Lady Gaga spoke with a Northern Italian accent for nine months to authentically portray Patrizia Reggiani in the upcoming movie House of Gucci. Even when the cameras weren’t rolling, she has said, she never broke character. But critics have questioned Gaga’s accent since the first trailer for the film dropped in July—and the gripes have intensified as the film nears its November 24 debut. Even a dialogue coach who worked on House of Gucci has chided her accent, claiming the Oscar winner’s voice sounds more Eastern European than Italian in the film.
“I feel bad saying this, but her accent is not exactly an Italian accent. It sounds more Russian,” Francesca De Martini recently told The Daily Beast. De Martini is an Italian actor hired on the House of Gucci production as a dialogue coach for Salma Hayek, who plays Pina Auriemma, a close friend and personal astrologer to Reggiani.
But House of Gucci director Ridley Scott stands by Gaga’s performance, saying her accent was “absolutely perfect”—and that her portrayal of Reggiani, who hired a hitman to murder her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci, in 1995, “was deeply Italian all the time.”
“She had the cadence of an Italian accent,” Scott told me at the film’s Los Angeles premiere on Thursday night. “She had that cadence down, and also the rhythm of an Italian accent. Her accent is not Russian. Same with Al [Pacino] and same with Jared [Leto]. They all got the rhythm of an Italian accent. She should not be criticized. She did the rhythm all day at home and off the set. She even got me to speak with an Italian cadence!”
Giannina Facio, a producer on House of Gucci and Scott’s wife, also weighed in on the matter. “She may be American Italian, but her roots are Italian. So I think her Italian accent came naturally,” said Facio on the arrivals carpet at the L.A. premiere. “But the critics are wrong! That dialect coach is wrong. They are absolutely wrong. I’m three-fourths Italian, and I can tell a fake Italian accent—and her accent is perfect. The critics should go to school and find out because they are wrong about that.”
And though Gaga’s accent may inspire debate, nobody can doubt her commitment to Gucci. During the production, Gaga often got sick due to her intense transformation into a rejected wife turned murderer.
“We saw her vomiting. We saw it. We could see the toll it was taking. She was immersed in this character, but that’s the way she does it,” said Facio. “That’s the way she wanted to do it. She wanted to give the best of herself. That’s why we adore her. She’s so special and what she gave to us—she really gave blood!”
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As a seasoned linguist and language enthusiast with a comprehensive understanding of accents and dialects, it's clear that Lady Gaga's portrayal of Patrizia Reggiani in the movie "House of Gucci" has sparked a heated debate about the authenticity of her Northern Italian accent. The controversy surrounding her accent has become a focal point of discussion among critics, the film's crew, and even a dialogue coach involved in the production.
The evidence presented in the article reflects a clash of opinions regarding Lady Gaga's Italian accent. On one side, critics, including Francesca De Martini, a dialogue coach on the film, argue that Gaga's accent leans more towards Eastern European, specifically Russian, rather than authentically representing a Northern Italian accent. De Martini's firsthand experience working with Salma Hayek, who plays a character closely associated with Patrizia Reggiani, adds weight to the criticism.
Contrastingly, director Ridley Scott vehemently defends Lady Gaga's performance, asserting that her accent was "absolutely perfect" and that she maintained the Italian cadence and rhythm consistently, both on and off set. Scott's defense is reinforced by Giannina Facio, a producer on "House of Gucci" and Scott's wife, who claims that Gaga's roots and commitment to the role justify her Italian accent. Facio dismisses critics, insisting that Gaga's accent is flawless and that those questioning it are wrong.
The article delves into the intensity of Lady Gaga's commitment to the role, highlighting instances where she fell ill due to the exhaustive transformation into her character. This commitment is further emphasized by producer Giannina Facio, who attests to Gaga's dedication by stating that the actress "gave blood" for the role.
To sum up, the concepts explored in the article include the authenticity of Lady Gaga's Northern Italian accent, contrasting perspectives from critics and the film's director and producer, and insights into Gaga's unwavering commitment to her role in "House of Gucci." The discourse offers a glimpse into the complexities of language portrayal in cinema and the subjective nature of evaluating accents in performances.
