supply an English accent it just doesn't work unless the role calls for a "pretending to be English part".
But this question of using British actors portraying Americans has been gathering momentum in Hollywood these past 10 years and the one I do recall that surprised me the most was when Spielberg cast Damien Lewis- who is as British as you can get- in the lead role of Captain Winters in "Band of Brothers".

I thought Damien Lewis did a great job in "Band of Brothers".
BTW, didn't he star in a recent movie playing a BAD GUY in WWII? I've been trying to remember what it was called.

Cheers
H

 

[Tex]

American accents just don't easily sound sinister. The easiest one to make that way, I think, would be the Doc Holiday/ Scarlett O'Hara educated, plantation southern accent. And then maybe the New England accent. The standard midwest accent is just boring, as is the so-called "Texan" accent.

 

[Col.Pickle]

Just saw this movie last Thursday with some buds (it was my birthday ) It was fantastic! Definently recommended.