Sometimes Saying Nothing is Better than Saying Something
By Emma Needham
One of the biggest buzzes in film this past year came with the release of the movie, “The Artist.” This film is a modern day movie made as a black and white silent film, reminiscent of the days of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, when words weren’t needed to entertain.
“The Artist” is able to charm and entertain audiences with its unique plot, skillful directing, selection of actors, and the lovable dog character, Uggie, that has risen to fame since the movie.
“The Artist” takes place in 1927 Hollywood, where George Valentin is a famous silent movie star. His canine sidekick appears in all of his movies and is his best friend. In the midst of a crowd and paparazzi outside of his premiere, he bumps into Peppy Miller, a young girl who dreams of being in movies. The next morning, their pictures are all over the papers, everyone wondering who this lucky girl could be. George again bumps into her on one of his movie sets, where she won the small role of a dancer.
After a few years, a new invention is introduced- motion pictures with sound. Kicked out of the business because no one cares to hear him talk, George’s life goes downhill, losing everything he once had. It is only possible with the help of Peppy that George could get back on his feet and resume his previous life.
Even though the black and white aspect of the film is drawn from old technology, the difficulty of creating this type of movie. It requires unique skills of the actors and a director with a special knack of creating a plot which can be perceived without sound. Audiences have grown reliant on dialogue in movies, ignoring the skills it takes to relay emotions.
Jean Dujardin, who plays the lead as George Valentin, radiates every emotion he feels through facial expressions and his whole body to translate his actions and feelings. Michael Hazanavicius, the director and writer of “The Artist,” made the movie with a unique twist, adding charm, emotions and extreme apprehension. Hazanavicius also incorporated new technology into the “old-school” film, illustrating a nightmare that George had when he discovers “talking pictures.” The addition of George’s canine companion completed the film, personifying the humanistic relationship between these two characters. Uggie, who played George’s dog, was previously in the movie “Water for Elephants,” and has been on many television shows since the release of “The Artist” because of his undeniable talent.
Unfortunately, because “The Artist” is a black and white silent film, many people and theaters were turned off from seeing and showing it.
“What was so wrong about black and white movies in the first place? By filming in black and white, movies can sometimes be more dreamlike and elegant and stylized and mysterious. They can add a whole additional dimension to reality, while color sometimes just supplies additional unnecessary information,” commented Roger Ebert, a well-known American screen writer and film critic, on black and white films.
“The Artist” was the winner of three Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical, Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Best Original Score, and projected winner for the Academy Awards.
