Portrayal of Selected African Dialects and Accents in The Woman King

Abstract

This study aims to examine the portrayal of selected African dialects and accents in The Woman King, a Hollywood film by mainly African actors. Directors, dialect, and accent coaches view these tools as vital in the overall development of screen productions in an educative and informative manner, harmonizing the character’s cultural, emotional, physiological, and psychological as they align with dialogue, identity, language, and idiolect. The study purposively selected actors in The Woman King through a content analysis lens. The data was collected through a qualitative and quantitative research method, including published interviews, audience member observations, and documentation analysis for data collection. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, guided by key concepts such as dialect and accent in character portrayal, cultural representation, and audience perception. The findings revealed that dialect and accent are potent tools for authenticity, cultural representation, and audience engagement. In the movie, dialect and accent take away from the depth and complexity of characters, create a realistic setting, challenge stereotypes, and empower marginalized communities. The content analyzed and audience response highlight the consistency and inconsistency of dialect and accent, appreciating their contributions to the immersive, embodied, and emotional experience as professional actors. The study concluded that language, dialect, and accent must play significant roles in film productions with specificity and without stereotypes, enhancing their artistic quality and representation as long as the casts, dialect, and accent coaches. The director can achieve believability and intelligibility in the target accents of the specific production.