Batman Begins Raz Al Ghul vs. Ras' Al Ghul

[CFE]

Please tell me I wasn't the only one who winced when Neeson said "I speak for RAZ Al Ghul" the first time...

How could Nolan and Goyer let that one slip past them? I would've "CUT" and held a meeting with everyone letting them know the correct pronunciation...

CFE

 

[Two-Face]

Which is correct way? I alway say or type "Ra's"

 

[CFE]

Ras' Al Ghul is the proper way to write it in print.

It's pronounced "Ray-Sh" like a "Ray" of light...

Ray-Sh Al Ghul

Ras' Al Ghul

That's how it was pronounced in "Batman: The Animated Series" and that's how Ras' creator, Dennis O'Neal pronounces it.

Hell there's even an episode of "Batman Beyond," "Out of the Past" where Terry pronounces it the way they do in "Batman Begins" and Talia corrects him.

CFE

 

[Two-Face]

I did that too . I just say Ra's instaed.

 

[CFE]

The "Ray" and "Sh" aren't seperate syllables...It's fluid from "Ray" to "Sh"

"Raysh"

if nothing else...just go watch "The Demon's Quest" two parter from TAS. That's the correct pronunciation.

Or better yet, watch the special feature "Genesis of the Bat" from the BB 2 disc DVD. Dennis O'Neal says it correct. Hell even Goyer himself pronounces it right.

I just have a feeling no one was paying attention when Neeson messed up and they just never figured to go back and fix that.

CFE

 

[Ledger Joker]

Pronunciation of Ra's name is an inpertinent error in BB that doesn't laden the movie as much as the other errors. It did make me question if B:TAS had it correct, or if Neeson's pronunciation was correct.

 

[David Rice]

This has been talked about before. Ra's Al Ghul is not suppost to be an english word. It's Arabic. How should you pronounce it?

As an example let's try this with a Japanese word. How would you pronounce Karate?

Most peole say Ker-ote, that is not right. It's Kah-rah-teh.

Ra's Al Ghul should be Raauz-ahl-ghool. Like Ra from Stargate or The Eye of Ra. The woman at the party pronounced it wrong too. Bruce is the only one to pronounce it right IMO.

 

[Mr. Socko]

I perfer pronouncing it "Raz" over "Raysh."

Anyway, while we're on pronouncing bat-names, before Begins, I never pronounced Falcone's name with the "E" on the end, I use to only say "Falcon." But it sounds much better with the "e" on the end, very old school mafia type like The Godfather, Vito Corleone.

 

[David Rice]

I perfer pronouncing it "Raz" over "Raysh."

Anyway, while we're on pronouncing bat-names, before Begins, I never pronounced Falcone's name with the "E" on the end, I use to only say "Falcon." But it sounds much better with the "e" on the end, very old school mafia type like The Godfather, Vito Corleone.

YEP! t:

 

[BubbaGump]

I perfer pronouncing it "Raz" over "Raysh."

Anyway, while we're on pronouncing bat-names, before Begins, I never pronounced Falcone's name with the "E" on the end, I use to only say "Falcon." But it sounds much better with the "e" on the end, very old school mafia type like The Godfather, Vito Corleone.

I used to call it "Falcowne" like "owned." However, adding the 'e' at the end opened up a whole new world of pronounciation possibilities.

 

[CFE]

Unbelievable.

Dennis O' Neal is the man who CREATED Ras' Al Ghul and he pronounces it "Raysh."

How can people refuse to pronounce the name the CORRECT way?

CFE

p.s. and I always used to read "Falcone" as in Ice Cream "Cone" ... I still hold true to that one as well. Even Goyer pronounces it in the "Genesis of the Bat" documentary in that way as opposed to tagging on the "E"...which BTW makes the name sound way too mobster cliche. Fal "cown" is a more unique name than "Falcown E" and isn't so corny sounding like other mobster names.

 

[CFE]

You're close Majik...

instead of "Racial" as one fluid word say it like this...

"Raci..."

BEAT

"AL" ... like the "AL" in Alfred...

then Ghoul...

Raci...AL...Ghoul.

say it like that and you've just pronounced it correctly.

CFE

 

[CFE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ct2Bfx0G0

the way Bruce Timm pronounces it is the correct way...

Not the narrator type voice you hear first...but the second time the name is spoken.

CFE

 

[David Rice]

Unbelievable.

Dennis O' Neal is the man who CREATED Ras' Al Ghul and he pronounces it "Raysh."

How can people refuse to pronounce the name the CORRECT way?

CFE

p.s. and I always used to read "Falcone" as in Ice Cream "Cone" ... I still hold true to that one as well. Even Goyer pronounces it in the "Genesis of the Bat" documentary in that way as opposed to tagging on the "E"...which BTW makes the name sound way too mobster cliche. Fal "cown" is a more unique name than "Falcown E" and isn't so corny sounding like other mobster names.

I don't know man. Just becuase he created Ra's Al Ghul doesn't mean he's saying it right. I know black belts that pronounce karate wrong. You should ask a linguist.

 

[CFE]

Just becuase he created Ra's Al Ghul doesn't mean he's saying it right

TAS followed the comics at least more closely than "Begins" did...and it was released a good decade before.

