The Artist: Magical return to silent film

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 29 December 2011 14:18

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a new film about early Hollywood, The Artist.

At moments in the magical new film The Artist, Jean Dujardin registers such tragedy in his eyes that conventional dialogue would get in the way. This captivating actor, in a performance free of speech yet filled with intensity, reminds us that the essence of effective motion pictures is what we see and feel, not necessarily what we must hear. Movies are a visual experience.

This beautifully crafted, unique film, celebrates the history of cinema by recreating one of its most pivotal periods. Dujardin plays George Valentin, a big star at the top of his profession, who effortlessly uses his craft to excite audiences. One day on the set, while shooting his latest production, he accidentally falls in love with a dancer. Little does he know, as he follows his heart to pursue the relationship, that the professional world around him is about to change when talking pictures begin to captivate the movie industry.

This awkward transition from “silent” to “talkies” ends many careers when performers comfortable with mime on screen cannot adapt to the demands of spoken dialogue. Valentin, like many actual silent movie heroes, loses touch with his audience and begins to personally and professionally decline just as the object of his new romance becomes a big star. With this storyline, the film suggests the celebrated Hollywood musical, Singin’ in the Rain, which also recreates the transition from silent to talking pictures, while Valentin’s descent into professional oblivion resembles another classic tale, A Star Is Born. And, to underscore the climactic sequence of The Artist, director Michel Hazanavicius borrows from the classic music score of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo.

In content and stylistic approach, The Artist emerges as an ultimate tribute to Hollywood mystique, from its dream-like remembrance of the magic of silent movies to its sympathetic treatment of how stars deal with the transition to sound. The film doesn’t simply celebrate the early days of the industry, it uses the conventions of silent cinema to tell the story. As with the classics of the era, the characters in The Artist do not speak, nor does the narrative rely on dialogue. The actors mime, use a range of facial expressions, mug on cue and tell complete stories through their eyes. Dujardin’s face registers a full emotional range of love, accomplishment, disappointment and despair while Berenice Bejo is a radiant joy as his love interest and John Goodman is strong as the studio boss.

Central to the magic of The Artist is the bold decision to use the language of the silent film to tell its story of a silent movie star. While, initially, this approach could look like a gimmick, within moments you should be totally captivated by a work bold enough to create its own way to speak. No words are needed in The Artist’s special world. All we need to savor this experience are the actors’ expressions enhanced by dramatic photography, detailed production design and the innovative use of music. And The Artist offers them all.

Film Nutritional Value

The Artist

* Content: High. The Artist takes us to the heart of the movie industry when silent films were making the transition to talkies.

* Entertainment: High. By using the conventions of silent films to tell the story — without dialogue — The Artist thrives in the very approach it celebrates.

* Message: High. When filmmakers dare to express their creativity, the results can dazzle and astound.

* Relevance: High. Any opportunity to savor such creative work on screen is always relevant.

* Opportunity for Dialogue: High. After you share this film, talk with your children about how movies have changed since the silent era, and how they are still the same.

(The Artist is rated PG-13 and runs 101 minutes.)

5 Popcorn Buckets