walk of homage towards the past
|movie review| Chan Choi
'The Artist’ Cast
Jean Dujardin Bérénice Bejo Penelope Anne Miller James Cromwell John Goodman Missi Pyle
Directed by
Michel Hazanavicius
Running time
1:40
“The following feature is a silent film, there are no dialogues.” The statement given to us at the premiere of the director Michel Hazanavicius’s the Artist was quite a shock. Of course, since the last year’s Cannes Film Festival, the moviegoers had heard of this well-received silent film through its viral marketing. So much unfamiliarity surrounds this film; the movie being black-and-white with no sound is not only peculiar and unusual but also questionable, considering the recent 3D boom. I have to admit that I expected an overly dramatized film specialized for the purpose of winning awards (the so-called “Oscar Buzz Film”) but instead I found it to be a daring crowd pleaser- like a well blended outcome of the films “Singin’ in the Rain” and “A Star is Born”. I recall suggesting a film called ‘Drive’, now well known to the mainstream audience, to a friend describing it as “the best film of the year”. He replied, “I think I’m going to pass.” Of course, that was the very reaction I expected; after all, we do hope to come across films that are entertaining, not a boring art-house flick. But The Artist is different from most of the artistic, critically acclaimed films. There are no exaggerations; it has more heart and sincerity than any feature films with a budget over 200 million. It has an appeal that lies within the performance, overwhelming the audience with delight up to the final credits. Nothing can go back in time. And for that reason The Artist really is a witty film, using the reverse psychological strategy of filming in classic Hollywood style instead of the money- grabbing 3D. The mix of black-and-white scenery with 21st century’s high-quality sound system is pleasing to all senses. Interestingly, the actor Jean Dujardin plays George Valentin, a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career and see him fall into oblivion. For young dancer Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), it seems the sky is the limit as she rises into major movie stardom. As a silent film star falls, a talkie star is born. And the magical encounter of these two gives us an odd analogy, as we reflect on the modern theatre where 3D is taking over everywhere. I am a great fan of black and white films that give impressions of a vivid dream. Seeing a silent film, and actually enjoying it, is a rare occurrence these days. It seems that as always, it is a matter of taste.Some could easily say that letting Durjardin, an actor with a beautiful voice (as can be noted in previous film OSS 117), act silently is a waste of a great talent. It is true that The Artist is in black-and-white without any dialogues. Yet, despite such measures (or perhaps, precisely because of them) it was without a doubt one of 2011’s most accomplished film. But putting some of those thoughts aside, with the film’s central plot about the inevitable emergence of sound films in 1920s, the film brings out a bigger issue: Is there such thing as a past or a future in films? Well, the answer seems to be quite simple. A film does not change. Twenty years ago, Spielberg made the black-and-white Schindler’s List amidst the blockbuster era and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Film. 18 years later another work came out in the middle of the 3D buzz and won that very same award. Although there are patterns and trends, the audience embraces the changes in the film industry- each year adding an enthralling new chapter to it. And perhaps it’s immortal spirit hidden behind the guise of caprice is what allows the world to be in love with it for the past 100 years- an unchanging appeal that stands equal to that of
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music and literature.