a charming homage to silent cinema that won't get lost in the noise of modern movies

Rating: 10/10 (27 February 2012)

For years, silent film seemed all too much like a distant memory. Talkies are a thing of the now, see? After seeing one film this award season that gave homage to the films of George Melies and other early silent films ("Hugo" for those that haven't heard), I was blown away once more by a film that is a tribute to our early cinema.
Filmed in black and white without audible dialog and set in the late 1920's and early 30's, "The Artist" is a charming film that gives tribute and careful reverence to films that placed the stepping stones for the films we see today.
Written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist" is a clever and well thought out period piece that fits romance, comedy, drama, and art all into a historical tribute that is nothing short of breathtaking. The film follows silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), his relationship with a young actress named Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), and his fall from fame with the revolution of talking films. Struggling to make films combined with the stock market crash, George's life falls apart, while Peppy becomes the talk of the town.
The relationship between George and Peppy is truly a romance that can only be compared to those of the films of old. Hazanavicius is careful in his story construction and character development, never pushing the romance to sappy levels and always keeping the speed of the film at a light and slow pace. Carefully developing these two makes for a brilliant relationship that the audience strives to work, but understands when it doesn't always pan out. Pride, fame, and misfortune all take their toll on both characters and the struggles they find are similar to many classic silent films. The slow and careful pacing reminds me of the relationship between George O'Brien and Janet Gaynor in Murnau's "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans."
The brilliance of the story also comes from the acknowledgement that this is an homage and not an original silent picture. Signs that read "Silent" on them, actions that have distinct sounds we would expect to hear missing (i.e. whistling or car horns), and elongated pauses that add to the effect of the missing sound all add to the tribute and respect being shown. Displaying that an entertaining film can still be made with no sound and black and white images reminds us how great some classic films are and the magic that can be made from the simplest of cinema.
Hazanavicius also chooses a fantastic time for the film to be set in. At the years during the transition of silent film to talking film, it is clever and interesting to watch the changes of the silent film we are watching going to a story about talking film. Where a film like "Singin' in the Rain" is a colored talking film that tells both the silent and talkie parts of the film with vivid colors and audible sound, "The Artist" is the exact opposite. As George laughs at a test screening for talkie film, we don't know if he is humored by the concept or if the actress just sounds bad (i.e. "I Can't Stand 'Em" in 'Singin' in the Rain').
Of course, the fact that this is a silent film means there is a lot of dependence on the score of the piece. The original music created by Ludovic Bource is both perfect for the film, as well as a fascinating look at the effect of music in film. I am personally a huge fan of film scores and the effect music has on a film, and it can be shown even more in a silent piece. If you were to cut pieces of this film out and show it to someone as a series of vignettes, they could immediately understand the atmosphere of the scene by Bource's score. Not to mention, the film also uses Bernard Herrmann's "Love Scene" piece from 'Vertigo' (a personal favorite) and this film hit the music right on the money. Beautiful imagery combined with moving scores always spells brilliance in my book.
The film also has an incredible series of settings, most notably large scale sets and streets that were clearly constructed to authenticate a film that is supposed to be made in the early 1930's. There is a scene on a stairway that is shot several times from a deep distance that shows the stairs extending more than three stories. This set has the exact look of sets that would have been constructed and seen in silent films of old. Outside of the images, there are also quiet sounds of a needle first hitting a spinning record before music plays that adds the nicest touch. These small details that are carefully placed within the film are never overpowering, but always a neat little reflection on older films.
"The Artist" also contains two of the most fun things seen in film this year. First, there is the most adorable dog that steals several scenes throughout the film. If you can't laugh or find something cute out of this character, you may not have a heart. Also, the film contains maybe the most clever dream sequence I have seen....
Read the rest of the Review at CustodianFilmCritic.com