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Predating Thomas Edison’s own contributions when it comes to capturing motion on camera, the oldest surviving film in existence is 2.11 seconds long; entitled ‘𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒉𝒂𝒚 𝑮𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑺𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒆’, it was directed by French inverter Louis Le Prince, and released in 1888. Fast forward approximately ten years later, the first commercialized screening for films as a medium debuted on December, 28th, 1895: it was hosted by brothers Louis and Auguste Lumière in Paris, and made use of an apparatus created by the duo called the Cinématographe to show approximately an hour worth of shorts depicting everyday French life for 10¢ a piece.
Though difficult to empathize with for modern viewers, the earliest film containing synchronized visuals and sound was not released until 1927 (This being 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑱𝒂𝒛𝒛 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓, by Alan Crosland), and subsequent developments have left many taking the period of silence that preceded it for granted.
𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒍𝒅, 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒘! 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆!
The Artist is a 2011 French comedy-drama film in the style of a black-and-white silent film or part-talkie.The film was written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius, produced by Thomas Langmann and stars Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo.
The story takes place in Hollywood, between 1927 and 1932, and focuses on the relationship between a rising young actress (Peppy Miller) and an older silent film star (George Valentin) as silent cinema falls out of fashion and is replaced by the "talkies".
In lieu of sound effects and spoken dialogue, title cards containing supplementary narrative material were first incorporated in 1903, which were then paired with live music, a phonograph recording, or on the rare occasion live narration provided by hired talent. In 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕 there are only two separate times where the audience is exposed to diegetic sound; through a dream sequence and the finale. Valentin’s anxiety regarding asserting himself successfully through a conflicting transition is personified in a meaningful and self-reflective way. While not live, the score - namely, what is provided by The Brussels Philharmonic with conductor Ernst Van Tiel - works in unison to reinforce some variance in the emotions driving the melodrama: seamlessly facilitating the trawl between desolation and optimistic nuance.
Director of photography Guillaume Schiffman has since revealed that 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕 was originally shot in color; almost ironically, the technology available today would have captured footage that was much too sharp, and the grainy aesthetic was achieved through a number of filters being applied afterwards. Shot at 22 frames per second, the finished products also appears to be slightly ‘sped up’ when compared to films made before 24 frames per second became the industry standard.
By modern standards, the relationship between George and Peggy is only mildly suggestive. This isn’t to say the romance between them isn’t convincing, but it is indicative of censorship measures taken into consideration during the 1920s and serves secondarily as a pivotal scheme. As early as 1927 the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America has attempted regulating the content it is responsible for with earliest efforts being a published list of subject matter not allowed in films at all (like any amount of sexual perversion) and content that should be handled with care (like the of firearms).
Most importantly prioritized are elements that were the difference between flourishing and floundering with the introduction of talking films. Expositional mystery aside, Valentin’s composition of fame and misfortune parallels accordingly with an actor who reached the peak of his career during the silent era by the name of John Gilbert. There is no one reason why Gilbert was unable to transition into talking films with ease, but the limitations imposed on silent films would set the stage for his demise. Firstly, and perhaps intuitively concluded, talking films exposed viewers to….well, talking. This resulted in some actors having voices audience members didn’t expect or anticipate, and in some cases led to occasions where certain features (like accents) were distracting or not in line with the setting of a particular story (hold that thought).
Secondly, talking films necessitated reevaluating and changing the relationship between cast members seen on screen and whoever they might be working with, as directors (and associated parties) were free to shout instructions on set without posing too much of a risk to a production as a whole. As alluded to in 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕, Gilbert at one point found himself paired with a Greta Garbo: who, while not too much younger than Gilbert, took to talkies like a fish in water due in part to her glaring subtly, and successfully recruited Gilbert to play the leading man in 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒂 after he had decided to retire. Despite all efforts, Gilbert began drinking heavenly to cope with the loss of his box office power, and this resulted in his death in 1936 from a heart attack when he was 38 years old.
(#TLDR: The sort-of-kind-of-mentor-like-quality of the relationship between Valentin and Miller is grossly playful, respectfully optimistic, and I’m 100% here for it)
As mentioned previously, cinematic experiences often find themselves easily jeopardized by the exposure to dialectic qualities that don’t quite fit the bill. Funny enough, a fair helping of silence is likely what contributed the most to Jean Dujardin earning an Academy Award for his portrayal of Valentin. Having worked with Hazanavicius previously as a suave superspy in his 𝑶𝑺𝑺 117 series, not much else explains them reuniting to make a film that is based in Hollywood and additionally makes no claim to broad or international applicability. As the time of filming Dujardin knew very little English outside of the productive bare-necessities, and because of this many of the lines 𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒅 coming out of his mouth are a mad mix of French, English, and self-proclaimed “gibberish”. That said, his commitment is efficaciously palpable, and encourages audience members to ditch their biases: a resourceful man, he is easily offered some amount of concern and empathy while he simultaneously keeps his distance. Lastly, Bérénice Bejo serves perfectly as a complimentary figure that micro-doses on pained sophistication, and this doesn’t come as much of a surprise given her marriage to Hazanavicius and the simple fact that the role of Peggy was quite literally written for her.
(On that note, it took 5 months for Bejo and Dujardin to learn the tap dancing sequence they perform at the very end. Not bad at all considering it accounts for approximately two and a half minutes of runtime!)
Given the significance of France as it concerns pioneering cinematic advancements, it begs the question of why 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕 is set in Hollywood and not somewhere else as its writer and leading cast are all French. Putting it simply, after World War II the French film industry specifically suffered a devastating blow because of a lack of feasible capital, and because of this films made the United States could more easily enter the European cinematic market. Much like France, the influence of silent films on the ones being enjoyed today goes unrecognized far too often, and as such makes 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕 a most thoughtful dedication to a mechanism that gets older and plateaus all at the same time. What a shame it is, I think, that the intended pleasure or appeasement obligates some risked descent into an obsoleted presence.
In the end, change is inevitable.
Talking about it should be too.
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Customer reviews
I was excited to get this movie. I saw it in the theater and loved it. When I opened it I found the case was broken and the DVD inside was shattered. Very irritated.
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Top reviews from other countries
The Movie Diorama
The Artist isn't just a film, it's a cinematic experience.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 26, 2017
Hugh Loxdale
played brilliantly by all concerned
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 12, 2017H M Reynolds
Silent era film making
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 21, 2015Northern wit
Enjoyabale but over rated ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 12, 2013
