I don't remember if I already knew roughly what From Dusk till Dawn would be about, but I certainly never had a problem with it. Gangsters and vampires aren't that different from each other.
When it comes to language, I don't understand how the 13th warrior could decipher the language without knowing what they were talking about. It seemed as if they were mostly talking about people and things that weren't there, so the context should've been a mystery.
For a story with a lot of people over a longer time I imagine that you could skip most of the meetings with language problems, and instead have people on different sides discuss among themselves what the VIPs are up to. And as times passes and people learn each others' languages, more dialogues between people from different sides, without having to go into the details of how they learned those other languages. Though I suppose there will always be a large number of people who never learn another language.
A lot of movies avoid the Dusk till Dawn problem by introducing parallel narratives from both worlds and then having them converge. But I think you're right, that the shift in tone is the most jarring aspect.
With potentially problematic characters, the best defence might be having a historian from that community consult on accuracy (and thanking them in the acknowledgements). You might consider including a range of characters from that community, so it doesn't seem that you're using the culture as a villain. If you can base any of the character's unsavoury actions on a real historical figure, that could also help.
I think the From Dusk till Dawn problem was already solved, and it was solved by Edgar Wright. Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End all added some degree of fantastical element a good way into the movie. The reason it never feels strange is because while the genre of the movie changed, the story was still the same. Shaun of the Dead was still about Shaun learning to grow up and take responsibility for himself. Hot Fuzz was about Nicholas learning to relax and have a life separate from police work and Danny learning to come out of his father’s shadow and be his own man. The World’s End was still about Gary learning to let go of his past. The introduction of zombies/a cabal of serial killers/and alien invasion doesn't change the story, they actually let it happen.
You can’t do anything without offending someone nowadays. May as well write what you want.
I don't remember if I already knew roughly what From Dusk till Dawn would be about, but I certainly never had a problem with it. Gangsters and vampires aren't that different from each other.
When it comes to language, I don't understand how the 13th warrior could decipher the language without knowing what they were talking about. It seemed as if they were mostly talking about people and things that weren't there, so the context should've been a mystery.
For a story with a lot of people over a longer time I imagine that you could skip most of the meetings with language problems, and instead have people on different sides discuss among themselves what the VIPs are up to. And as times passes and people learn each others' languages, more dialogues between people from different sides, without having to go into the details of how they learned those other languages. Though I suppose there will always be a large number of people who never learn another language.
A lot of movies avoid the Dusk till Dawn problem by introducing parallel narratives from both worlds and then having them converge. But I think you're right, that the shift in tone is the most jarring aspect.
With potentially problematic characters, the best defence might be having a historian from that community consult on accuracy (and thanking them in the acknowledgements). You might consider including a range of characters from that community, so it doesn't seem that you're using the culture as a villain. If you can base any of the character's unsavoury actions on a real historical figure, that could also help.
I think the From Dusk till Dawn problem was already solved, and it was solved by Edgar Wright. Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End all added some degree of fantastical element a good way into the movie. The reason it never feels strange is because while the genre of the movie changed, the story was still the same. Shaun of the Dead was still about Shaun learning to grow up and take responsibility for himself. Hot Fuzz was about Nicholas learning to relax and have a life separate from police work and Danny learning to come out of his father’s shadow and be his own man. The World’s End was still about Gary learning to let go of his past. The introduction of zombies/a cabal of serial killers/and alien invasion doesn't change the story, they actually let it happen.