How anyone can refuse to say Ras' Al Ghul's name the way it's meant to be said is unfathomable...that's like thinking it's not a big deal if someone pronounces Victor Fries like French "Fries" as opposed to Victor "Freeze" ...they'd be saying the name incorrectly.

IDK about the rest of you, but I'd hate for my name to be pronounced WRONG...

this is what everyone how pronounces the name like Neeson does needs to do...

If you don't have Batman Beyond Season 3 on DVD....get money and go buy it...

If you DO have Batman Beyond Season 3 on DVD go watch the episode "Out of the Past" and watch the scene where Terry confronts Bruce and Talia in the Batcave...

CFE

 

[TheDemon'sHead]

There was an older thread where I posted this:

After looking up Arabic pronunciations, "Ra's" should be pronounced as "Roz".
When referring to the Egyptian sun god, you don't pronounce it "ray" the sun god but "Ra" the sun god. The letter "S" in arabic is pronounced as a "Z". S's and Z's in that language can be substituted for one another. Thus it is pronounced as "Roz"

But at the same time, I myself prefer "Raysh". This reminds me, when I was younger my brother's best friend pronounced Magneto as "Mag-net-o" and not the proper "Mag-nee-toe"

 

[David Rice]

TAS followed the comics at least more closely than "Begins" did...and it was released a good decade before.

How anyone can refuse to say Ras' Al Ghul's name the way it's meant to be said is unfathomable...that's like thinking it's not a big deal if someone pronounces Victor Fries like French "Fries" as opposed to Victor "Freeze" ...they'd be saying the name incorrectly.

IDK about the rest of you, but I'd hate for my name to be pronounced WRONG...

this is what everyone how pronounces the name like Neeson does needs to do...

If you don't have Batman Beyond Season 3 on DVD....get money and go buy it...

If you DO have Batman Beyond Season 3 on DVD go watch the episode "Out of the Past" and watch the scene where Terry confronts Bruce and Talia in the Batcave...

CFE

Look at the post above! TAS way sounds like a child trying to pronounce the name.

 

[CConn]

I know it's pronounced Ray-Sh, but I don't like Ray-Sh. While I prefer, Rahs, Raz is nearly as good.

Also, Falcone was mispronounced as well in the film. While it may be pronounced Falcon-e in Italian and Italy...Gotham isn't in Italy, and the actors aren't Italian. It should be Falcone. Silent E.

 

[David Rice]

I know it's pronounced Ray-Sh, but I don't like Ray-Sh. While I prefer, Rahs, Raz is nearly as good.

Also, Falcone was mispronounced as well in the film. While it may be pronounced Falcon-e in Italian and Italy...Gotham isn't in Italy, and the actors aren't Italian. It should be Falcone. Silent E.

How do you know?

 

[Batman*]

Look at the post above! TAS way sounds like a child trying to pronounce the name.

I think the fact that the man who created Ra's Al Ghul pronounces it the BTAS way pretty much confirms it as the proper way.

 

[Superwoman Prime]

Unbelievable.

Dennis O' Neal is the man who CREATED Ras' Al Ghul and he pronounces it "Raysh."

How can people refuse to pronounce the name the CORRECT way?

CFE

Raz sounds better. You as a fan must come clean and admit it, regardless of if Ra's creator pronounced it Ra's.

That said, for the sake of consistency in historical accuracy ............

Racial Goul forever.

 

[Robin91939]

I feel bad for this dead horse....

-R

 

[David Rice]

I think the fact that the man who created Ra's Al Ghul pronounces it the BTAS way pretty much confirms it as the proper way.

Does the creator speak Arabic? Go look it up:

"Ra's" should be pronounced as "Roz". When referring to the Egyptian sun god, you don't pronounce it "ray" the sun god but "Ra" the sun god. The letter "S" in arabic is pronounced as a "Z". S's and Z's in that language can be substituted for one another. Thus it is pronounced as "Roz"

 

[Mr. LOL]

Don't believe what you heard ... there is no correct pronunciation for a maed up name / word / language. None what so ever. This isn't an error or "flaw" in the movie. Completely up to interpretation. Personally I rather it be pronounced as "Raz" ... it sounds much more menacing ... as opposed to "Raysh Al Ghul" ... which sounds like some new hideous foreign born STD. Plus, I see where they're coming from with "Raz". I mean Brasil is spelled with an "s" but it is pronounced as a "z". There is no wrong way to pronounce the character's name. What a weak ass thread and / or gripe.

 

[Mr. Socko]

Don't believe what you heard ... there is no correct pronunciation for a maed up name / word / language. None what so ever. This isn't an error or "flaw" in the movie. Completely up to interpretation. Personally I rather it be pronounced as "Raz" ... it sounds much more menacing ... as opposed to "Raysh Al Ghul" ... which sounds like some new hideous foreign born STD. Plus, I see where they're coming from with "Raz". I mean Brasil is spelled with an "s" but it is pronounced as a "z". There is no wrong way to pronounce the character's name. What a weak ass thread and / or gripe.

You fail to realize that "Ra's" is an actual word used in the Arabic language in which the entire name "Ra's Al Ghul" translates to The Demon's Head. I'd say Arabic is quite far from a "made up language." So wrong, there is a way to pronounce the character's name as it's an actual word.

Our dilemma is HOW to pronounce this word.