Watching a silent film in the Xicheng Book Bar, this night is a little different.
Seven or eight people, a small projection, quietly watched a silent film like "The Artist", and occasionally let out a happy laugh or two.
Go back in time to 1927. In silent films, the emotional expression is as the heroine Miller said, "it depends on winking", and the expressions contain rich lines. The film artist George, freely swaying his talents in the audience's pursuit. However, he didn't speak, even if he was electrocuted, even if his wife desperately threw the newspaper in front of him on the puppy who was in love with him, he refused to speak.
The acquaintance with Miller came from a crowd of fans and reporters. To pick up the handbag that fell on the ground, Miller unexpectedly avoided the isolation of the police and stood with the big star George. The next day's media was filled with inquiries: "Who's that girl?" This ignorant girl , from the star chasers to the KINGGRAPH film industry where George works, starting from the trick, and can't even care if his name is misspelled.
In 1929, it was the cardamom age of the talkies. Because Miller is beautiful, young, and has sound, she has become the "beautiful focus" of the theater; and George, he firmly believes that only silent movies are art; if movies have sound, what is the difference from daily life ? When he saw the emergence of sound films, he immediately criticized that "the sound films are not serious". Miller joked that the audience liked her because she spoke out loud and communicated better. She feels that sound films replace silent films, such as the back waves of the Yangtze River push the front waves. And silent film actor George, said coldly, Qianlang has made way for you.
Qianlang is naturally unwilling to fail. George spent a lot of money to raise and film "Tears of Love", but the release schedule coincides with "Beautiful Focus". At the premiere, George looked at the empty seats and was extremely disappointed. The only one who shed "tears of love" was his former fan, Miller. As he walked out of the theater, there was a long line in front of him, waiting to buy tickets to watch "Beautiful Focus". The stock crash didn't come singly, throwing George into abject poverty. All his belongings were auctioned off. Following him, only a dog, a driver, and a pile of films that once accumulated his glory. The young man who accompanied Miller to visit George in the rain said, "My father is your fan," making people chuckle in misery.
"Clifton, when was the last time I paid you a salary?" "About a year ago." George, who remembered the salary, asked the driver. He had even put his costume in the pawnshop, so he had no choice but to put it down. Old drivers looking for other jobs have launched rental housing.
Lost and impoverished, George suddenly went mad while replaying old films in his rental house, knocked down the projector, tore out the film, and set it on fire. In a sea of fire, he realized that the art he regarded as life was about to turn to ashes, he nervously opened the fire, found a good film, and held it tightly in his arms until he was rescued in the hospital. It took a lot of effort to take it out of his hand." The old doctor said. The policeman who was dragged by the puppy to rescue George said, "He owes this dog a life."
Miller, who admired, loved, and paid attention to George, ignored the set and rushed to the hospital after hearing the news of the accident, telling her that the nurse in the bed even The eager visitor can only be found by turning left and right. She took George to live in her own home to recuperate. In the middle of the night, when she heard the news that George woke up, she rushed to the hospital bed in her pajamas, and hugged the artist who gave guidance, made her, and was defeated by herself.
Under the guidance of the dog, the injured George inadvertently broke into a storage room. There were piles of his belongings that were photographed to nothing. This former great artist rushed back to his burnt house in a crash and found a gun that he had kept.
"Neither he nor I." Miller, who won a co-starring opportunity for George, a silent film actor who has been obscure in the eyes of the film industry boss, went home with a flower in his arms, only to see the cover items thrown on the floor in the storage room. bed sheet. She couldn't even wait for the Clifton, who had already served her, to swerve into George's burned rental house.
"Peng." In addition to the soundtrack of the film, the voices that are scarce in silent films sound here. It wasn't the gunshot, it was Miller's car that hit the tree. He threw the gun and hugged her tightly. The musical films they performed together pointed out the development direction of sound films in that era.
Retro black and white sheet. Scarce voice. In the common audio films, why has the sound ever made people pay special attention? But those wiggly lips in silent films, do you know what they're talking about? Arguing about what? The incomparably clear voice in the nightmare gave George a splitting headache. This is the first time in the film that the audience can hear a voice other than the soundtrack. Said to be a silent film, in fact, such a voice appeared three times, including the "Peng", and the heartfelt praise of "Perfect" at the end of the musical film shooting scene and the messy voices on the set. Hearing the voice of reality amidst the incomparable depression and longing makes people feel close, deeply understands the joy of those who have watched silent films for a long time when they see sound films, and makes people understand the historical necessity that sound films will replace silent films.
Is it retro? miss? Maybe even more fun. "The Artist", a simple film, evokes the infinite warmth and nostalgia in the hearts of the old artists who have witnessed the historical changes of the film, and also blew a fresh wind into the present when they are accustomed to sound films. "The Artist" is a French film, and maybe it's because there isn't much voice dialogue that I can see the ending smoothly without spending too much effort on the subtitles.
Going home in the dark, my mind is still the black and white images and the occasional line or two that fills the entire screen. In the aftertaste of Baidu, I realized that this small film has a great background. At the end of February this year, he won five awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography at the 84th Academy Awards. In the 37th French Film Caesar Awards, he won six awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress.
A simple silent film, a legend.
Sip tea in the candle fire, meet the simple "artist", and taste the simple happiness.
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