The Artist is a 2011 French comedy-drama film that pays homage to the silent film era. It was directed by Michel Hazanavicius and stars Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo. The story is set in the 1920s and follows the relationship between a silent movie star, George Valentin, and a young dancer, Peppy Miller, against the backdrop of Hollywood's transition to talkies. The film was praised for its clever and mesmerizing recreation of the silent film era, with stunning black-and-white photography and delightful performances. It won numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, making it the first primarily silent film to win that award since the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929.
Plot
The Artist is a 2011 film set in 1927 that follows the story of a silent movie star, George Valentin, and a young dancer, Peppy Miller. The film explores their relationship against the backdrop of Hollywood's transition to talkies, which sends their careers in opposite directions. George's reluctance to embrace the new era of sound in film leads to a decline in his career, while Peppy's stardom rises with the advent of talking pictures. The movie is praised for its homage to the silent film era and its stunning black-and-white photography
Cast
- Jean Dujardin as George Valentin
- Bérénice Bejo as Peppy Miller
- John Goodman as Al Zimmer
- Randy Vega as (uncredited) grip
- Micah Zarlow as (uncredited) rigging grip
- Lauren Fernandes as (uncredited) associate casting director
- Michael Sanford as (uncredited) associate casting director
- Debe Waisman as (uncredited) extras casting director
- Alex Christopoulos as (uncredited) casting assistant
- David Lowe as (uncredited) casting assistant
- Pixie Monroe as (uncredited) casting assistant
- Paul Black as (uncredited) costumer
- Nigel Boyd as (uncredited) extra lead costumer
- Elizabeth Tulloch as (as Bitsie Tulloch) Norma
- Nina Siemaszko as (as Nina Siemazko) Admiring Woman
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Writer: Michel Hazanavicius
Box Office Gross: $133,471,171
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 23, 2011
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 4, 2014
Themes
- The transition from silent films to talkies: The film pays homage to the silent film era and its decline due to the advent of sound in filmmaking.
- The power of love and passion: The relationship between George Valentin and Peppy Miller serves as a testament to the transformative power of love and passion in overcoming language barriers.
- The struggle to adapt to change: Both George Valentin and the film industry as a whole face challenges in adapting to the new medium of sound.
- The beauty of simplicity: The film's use of black-and-white photography and lack of dialogue emphasizes the importance of visual storytelling and the power of the imagination.
Reception
The Artist received critical acclaim for its portrayal of the silent film era and its performances. The film won numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, making it the first primarily silent film to win that award since the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929.
Challenges Faced
- Recreating the silent film era: The film's production designer, Mark Friedberg, and cinematographer, Guillaume Thiebaut, went to great lengths to recreate the look and feel of the 1920s, including constructing a full-scale replica of the Taj Mahal for an epic sequence.
- Finding the right lead actors: The film's director, Michel Hazanavicius, held a series of auditions to find the perfect actors to portray George Valentin and Peppy Miller, ultimately selecting Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo.
Settings
The Artist is primarily set in 1920s Hollywood, with a focus on the iconic Tinseltown district. The film's production designer, Mark Friedberg, created a detailed replica of the Tinseltown district, which was used for several key scenes.
Visual Styles
- Black-and-white photography: The film is shot in black and white, which helps to evoke the look and feel of the 1920s.
- Silent film-style intertitles: The film uses intertitles to convey dialogue and exposition, similar to the way silent films do.
- Expressive camera angles and lighting: The film employs a variety of camera angles and lighting techniques to convey emotion and atmosphere.
Techniques
- Miming: The film's actors had to learn to communicate without dialogue, using facial expressions and body language to convey their emotions.
- Tilt-shift photography: The film uses tilt-shift photography to create a unique visual effect, making the scenes appear as if they are taking place in a miniature world.
- Slow motion and time-lapse sequences: The film incorporates slow motion and time-lapse sequences to create a sense of nostalgia and reflection.
Trivia
- The film's screenplay was written by Michel Hazanavicius, Jean Dujardin, and Bérénice Bejo, who also directed the film.
- The film's composer, Ludovic Bource, won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Score.
Fun Facts
- The film's production designer, Mark Friedberg, won the Art Directors Guild Award for Best Set Decoration for a Period Film for his work on "The Artist."
- The film's editor, Bertrand Dupont, was nominated for the Golden Reel Award for Best Editing in a Dramatic Feature Film.