[HanCinema's News] Italians Shocked by Song Joong-ki's Language

"Vincenzo" has been a certified hit worldwide. Even a week after the drama's completion, "Vincenzo" still has an international Netflix ranking of number seven for serial dramas according to FlixPatrol, primarily on the strength of its popularity in Asian countries. But one country with natural interest for the drama is Italy. The lead character played by Song Joong-ki was raised Italian, and speaks it in several scenes. And bit by bit, the Italian reaction to "Vincenzo" has trickled out online.

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The main point of interest has been how Song Joong-ki speaks Italian according to native speakers. In general he has received high marks, with Italians noting how his lines are for the most part parsable without subtitles. In response to some of Song Joong-ki's elaborate hand gestures, which some considered to be over the top, native Italian speakers have noted that such gestures are not unheard of in everyday Italian life, which often relies heavily on non-verbal communication.

Of greater shock to Italian speakers was the tendency of Song Joong-ki's character to use intense curse words. These include such phrases as Che Cazzo, Coglione, and Vaffanculo. In Italian, these curse words are considered so insulting that they are not generally allowed to be shown on television at all, and certainly not used in the comedic context "Vincenzo" most frequently favors. However, this appears to be more of a cultural barrier rather than a linguistic one.

Content-wise, "Vincenzo" has also been noted to have a lighter interpretation of mafia behavior that's more similar to American gangster movies than of organized crime as it's perceived in Italy. In recent years Italian mafias have been notorious for the drug trade, terrorist action against judges, and even ruining the international economic brand of Italian food products by fraudulently importing wine, cheeses, olive oil, and truffles from other countries and relabeling them as Italian.

Such concerns are not preeminent with "Vincenzo" as the drama is a work of fiction. But they do speak to authenticity, as fans of "Vincenzo" wonder just how accurate the program is to Italy in general. "Vincenzo" ended on May 2nd with domestic ratings of 14.6%.

Written by William Schwartz