Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo, two popular French actors, give stellar performances in Michel Hazanavicius’s rendition about old Hollywood cinema: silent films. The overall concept is absolutely fascinating. Hazanavicius tells the audience the history of the time through the popular medium of the time (silent film). A silent film made in today’s cinematic era is rare making this film truly one of a kind. The movie is about silent films and the evolution of “talkies”. With the artistic approach to the film, the movie title could not fit more perfectly. The movie teaches the audience to respect where and how cinema started, and Hazanavicius’s portrays this concept beautifully.
Hazanavicius’s complex notion of the film is conveyed as simply as it can be through the use of multiple layers. The historical aspect of the film is the deeper, underlying layer, while the ever-so-popular love story is the basis and top layer of the film. The film opens in 1927 and introduces George Valentin, a popular silent film superstar. At the premiere of one of his films, George poses for the paparazzi, and a girl accidently drops her book and when reaching under the security guards to pick it up finds herself standing next to George. Before long, the pair is striking poses together for the paparazzi.
Next, we see Peppy auditioning for a part as an extra in one of George’s films. She gets the part, and from there we see a connection developing between George and Peppy. As the film industry begins its transition to “talkies” in 1929, Peppy’s popularity skyrockets, and George’s career dwindles. George considers himself an “artist”, therefore refusing to take part in the new era of film “talkies”. As George struggles to keep his career alive, the pair continues to run into each other in various places and each time they do, their connection is reestablished.
At one point, George, in a sense of rage, accidently lights his house on fire. Peppy takes George to her place to recuperate, and before long George realizes that Peppy has purchased all of his belongings that he sold in order to survive. In a fury, George leaves the house and goes back to his where things start to get ugly again. The rest of the film is surprising and exciting, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat, hoping for the best!
In today’s society, it is hard to keep people engaged through silence. At first I was nervous about whether or not the film would be able to hold my attention. As the film developed, I started to take note in how compelling the actors were and how intricately detailed the film is. The film’s lighthearted nature balances the lack of dialogue in order to keep the audience fully engaged. I left the theatre feeling happy and appreciative of old cinema.
In order to fully convey rolls without dialogue, the actors had to be overly dramatic and emotional, which Dujardin and Bejo completed beyond any measures I could ever imagine. In addition to the phenomenal acting, the production design of the film is one of its best attributes in the storytelling. While the black and white concept tells us a lot about the time period, the costumes, props, and overall set design really enhanced the historical accuracy being conveyed.
Furthermore, despite being a silent film informing us of the silent film era and evolution of talkies, the minimal addition of sounds and dialogue was ravishing and absolutely right on cue. The few sound effects and dialogue coincided faultlessly with the storytelling about “talkies”. Sound in the film became more present as the realization of the growth of “talkies” really struck George hard. Also, the negligible use of printed words on screen to help fully emphasize what was taking place on screen was the ideal touch to making the film complete. Occasional phrases such as these helped to keep the film flowing and keep the audience on track. Each detail that Hazanavicius intertwined in the story helped unify the film as a historical medium as well as an entertainment standard.
Hazanavicius takes us back in time to one of the most glorious times in Hollywood cinema. His ability to make us feel like we are watching a film from the late 1920s, early 1930s is beyond extraordinary. His look back at the origin of film almost makes you wonder if he was playing on the advancements of film today. Nowadays, you see films in 3D with extra special effects. Is he telling us that we need to go back to the simplicity and eloquence of early cinema, or is he just reminding us to respect how our early film entertainment came about? Conclusively, “The Artist” is arguably one of the most unique films of our day and of the past.
Directed by Michel Hazanavicius
Starring Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle
Distributed by Warner Bros. Entertainment
Running Time 100 minutes
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