The Artist is an indisputable masterpiece

Winner of five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, seven BAFTAs, including Best Picture, Best Actor - Jean Dujardin and Director - Michel Hazanavicius. Also winner of three Golden Globe Awards: Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Performance By An Actor(Musical or Comedy) and Best Score; and six César Awards, including Best Film, Best Director for Hazanavicius and Best Actress for Bejo. It was the first largely silent film to win Best Picture since the first Academy Awards.

An indisputable masterpiece

It is an indisputable masterpiece that gives you everything you ever wanted from film and much more.

From its imaginative concept to its exquisite visualisation, The Artist is a rare gem that is honest in its telling and filled with undeniable and overwhelming passion from director Michael Hazanavicius, his creative team and actors.

French writer-director Hazanavicius beautifully captures the world of the 1920s and the era of silent films; the gritty realism of his narrative and vision is so accurate and authentic that it is difficult to distinguish between the truth of the fictional reality and the real thing.

Glorious moments

At times you have to really convince yourself that you aren't watching an archival classic made in the 20s; there are some glorious moments when Hazanavicius reminds us that we are actually watching a contemporary film and vividly uses sound and image to snap us out of this magical illusion.

His casting is perfect. Jean Dugardin is truly magnificent as George Valentin, a silent superstar who refuses to be seduced by the allure of talking films; it is astonishing how Dugardin manages to be the real thing and not try to impersonate stars of that era. The belief he instils in his character is reflected through his meticulous performance, captures the bewilderment of a dreamer who has to face the reality of a dilemma that threatens his existence. The film uniquely tells the story from his point of view - a smug-and-arrogant star who only knows a world in which silence is golden and refuses to listen to the giant voice of the impending sound era.

The Artist also deals with ageing stars who become worthless and fade into oblivion when their glory is hijacked by youthful starlets.

Bérénice Béjo is unforgettable as Peppy Miller and sparkles as a vivacious nobody who becomes the flavour of the day and also the object of Valentin's affections. This sparks an endearing and passionate romance that unashamedly celebrates (and encapsulates) the great love stories that have captured the hearts and imaginations of film audiences since the dawn of cinema.

The chemistry between Dugardin and Béjo is outstanding; they manage realistically to convey the happiness, sadness and wonder of their connection in silence, allowing their emotions to tell the story without sound.

Adorable Dog

Then there's The Dog, performed by Uggy, an adorable and heroic mutt that truly steals the film and is guaranteed to garner several new fans.

The impact of the film is also heightened by Ludovic Bource's haunting original music score that gloriously reflects the mood and atmosphere of the period and underscores the emotions of the story and characters. Guillaume Schiffman's cinematography vividly illuminates the realm of a black and white world and production designer

Laurence Bennett's recreation of the 20s is remarkable, well supported by Mark Bridges' radiant costumes.

Equally significant is Anne-Sophie Bion and Hazanavicius' superb editing, which contributes to the pace and tempo, and the visual effects by David Danesi, Philippe Aubry and Laurent Brett is mind-blowing.

The greatness of The Artist is not only due to its uniqueness, but also its ability to tell a story that is entertaining, humourous, and heartbreaking without pretention; a story (and characters) that you will remember and take home with you.

Make sure to see The Artist. It will change the way that you see film. It will be showing nationwide from 16 March.

Behind the scenes

"The silent movie is an emotional cinema, it's sensorial; the fact that you don't go through a text brings you back to a basic way of telling a story that only works on the feelings you have created. It's a fascinating way to work," said director Michel Hazanavicius. Read more at www.writingstudio.co.za/page3971.html.

Best Actor

Best Actor Oscar went to Jean Dujardin, making him the only performer to earn an Oscar for a silent-film role since the first year of the awards 83 years ago. A highlight for him during filming was "coming out of the premiere at the Orpheum Theater, at the beginning of the film. It was the evening at Warner's ... the sets, the crowd, the flashes, the faces of the extras, the music going full blast, the 20s' cars, the cops. I was in an old movie, I was in the picture!" Read more about The Artist and an interview with Dujardin at www.writingstudio.co.za/page3971.html.

Rating 5/5