REVIEW: Should you see The Artist? | News

The Artist is nominated for Best Picture, but come on, silent and black and white?
Review by Jonathan Mumm

The last time a silent movie was nominated for Best Picture was The Patriot in 1928 and it's so obscure today it's apparently the only Best Picture nominee in the history of the Academy Awards that no longer exists. Of course, while we're on the subject, the only silent film to ever win Best Picture was Wings the year before and then they were all silent. In 1928, only The Patriot didn't speak, so it's no wonder Oscar voters found it, well, a bit dumb.

Black and white films, on the other hand, crop up every once in a while with Schindler's List the last one to win Best Picture back in 1993. But a black and white film is still a film as a modern audience understands film. Silent movies, on the other hand, can seem exotic, stilted and unapproachable antiques. Or, more simply put: boring.

In reality, though, silent movies were never truly silent. There was always a music score, whether played by piano, organ, or full orchestra. It was silent movies that developed what is known as the "grammar" of film, the rules of continuity, camera shots and editing. When The Birth of a Nation appeared in 1915, President Woodrow Wilson referred to it as "history written with lightning."

For modern audiences, some of the silents do creak with age, but others transcend the time in which they were made. F. W. Murnau's Sunrise is a film that still resonates today. Even a movie like Clara Bow's frivolous romantic comedy It can be watched and enjoyed without any special knowledge of, or appreciation for, silent cinema.

And that is the way with The Artist. It's a valentine to Hollywood (in fact, the main character's name is Valentin). Now Hollywood has always loved making movies about Hollywood, apparently French filmmakers don't mind if they do, either. Following in the classic tradition of a movie like A Star is Born, The Artist is the story of a silent film star (played by Jean Dujardin) who, like many real life silent film stars, is unable to make the transition to sound films. As his star falls, that of the new, young, up and comer Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) is on the rise.

Funny, romantic and touching, the film piled up the awards in the pre-Oscar Awards season and is now vying for ten Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director (for Michel Hazanavicius), Best Actor (for Jean Dujardin) and Best Supporting Actress (for Berenice Bejo). It's somewhat of a family affair, Michel and Berenice are married and Jean and Michel are long time collaborators on the popular OSS 117 french spy spoof films (one of them Cairo, a Nest of Spies, also featured Berenice).

I first saw The Artist on a DVD screener. My wife, Roberta and I enjoyed it so thoroughly that when it opened, we went to the movie theatre to see it again. However, despite all the pre-Oscar buzz, the theatre was hardly half full and it occurred to me that perhaps there is a segment of the movie going public out there that is put off at the idea of paying good money to see a silent film. (After all, there were patrons in Liverpool who stormed out of one theatre demanding their money back when they realized no one was talking and didn't appear eager to).

All I can say is, if you like movies, you'll like The Artist. It is really an incredible film experience, merging the old technology and history of the movies with a timeless tale that is warm, moving and funny, featuring two magnetic and engaging personalities who will have you at "hello."

Well, actually, they never say "hello," but you know what I mean.