Film

Robert Pattinson’s Questionable French Accent In ‘The King’ Stole Our Hearts

Like it or loathe it, it certainly stood out in an otherwise boring film.

by Jared Richards  6 November 2019
Robert Pattinson's accent in 'The King' stole our hearts

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The King, Netflix’s historical drama starring Timothée Chalamet as an approximation of Shakespeare’s Henry V, has been receiving pretty mixed reviews for being dreary, if not dull. But one standout, for better or worse, depending on your mileage, is Robert Pattinson as the Dauphin, rocking long frocks and a questionable French accent.

While the David Michôd-directed film is clearly supposed to help transition Chalamet from twink-heartthrob to serious actor, it’s Pattinson who steals the show in a relatively small role. Appearing over an hour into The King, Pattinson commands attention as Henry’s rival due to an energy that can only be described as chaotic: where Chalamet plays things quite seriously, Pattinson has a lot of fun with his menacing role.

Of course, Pattinson has less to prove, having spent his post-Twilight years working with some of our most celebrated auteurs (David Cronenberg, the Safdie brothers, Clare Denis, Werner Herzog). Where Chalamet cut his locks up into an ugly-hot bowl cut, Pattinson can let his Legolas rip-off wig down. As Vulture put it, “The King gives us Pattinson at his zaniest, with an accent that is a total mismatch, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

As The Dauphin, Pattinson is ridiculous and ridiculously scary. When he and Henry first meet, he threatens the king by promising he will drain his body of his blood and bury it underneath a “little French tree”: the accent, an exaggeration of French normally reserved for improv troupes yelling about baguettes, both undercuts and heightens the unhinged menace.

Not surprisingly, it’s gained a lot of attention online, particularly given the line where Pattinson says Chalamet has giant balls and a tiny dick. It’s a lot, particularly when you realise the British actor is faking as a French king across from Chalamet, an American who speaks French playing an English king. It’s pretty divisive.

If you’re in the ‘wtf’ boat, it might change your opinion to know that Pattinson’s character was supposed to add a lightness to an otherwise overwhelmingly serious film.

“I just had a feeling he would make it fun,” director David Michôd told The Hollywood Reporter back in September. “I needed that. He is a supporting character. He doesn’t appear in the movie until an hour in. It was very, very important to me that when he did appear it was with razzle-dazzle.”

He maybe added a little too much razzle-dazzle though, with many online left wishing Pattinson’s character and accent featured more prominently, and co-star Ben Mendelson gushing in interviews, too.

Vive la révolution. Watch The Dauphin’s big speech below.