"The Artist" tells a story that belongs to the silent film era in the form of a silent film. In 1927, the 32nd year of the birth of film art, people used to watch silent films in theaters, and the band played soothing or exciting music in the orchestra pit following the plot on the big screen. George Valentine is a hot star in Hollywood. The movies he starred in are always crowded with audiences. After each screening, he always has to call the curtain again and again. He is accompanied by a golden supporting role who is his dog. They cooperate tacitly every time. Can make the audience laugh out loud, while other actors can only stand aside.
The film starts from George Valentine's popularity. Fans surround him. In the chaos, a young woman, Pepy Miller, accidentally bumps into him. He left a kiss on the cheek, and the good news reporter immediately filmed the scene. The next day, the big photo with the headline "Who is that girl?" made the front page of the newspaper. George's boss and wife were very dissatisfied, but George didn't take it to heart. Later Pepy Miller took this to Hollywood.
By 1929, sound films were on the rise. Proud George thought it was ridiculous: "If this is the future, then go and embrace it." He and the director parted ways. Soon George Valentine went bankrupt, and Pepy Miller became a star. George Valentine lost confidence in himself, sold his property, and rented a small apartment. He even lost his temper, causing a fire and being admitted to the hospital. All this is because he refused to accept sound movies.
Film theorist Jean Mitri points out that silent films are not silent but "silence". In the beginning of the art of cinema, it was purely a gift to the eyes. It is necessary to interpret both the video and the subtitles. And sound movies, even without subtitles, do not have to rely solely on the omnipotent power of editing like silent movies. As Jean-Mitry argues, the sound film acquires a continuity of transition from one place to another, one moment to another. Therefore, some people think that the sound film and the silent film are broken.
The film "The Artist", on the surface, makes the sound film and the silent film incompatible, but in essence it wants to express "how the silent film summons the sound film". At the end of the film, Pepi Miller took in George Valentine, and at Pepi's suggestion, George and her co-starred in a musical. The ending is comedy, and the two tap dance in tacit understanding, indicating that musical films are about to become popular because of the arrival of sound movies.
The greatest charm of "The Artist" should be said that it uses the form of silent film. Since the development of sound movies, people have become accustomed to sound movies. Watching a silent movie at this time is completely new to our movie viewing experience. Although "The Artist" has won many awards such as the "Oscar Best Picture", the best trophy must be the unblinking gaze of the audience. In this way, we understand the original meaning of the film.
View more about The Artist reviews
