Something I've noticed based around shows/movies I've watched (I haven't seen this one yet, unfortunately): apparently people from Northern England are hard to understand even for people from England. On
Misfits
, Lauren Socha's character is pretty hard to understand throughout the first episode, especially when she's panicking.
Something else: on
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
, there was an X-Factor contestant who went on to have a music career on the show, and Noel Fielding said "I can tell you're from the North because you're acting out what you say. You remind me of the people who come to London and have to act out everything because we can't understand what the hell they're saying."
On a more personal note: I've played British television and movies for my sisters, and two of the three couldn't really follow some of it. Sometimes accents, no matter what kind, are indecipherable. There are people in America who can't understand the American South.
"My penis stopped breathing. Do you know CPR?"

I read that Ken Loach's film "My name is Joe" had subtitles in its US release because of the thick scottish accents that Americans would have supposedly found untelligible- I haven't seen that movie though. But I'm pretty sure I've never had any trouble understanding English language in any movie regardless of the accent.

Now listen here, Klutzygirl and EvangMangaccording to "Capn Haddick" you shouldn't NEED THE SUBTITLES as he puts it:
The thing is, I would understand if English wasn't your first language, that would be more understandable
Since Cap'n Haddick is the end all and be all of English-speaking cinema I suggest you NOT use the subtitles and just find a way to understand the accents however that works out for you. Is English not your first language? If it is, then you should not need to use subtitles, accents or not, region, dialects or not you should be able to understand it.
Bloody Americans. They just don't get it.

This message has been deleted.

OP, my DVD player, which is a cheap basic model, has a subtitles button. Try it next time. I used it for the parts of this film where the druggies and gang bangers were talking and it helped tremendously.
IMO they were supposed to be hard to decipher because they were either loaded and slurring, or talking in their coded language so they could purposely not be understood by the general public. Cockney rhyme slang is a good example of this; until recently, most people not from the neighborhood had no idea what they were saying.

My apologies I was writing so quickly I did not realize that I was originally responding to "Captain Haddick" not you "Mrochiii." He made the stupid posts about "culturally ignorant" not you so please disregard what I wrote in reference to you, mrochiii.

wowe
When did I ever say Americans? Please answer me.
Why do you think you have been targeted?
Are you that self-involved that you assume I'm paying out American's.
"It sounds to me like you are still stating that if you don't understand all the accents in this film there must be something wrong with you. "
Yes, and no.
But I was thinking and now realize its probably because I listen to a lot of rap music, and thats why I can understand it fairly well.

I was making up a generality (white-washed suburbanite village) to show you how it feels. You made the statement that Americans should step outside more to understand different accents if they didn't (heaven forbid!) understand all the accents in "Harry Brown." You made this statement. Are you backing away from it now?
So you and your roommate understand the accents. Good for you, mates! It sounds to me like you are still stating that if you don't understand all the accents in this film there must be something wrong with you.

Are you saying that only Americans have trouble understanding accents?
No?
Are you representing the entire world?
No?
You are assuming that,
"So please stop making insulting generalities" - you
"I can assure you that it's a hell of a lot more than your suburbanite white-washed village." - you being a hypocrite
I live in Melbourne
pop: 4,077,036.
In 2006 35.8% of Melbourne's population was born overseas.
a fun website!
http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/AboutMelbourne/History/Pages/multiculturalhistory.aspx
My room mates English he understood. Maybe you two are just dummies. (Well I guess so since you just blatantly contradicted yourself.)

if it is, then go outside and talk to more people that are not your own nationality.
This comment shows an insane level of arrogance. I am from Los Angeles - do you have any clue how many DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES ARE REPRESENTED HERE? I can assure you that it's a hell of a lot more than your suburbanite white-washed village. I meet and talk with people all the time. Most people from Los Angeles (since you've obviously never been here, maybe you can do some wikipedia sleuthing, Sherlock) were not born here. Nearly everyone is from another city, state, country. One of my workmates is from Edinburgh. Even she had trouble with some of the dialogue in "Harry Brown."
So please stop making insulting generalities. There are thousands of people who come to imdb.com. Are you saying that only Americans have trouble understanding accents? Are you representing the entire world?

