The Artist (2011) - French

The Artist is a film that reminds audiences of the beauty of silent films, and the pure innocence and joy of watching pantomime. Jean Dujardin portrays a silent film star who transcends the auditory realm through his acting. He is dropped as soon as sound comes into the picture because withe fresh new technology comes fresh new acting talent. Dujardin's portrayal of George Valentin, an artist struggling to reclaim the medium he once used to project his soul, is a heart warming and earth shattering accomplishment. Peppy Miller, played by Berenice Bejo, is the perfect representation of the sound era. She's beautiful, bright, and sympathetic to what the old silent films contributed to the art of film, yet she temporarily forgets about George when her stardom takes off.

This film can be appreciated by all audiences alike, yet, due to it's silent film appeal, cinephiles, film historians, and the older generation of movie goers will appreciate it all the more. The film is essentially a silent film, yet it uses sound in a jarring and conciliatory way. The film eventually uses sound, so to call it a silent film would be incorrect. It's more of an homage to the silent film era and it reconciles the medium's tendency to adopt new technological innovations at the cost of artistry.

The aesthetic beauty in this film was perfect. Even the aspect ratio of the film was that of a silent film. No widescreen here. There is much to the self reflexivity in the film itself and in the self destruction that Valentin puts himself and his work through. George watches himself behind the screen at the premiere of his latest film, he creates his own film, writes, directs, and acts in it, and he also meticulously browses his collection of his films. His life and work are what destroy him. He has given so much to the screen visually. Muteness in expression is the only way he can work. Even his faithful companion dog is an accomplice in the silent film star's gimmicky endeavors. When this muteness is analyzed, it becomes a self destructive love affair between George and his films, all the while sound and Peppy gain all the glory. The two clearly belong together, just as their representations of sound and movement also belong together, in perfect cinematic matrimony.