Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The Artist (2011)
I had the benefit of hindsight when I saw this movie, but I agree, it
is a remarkable piece of film work. A must see.
The Artist sounds like a fairly difficult sell. A full-length black
and white, silent movie is not everyone's cup of tea. I heard that
people who were unaware of these two factors demanded their money back
on m ore than one occasion. But make no mistake, the film is as good
as any cinematic experience gets--it is just different from what you
might be used to.
The Artist is a charming, and incredibly clever homage to the Golden
Age of silent film: as authentic and believable as if it were made
circa 1927, right from the opening credits. Jean Dujardin’s George
Valentin, an homage to the mega-stars of the silent period, has the
whole Hollywood world on their knees before him – the film
subsequently charts his peak, before the advent of the talkies
arrives, and he finds himself cast out overnight in favor of the new
breed of speaking stars. Along the way he meets Berenice Bejo’s Peppy
Miller, a wannabe who miraculously finds her way to stardom through
him.
Jean Dujardin, a stalwart of French film, offers a personification of
Golden Age charisma and panache. He is breathtakingly good as
Valentin, in both the high moments, when his flamboyant swagger
disarms, and the lows, when the tragedy of his fall requires a more
humanist side. Alongside him, and also brilliant is Berenice Bejo as
the young starlet who represents Hollywood’s new direction, whose
ability to segue from moxy to pathos, combined with her striking
beauty, make her a genuine leading lady, who will no doubt now find
herself inundated with job offers.
Both actors are charged with convincing the audience using only facial
expressions and movements. Dujardin in particular is a master of
expression.
Finally, the music is fabulous. It was put together with artisan
precision by Ludovic Bource in far more testing circumstances than
“normal” films require. For The Artist, Bource had to capture the feel
of the era, to pinpoint the spirit of silent film, as well as
capturing the essence of each character, and trying to convey the
emotional bent of each scene; heavily referencing major film composers
of the 1920s as well as working closely with the director pre- and
post-edit to make sure the score fit the visuals like a second skin.
He was appropriately awarded with an Oscar for his efforts, but it
makes the film.
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