Yeah its mind boggling, really is. (I'm talking about in context to this movie)
Not hard to get, if it is, then go outside and talk to more people that are not your own nationality.
Heres a story happened a year ago, I had a mate up from the country come down to mine.(were from aus for some context i guess)
I live in a city, he doesn't.
We went out to get Chinese (there is no Asian restaurants up were hes from), he could not for the life of him understand anything the waiter was saying. Yeah it was broken English but I heard it like the Queen was speaking to me, so I ordered for him.
What im getting at is yeah just get out more srsly

I'm from Germany and I really have no problems understanding both English and American movies This one included. I can't believe any American would have any trouble then?

I soon gave up on trying to understand what the actors were saying and decided to just go along with the flow. Am I the only one unable to follow most of the dialogue here? I couldn't find similar complaints. I got the gist of the movie, but as an American and not a Brit, I know I missed a lot.
I'm a Canadian who has spent some time in the UK and who has a lot of Scottish and English relatives, so I'm lucky. But if it helps, the DVD has the option of English subtitles, so it might be worth watching again with them on if you had a tough time with some of the accents.
~
http://prettyh.blogspot.com/
~

Agree but here is a trick. Try to use a headphone, you'd be surprised that how better you understand the dialog. Works for me.

What English did you learn?
I learnt British English at school and first time in London I wondered whether the Brits actually bothered to speak British English too
Lincoln Lee: I lost a partner.
Peter Bishop: I lost a universe!

Actually, we outside of UK (I'm from Scandinavia) DO have far more problems with the English spoken in England, as opposed to the one spoken in USA which is generally far easier to understand. Don't take that as criticism, because I'm a fan of the English spoken in UK as well as of dialects in general. For example, it's basically impossible to the Gallagher brothers of music group Oasis (they're from Manchester), and Scottish is also diffifult for many of us. (And of course it depends on whose speaking, for example I would imagine a young gang member may be more difficult than a news anchor.)
Please don't be - for example - cocky or arrogant about others having problems understanding it. Think of as natural, and try to show some empathy instead if attacking like you seemed to do with the Haddick guy you responded to.
Luckily, the film was subtitled (and showed to be a great movie). Otherwise I probably wouldn't be able to follow much of the dialogue. (I generally have no problems following the dialogue in "American English" movies.)
Regarding Australia/New Zealand, to me it sounds much more similar to UK English than to American English. But that's probably off-topic.

So all the smart guys are born in ghettos? Only people who are unable to grasp anything outside of what they are used to are born in a higher socio-economic background?
Righto matey.
I was not born in a ghetto, but my parents were both teachers so maybe that only makes me a little bit posh and a little bit 'ghetto' so I can understand all the accents?

Why is there always some moron trying to be smarter than the rest of the people in this posts. If someone can't follow a strong slang accent is their problem, not everyone is smart like you, I wasn't born in a ghetto like the guys in the movie to be able to understand all the slang and thick accent. I watched the movie with subtitlesany problem with that?

A bit late on the scene, however, there a large variety of accents in the UK and some are harder to understand than others. I'm an east Londoner, with a real cockney accent, but whenever I've been abroad I have been mistaken for Australian. The funniest accent problem I heard was in 1989 when I was working on the construction of Canary Wharf in London. There were companies from the U.S.A., Canada, Denmark, Norway and the UK. Everybody understood everybody else's English accent, with just two exceptions. Two carpenters from Scotland, who I had no problem understanding, and they had no problem understanding me. One was from the east end of Glasgow, the other was from Brora, way up in the Highlands, despite the fact they were both Scots, they couldn't understand each other.

A bit late on the scene, however, there a large variety of accents in the UK and some are harder to understand than others. I'm an east Londoner, with a real cockney accent, but whenever I've been abroad I have been mistaken for Australian. The funniest accent problem I heard was in 1989 when I was working on the construction of Canary Wharf in London. There were companies from the U.S.A., Canada, Denmark, Norway and the UK. Everybody understood everybody else's English accent, with just two exceptions. Two carpenters from Scotland, who I had no problem understanding, and they had no problem understanding me. One was form the east end of Glagown thwothwer was form Broara up in thr

"I'm British (I live in America)"
"Last week I watched the Red Riding Trilogy (also British) and, without subtitles, I would never have been able to follow the plot at all."
That is where you said it. It is quite clear.

You are saying that you are British and you can't understand British accents?
Nowhere in my post did I use the words you ascribe to me. Please don't reply to me again.

In your previous post.

you are saying that you are British and you can't understand British accents?
When did I say that?