Review of The Artist (2011) by Citizencharlie — 11 Jan 2012
George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) has a dream halfway through The Artist with real sound. He sets a glass down on the table and it makes a noise. The phone rings, the dog barks, and it all sounds so harsh and shrill.
Both George and the audience wait for George to wake up and end these horrible noises. Please, take us back to the wonderful world of silent film in black and white whose only sound is the soothing cinematic orchestral score.
Yes, The Artist is silent. The actors are moving their mouths but only every now and then does a dialogue screen pop up for the audience to read. The effect of this throwback is a mesmerizing masterpiece.
Just as Hugo was homage to the earliest films and George Melies, The Artist celebrates the late 1920s silent film era and appears so accurate it most likely could have been released in 1927. The giveaway is that everybody in the movie theater on screen is smoking.
This review of The Artist (2011) was written by Citizencharlie on 11 Jan 2012.
The Artist has generally received very positive reviews.
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