Contact: Ranjit Arab, University Relations, (785) 864-8855 or [email protected].
NOTE: Lawrence, home of U. of Kansas, was site of Quantrill's Raid, subject of "Ride With the Devil." Movie based on book by KU graduate.
KU PROF TUTORS TINSELTOWN TONGUES
LAWRENCE -- From the rich texture of Paul Meier's British accent, you would never guess that he was an expert on Kansas-Missouri dialects of the 1860s.
But that is exactly what Meier was for the upcoming Civil War era film, "Ride with the Devil."
Meier, associate professor of theatre and film at the University of Kansas, recently lent his talents as dialect coach to the movie, which was filmed in several locations throughout Kansas and Missouri. Although he has been a dialect teacher and coach for the stage both in England and America since 1970, "Ride with the Devil," marks a transition for him into film.
"Everything is a lot more subtle on film, isn't it," Meier said of the comparison between film and stage. "Actors come in and you get to work with them maybe only on the first day they arrive on the set, and then they are in front of the camera -- unlike a stage play where, of course, you have the entire company throughout the rehearsal period."
Nonetheless, the early buzz on the movie is that it is one of the most authentic films to depict the Civil War period, and director Ang Lee ("The Ice Storm," "Sense and Sensibility") has already received mention for an Oscar nomination.
The film, which is based on the novel, "Woe to Live On," by KU alumnus Daniel Woodrell, deals with the personal struggles of several characters caught on both sides of the political fence during the tumultuous period of Kansas-Missouri history that led up to William Quantrill's infamous raid on Lawrence. It is scheduled to open in theaters across the nation on Nov. 24.
As dialect coach for the film, Meier worked with a wide range of actors, from experienced thespians Tobey Maguire ("The Ice Storm," "Pleasantville") and Skeet Ulrich ("Scream," "As Good As It Gets"), to popular singer Jewel Kilcher, who made her acting debut in the film.
"I guess I worked harder with her than almost anyone on the show, working almost every day for several weeks. Not just on dialect, but on the whole business of being comfortable in front of the camera and speaking naturally," he said.
To Meier, helping to develop the proper dialects had more to do with the mind than the mouth.
"Dialect tells the story in subtle ways. The way a character speaks -- you learn so much about that person. You learn where they are from; you learn who they want to be, what their values are, what their attitudes are. Everything their character is, is wrapped up in the way they speak, so it's a tremendously valuable piece of information," he said.
Finding out how those characters spoke, however, was no easy task, since there were no recorded voices to rely on from that time period. As a result, Meier said, his research was very similar to that of an archeologist, digging up information about character mannerisms through a study of the writings of that time, the style of clothing, and even the remaining architecture. He also looked at the political climate of the area, as well as the cultural heritage of each character.
"I think it's the most difficult thing in the world to really climb back into another worldview," he said.
Meier said he found several subtle differences between the way people of this area spoke back then, as opposed to the way they speak now. People living in Kansas and Missouri during the 1860s tended to use longer, more descriptive sentences with a drawl that showed their Southern influence. Meanwhile, modern residents of this area tend to speak in shorter sentences, and they often constrict their speech in the back of the throat, he said.
Paying attention to these subtleties in speech is nothing new to Meier. In fact, he has recently developed a Web site for the entertainment industry that documents various dialects from all corners of the world.
The International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA), is the only known Web site that provides actors, directors and writers with immediate access to recorded dialects spoken by native speakers. The ever-growing site currently contains about 90 different samples, but Meier said new recordings are being submitted practically every day.
Aside from accessibility for the entertainment industry, Meier acknowledged that the site has historical significance, as well. Among the recordings already available on the site are several samples of Holocaust survivors speaking in their native Yiddish accents.
"Yiddish accents will not be heard in this country in another 10 to 15 years," he said. "They are dying out, but we can record them before they disappear."
The site can be reached at: http://www.ukans.edu/~idea.
Although Meier said he would like to continue his work in feature films, he said he currently is concentrating on the numerous stage productions at KU.
In the meantime, he said, he is looking forward to seeing the film, not only for his work as a dialect coach, but also for the small part he had as George Bowden.
"The other actors, when it came to my turn, said: 'Okay, let's see you do it now,'" he said with a chuckle.
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