Not original

Rating: 5/10 (26 February 2012)

There is a great b & w film of the 50's in Hindi titled "Kagaz Ke Phool". It was directed by the legendary Guru Dutt, and starred the director himself and Waheeda Rehman. Those who have seen this film will immediately notice how much The Artist owes to Guru Dutt. Even Dutt's film was inspired by Chaplin's Limelight. So I fail to see why there is so much noise about a silent film that is different from the two films I have mentioned in only an absence of sound. Kagaz Ke Phool had outstanding camera work by V. K. Murthy, who explored light and shade as had never been done before or since. I am quite certain that the director of The Artist is familiar with Guru Dutt and Charlie Chaplin's works. He would have enhanced his reputation had he acknowledged his debt to these two greats of cinema.