Joaquin Phoenix's Accent In Trailer For New Napoleon Biopic Has Sparked Plenty Of Conversation
The first trailer for Ridley Scott’s upcoming Napoleon biopic has got everyone talking thanks to its epic scale, its impressive battle scenes and… Joaquin Phoenix’s accent.
In the teaser clip for the new movie, Joaquin uses his regular American accent to play the historical figure, who was born on the island of Corsica off the coast of Italy, before moving to the French mainland as a child.
Casting English-speaking actors as famous people from history from non English-speaking countries always prompts a bit of a dilemma.
Should the performer speak English using a foreign accent (for example, in Ridley’s previous film House Of Gucci, with the cast’s Italian accents ranging from subtle to Super Mario)? Should everyone just adopt a generic, Downton Abbey-esque British accent? Or, indeed, should they just speak in their everyday voices?
Joaquin, it seems, has adopted the latter approach, but the rest of his co-stars – including Vanessa Kirby as Napoleon’s wife, Josephine – have all adopted British accents, which only makes the lead’s decision stand out all the more.
Joaquin’s character choice has already prompted debate on social media, with some voicing the opinion that it was a “weird” move, and pointing out that “everyone else has an English accent in this movie about France”.
lmao Joaquin just having an American accent while everyone else has an English accent in this movie about France
— Emily Ward (@omgitsemilyward) July 10, 2023
Are they gonna have like one token “French” sounding character like Lumiere? https://t.co/LiNXwUNbU8
bro Radiohead playing over Joaquin Phoenix using an American accent to play Napoleon is insane https://t.co/XUAUVMF0nO
— Jesse ???? (@jessedstratford) July 10, 2023
One thing about Ridley Scott, he does not give a shit about accents. French ruler from an Italian family, Napoleon Bonaparte is portrayed with Joaquin Phoenix’s deeply American accent. Just like everyone in The Last Duel was somehow British with names like Jacques & Marguerite! https://t.co/38QkFCl06p
— Rachel Smith (@rachelsmitts) July 10, 2023
I mean, it's gonna rule since it's ridley scott and history, and i get why they made that choice, but I'm a little upset not to hear at least a minimal French accent
— Antonio Salieri Official (@ASalieriVevo) July 10, 2023
just watched the napoleon trailer and oh LORD what is that accent?? like i know (for some reason) french characters always get british accents in movies but did joaquin phoenix not have any type of voice/accent/dialogue coach????
— ♡ s a m m i ♡ (@saammib) July 10, 2023
Just not trying for an accent? Seems weird for Joaquin to ignore that altogether. It throws me off that he’s performing it with an American accent. https://t.co/AkgUU3MzbR
— Nick Michalak, RavensFilm Productions (@RavensFilm) July 10, 2023
However, others have praised the move, suggesting that we “don’t need actors to have history-reflected accents in period epics”.
In other words, a film about Napoleon in English is never going to be a truly accurate reflection of his life, so why get hung up on their voice?
I don’t need actors to have history reflected accents in period epics. I don’t think anyone’s paying $15 to hear Joaquin Phoenix mangle a French accent. You’re seeing it for the actor and director, not the accents. If he sounded good with one, then great. But it’s not required.
— Dan Buffa (@buffa82) July 10, 2023
I like how Joaquin is just doing his regular voice and not a French accent
— HEAT 2 stan account (@ed_tesler) July 10, 2023
Joaquin not bothering to do an accent is cool https://t.co/tNtM7CPUJn
— sam (@samfickman) July 10, 2023
joaquin phoenix looking exactly like himself, doing no accent, a decade plus older than the character he's portraying. pure marlon brando stuff here. incredible https://t.co/M5jAvEH1zG
— doom boy (@femmedionysus) July 11, 2023
im just happy they did not make the clearly non-french actors put on a bad french accent during the movie https://t.co/OhqWYNuhg2
— uma (@umawrnkl) July 11, 2023
Napoelon is going to bring stir a lot thoughts and many thinkpieces in France, but at least, nothing about ugly French accents, which is the bane of any French speaker when watching someone pretending to speak English with a French accent
— Clément à Montréal (@complit_mistake) July 10, 2023
For some movie-lovers, the accent actually makes some sense given the historical context: as a Corsican, Napoleon’s voice would have stood out in comparison to people from mainland France.
Keeping Joaquin's American accent in place works in the context of making an Italian-speaking Corsican stand out among all the Frenchmen. https://t.co/vpWUKfvjRF
— Gregory Brew (@gbrew24) July 10, 2023
Napoleon technically wasn’t French!
— Raiders of the Lost Podcast (@RaidersLostPod) July 10, 2023
He was born “Napoleone Bonaparte” and was of Italian/Tuscan origin. ????????
Born on a small island off the coast of both Italy and France called Corsica. He eventually learned French in school and join the French military, rising ranks during the… https://t.co/rbAcIWYbyj
It would be also odd if he spoke perfect French. He was never able to get rid of his foreign accent, but got better as he got older. At the time of his birth, two were the languages spoken in Corsica: Corsican and Italian.
— Anathema (@Anathem54260093) July 11, 2023
And then there were those viewers who were just disappointed that Joaquin didn’t go all out with an over-the-top French accent……
Joaquin Phoenix a real top tier coward for not doing a silly little French accent
— Ignatius Rat (@lalalaiamkit) July 11, 2023
I wish he had a snooty lil French accent. Would’ve been peak. https://t.co/5oQHodWxZS
— Wesley Duke (@Duke_Wesley24) July 11, 2023
ok I've watched the Napoleon trailer and my sincerely held opinion is that they should have given him a quirky little accent, it would have been both historically more accurate - he reportedly spoke French with a Corsican/Genoan twang! - but also much funnier
— Marie Le Conte (@youngvulgarian) July 10, 2023
Looks good, but surely would've been even better if Joaquin Phoenix had adopted an 'Allo 'Allo-style comedy French accent https://t.co/PpD3nUM4Uh
— FearofthePenaltyKick (@FOTPK) July 10, 2023
We’ll have to wait until 24 November, when the film is released in UK cinemas, to get a better sense of whether Joaquin’s decision was the right one or not…