Saturday 13 April 2019

Some thoughts about the Keeper, having only seen the trailer.

I should be happy.

There is a German main character, played by a German actor.

This German is the hero of the film, yet he's not played by a Dane or a Swede.

The actor they have chosen actually looks, more than slightly, like the real life person he is portraying.

I *should* be happy.

Unfortunately, this time it's the English half that's causing the problem. Bert Trautmann was associated my English home town. And I've made my peace with them not using the two-up two-downs that are still there to film in. What I can't make peace with is the accents. We don't sound like that!

St. Helens's accent is somewhat peculiar (an example - our beloved rugby league club captain who is born and bred) and varied, but it is very much ours and is significantly less Mancunian/East Lancashire than John Henshaw's.

I wouldn't make such a fuss, but my Grandmother, who was around at the time, said that you could narrow down where someone lived to within 3 streets, just from the way they talked - and she could, which was terrifying.

Mostly I worry that my home town is going to be portrayed as the place with the bad people who are mean to our lead character, which it really isn't and wasn't. Read any interview with Bert Trautmann for evidence of that. He would always say how open and welcoming St Helens was, especially given the circumstances.

It's a truth that matters to me, because I think biopics should reflect reality, and because it'll be my home town that gets it in the neck!

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