It's the way ye tell 'em

Regional accents - and the interpretation thereof...

This has been prompted by the BBC's new cop show, Zen, which is a dramatisation of Michael Dibin's detective stories featuring his character Aurelio Zen, a Venetian police inspector who has a few problems keeping his mouth shut when it would be politically expedient to do so! When we meet him in episode one, he is divorced, living at home with his mum, and trying to give up smoking.  However, the writer and creator of the new series decided that actor Rufus Sewell - better known for playing villains - could speak in his own accent, which is vaguely south west London, Twickenham to be precise.  I suppose it was the equivalent of Shakespeare writing The Merchant of Venice and the minor characters all talking Cockney.  I've seen Macbeth where the Porter speaks broad Torry when it's been on show in HMT, which again makes sense as that's how it would have been expected to be played.

The lucious Rufus Sewell as Venetian cop, Aurelio Zen

Another example is the film version of my favourite novel, Day of the Jackal, in the book, the Jackal speaks perfect French and lots of French text is used, however in the film, the only character to talk in the accent suited to his character was Lebel, the Parisian detective (played by French actor, Michel Lonsdale) who finally gets the better of the assassin.  The gunsmith, who was meant to be Italian, is English, so is Lebel's deputy, a very effette-looking Derek Jacobi, and even the character who is supposed to be Welsh, one of the Westminister government officials, is a Yorkshireman! Talk about mixed up! But it works if you've never read the book! But, Zen is meant to be Italian, does it work that he talks like he's from Houndslow Heath? Granted, Sewell's brooding amber eyes and weathered skin tone certainly give him the Romantic look, but I just don't know, I remain to be convinced.

Edward Fox as the Jackal and several other famous English actors as members of the OAS

Michel Lonsdale as Commissionaire Lebel

Edward Fox again - and English actor Cyril Cusack as the Italian gunsmith, Gozzi

Looks like it will be a good story though!

Darkly dreaming in Italian - Zen and love interest