MovieChat Forums > Hart's War (2002) Discussion > Col. Werner Visser's 'German'

Col. Werner Visser's 'German'

posted 16 years ago by ronineditor
3 replies | jump to latest

Marcel Iures is a great actor, no question, and I do not think that one necessarily has not to be German to have played the part... however, his English accent clearly was not German, and it became slightly distracting. The "w" sound is very difficult to say it as we do in English, in Deutsch, the "w" sounds like a "v" or sometimes more like an "f," or a combination of both, for example; "wie viel" sounds like "Vee Feel," in English. It is easy for an English-speaker to do both the V, W, and F... however, it's not true in reverse. And in Deutsch, there are a number of sounds that are very difficult for English-speakers to do, such as the word; Koeln.

Anyway...

It's just a minor thing but it just didn't sound very convincing to me, and obviously his German wasn't perfect. On the other hand, I'm very glad they didn't do a stereotypical, fist-pounding stereotype. They let him be 'bad' without being a comic book. I think this film was fair all around.

[–] stephen-alford1 16 years ago

It's possible the character was ethnic German who didn't necessarily speak German the way we would recognise it. More likely the makers didn't think the average film fan would know anything about German accents.

[–] gottfrid 15 years ago

thats right.

[–] XLCH1000 13 years ago

Agreed.
We just watched this movie tonight. My wife hadnt seen it before. Shes Dutch and even she noticed that the Colonels accent was off. The scene where Hart was under the building and the two guards walked by. She burst out laughing at what they were talking / joking about. She translated for me. Stupid thing to say, but how many in the audience would understand German?
Enjoyed the movie however. Pity that it didnt do so well at the box office.