The Artist review

THE ARTIST (2011)

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

When I was in film school even the most devout film fans would fall asleep while watching a black and white film. A silent film? I remember 2 people sitting by the end of a screening of Birth of a Nation (1915). People have not been kind to silent cinema. Forget silent cinema. People have not been kind to pre-70s cinema. Here comes, The Artist. A film that if nothing, at least makes people come out surprised that they sat through a silent film. Lo and behold, not just sat through, even entertained! The fact that The Artist is not just a nostalgic postmodern masterstroke but also a crowd-pleaser, is a feat in itself. Also, there is a dog.


The film opens with a film within the film. "I will not speak". The first title card announces the first hint that this isn't going to be your usual film-going experience. Oscar winner Jean Dujardin plays George Valentin, a silent film actor. The scene shows the character in the film within the film being tortured and told to speak. This is followed by showing us the character - George Valetin, not the actor in the film we just saw, "Please Be Silent Behind the Screen" as he watches the premiere of his film behind the screen. Then comes the applause. But we don't hear it, there is silence. This is the first time the audience is told "You are watching a silent film, ladies and gentlemen". (No this wasn't a title card, thank god)

For me, this film works because of the seen-before tale of a man plummeting down and coming back up again. A woman who aids him and brings him out of the depression. These tales are generally about pride and ego. The Artist does a great job of telling this story, it is almost like an old wine in an old bottle. Except this old bottle is constructed so on purpose. You can't deny that Michel Hazanivicius did his homework well. He even thanked Billy Wilder in his Oscar speech (his idol) and you can see how the film's plotline resembles another Best Picture winner - The Lost Weekend (1945) directed by Wilder. I wouldn't be surprised if the idea of this film originated from the fading silent film star character of Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard (1950). (The name of the actress in Valentin's film Tears of Love is Norma). No wonder this film takes you straight to Hollywoodland.

Throughout the film there are some obvious and some not-so obvious hints to the big grand metaphor of the film: An artist losing his voice. It is also literal in one rapturous dream sequence. My favorite one being when George Valentin's wife tells him "We need to talk". This is a cliched line exchanged between millions of couples. But here it has a different meaning. "Why do you refuse to talk?" she says while I'm busy drooling at the beauty of the film. At the delicious mise-en-scene. Every scene, every shot can be spoken about at length. Be it George Valentin walking down the stairs of Bradbury Building and Peppy Miller walking up. Or the film titles in the film - "The Lonely Star", "The Guardian Angel" etc. Or another that I really love - Peppy watching Valentin's film "Tears of Love", he is going down in quicksand, the actress in that film trying to help him. This poignant scene and the one with Valentin talking to his shadow. These are the scenes that elevate this film from being just a good film to a great film.

On the flip side, The Artist is indeed a gimmick. But it's a gimmick done right. It is made with so much love that it's difficult not to be charmed by it. Even when I wasn't in love with the plot since it is actually quite primitive, I still found myself having a wonderful time. Singin in the Rain (1952), A Star is Born (1954), Sunset Boulvard (1950) are all better films about Hollywood. Singin in the Rain is also a better film about the transition period from silent to talkies that this film shows. Another thing that irks me whenever I watch The Artist is the use of Scene D'Amour, the wonderful piece from the score of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece and my favorite film - Vertigo (1958). General film audience won't notice it but it is almost the same as George Valentin burning the film reels to a cinephile. You cannot use the greatest film music composition in your film. You just cannot. Kim Novak shouts rape and so do I!

Now that you've seen The Artist, I urge you to watch Hugo releasing on March 16th in India. A better film and tribute to silent cinema made in 2011. A film about the past but made in glorious 3D, the format of the future. Both, The Artist and Hugo are great companion films and are surely to go down in history as the films that earmarked the cinematic year of 2011. It is a celebration of the movies and what a splendid celebration it is. As much as I may nitpick, as much as I may like other films more, The Artist has a special place, it's own place. It is also a worthy winner of the coveted Best Picture Oscar.


If you like movies about moviemaking, like I do, here are some recommendations:

8 1/2
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Kaagaz Ke Phool
Day for Night
The Bad and the Beautiful
Sullivan's Travels
In a Lonely Place
Adaptation.
Boogie Nights
The Player
Blow Out
Mulholland Drive
and of course, Sunset Boulevard, A Star is Born and Singin in the Rain.