The Artist, winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture of 2011, is charming, delightful and unforgettable. It now arrives on Blu-ray with a flawless transfer, wonderful sound (albeit almost entirely dialog-free) and an entertaining array of extras. It is a film which celebrates the history of Hollywood, and one which every lover of the cinema should see. It boasts a marvelous cast, gorgeous sets, outstanding music, and one of the most amusing and captivating performances by a dog even seen in a film.
The Artist
Studio: Sony/The Weinstein Company
Year: 2011
Rated: PG-13
Program Length: 100 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 1080p Black & White
Languages: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
The Program
Why do you refuse to talk?
The Artist, winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture of 2011, is charming, delightful and unforgettable. It now arrives on Blu-ray with a flawless transfer, wonderful sound (albeit almost entirely dialog-free) and an entertaining array of extras. It is a film which celebrates the history of Hollywood, and one which every lover of the cinema should see. It boasts a marvelous cast, gorgeous sets, outstanding music, and one of the most amusing and captivating performances by a dog even seen in a film.
The year is 1927. and silent film actor George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is the toast of Tinseltown. On the screen he plays a masked crime fighter who is assisted by a remarkable and resourceful canine. He is the undisputed star for the Kinograph Motion Picture Company, run by studio head Al Zimmer (John Goodman). The Artist opens at the premiere of George's last movie, "A Russian Affair." And what a premiere it is, taking place in one of Hollywood's finest movie palaces with musical accompaniment by a live orchestra. Afterwards George steps out onto the sidewalk, where he is greeted by adoring fans, newsmen and photographers. A young woman who has made her way to the front of the restraining rope accidentally drops her purse on the sidewalk. When she bends down to retrieve it, she loses her balance and bumps into George. He stares at her momentarily and then bursts into laughter. He then poses for photos with her, and the story of the "mystery woman" is on the front page of Variety the next morning.
The woman, we come to learn, is a vivacious and ambitious dancer named Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo). The next morning she arrives at the Kinograph studios for an audition with the issue of Variety in her hands. After an energetic display of dancing she is selected to be an extra in George's newest film. Later in the day George spots her while she is practicing her steps, and he is happy to see her again. Unfortunately for Peppy, studio honcho Zimmer is annoyed because the photographs of her with George knocked the coverage of "A Russian Affair" off the front page. Zimmer wants her off the set, but George intervenes and Peppy remains in the film. She and George are immediately attracted to one another, but George is married to Doris (Penelope Ann Miller). Doris and George live in opulence, but their relationship has soured and she is not happy to see the photos of her husband and Peppy in Variety. There is a wonderfully sensuous scene when Peppy goes into George's dressing room to thank him. He is not there, but she approaches his jacket, hanging on a coat rack, and almost brings it to life.
By 1929 Peppy has managed to carve out a successful career, but major changes in the film industry are looming. One day Zimmer invites George in a screening room to see a test screening for a sound film - a "talkie." George watches it for a few minutes with dismissive amusement, but the studio has seen the handwriting on the wall. When Kinograph decides to shut down production of silent films, George decides to produce and direct a film of his own. His timing could not have been worse. Audiences are no longer interested in silent films, and several days before the premiere of George's film the stock market crashes.
We have, of course, seen variations on this theme before - Singin' in the Rain, for example. But The Artist is not just a film about silent films - it is a silent film about silent films, and it helps us to appreciate just how wonderful the silent film era was. Jean Dujardin won the Academy Award for Best Actor and Michel Hazanavicius deservedly took home the Oscar for Best Director. Bérénice Bejo's delightful performance as Peppy garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and John Goodman is perfectly cast as the studio chief. The able supporting cast includes James Cromwell, Malcolm McDowell, Missi Pyle, and Ed Lauter. Astonishingly, there were news reports about filmgoers demanding refunds because The Artist has virtually no dialog - which just goes to prove that some people have no idea what they are missing. If you love the movies - and you must love them, or you would not be reading this - buy this Blu-ray, sit back, and savor it as often as you like.
The Video
The Artist is properly framed at 1.33:1 to approximate the experience of seeing a vintage silent film. The black and white images composed by cinematographer Guillaume Schiffman are striking and memorable, and his use of lighting is a wonder to behold. One unforgettable scene was shot at the Bradbury Building, a unique structure with an open atrium which was built in 1893 and has been restored to its original glory. Savvy viewers will note that the images in the screening room scene clearly were influenced by Citizen Kane. Other scenes were shot at vintage movie palaces and real period-piece mansions (including one once owned by Mary Pickford) in Hollywood. The picture is sharp, but not overly so, which good contrast and excellent shadow detail. Black levels are not as deep as one might anticipate, but remember that The Artist is recreating the look of a film from the Twenties, not a film noir from the Fifties. Special note should be made of the exceptional costumes, which won an Academy Award for designer Mark Bridges.
Readers of this review are well advised to take a look at the amusing comments by our resident expert, Robert Harris.
The Audio
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio is exceptional. As noted, there is virtually no dialog, but the Academy Award-winning original score by composer Ludovic Bource is catchy and does a terrific job of capturing the sound and feel of the Roaring Twenties. Music was an essential element of the silent film experience, and this soundtrack is certainly worthy of all the praise it has received. In addition to Bource's original music, The Artist also incorporates pieces by Bernard Herrmann, Max Steiner, Franz Waxman, Cole Porter, and Johannes Brahms.
There are occasional highly effective sound effects which will not be described here so as to avoid any spoilers.
The Supplements
The Blu-ray of The Artist contains a number of enjoyable and informative extras.
"The Artist: The Making of an American Romance" is a 22-minute "making of" featurette which includes comments by many members of the cast and crew and incorporates some footage and still photos of vintage silent films.
A Q&A session with the director and most of the principal actors has a running time of approximately 45 minutes. It was conducted at a theater in Los Angeles, but judging from the dress of the participants it was not the film's premiere.
"Hollywood as a Character: The Locations of The Artist" is perhaps my favorite extra. It takes us to the principal locations in Hollywood and provides background information about each. One interesting tidbit is that one of the scenes shows Jean Dujardin sleeping and sitting up in Mary Pickford's actual bed.
"The Artisans Behind The Artist" introduces us to Production Designer Laurence Bennett, Cinematographer Guillaume Schiffman, Costume Designer Mark Bridges, and Composer Ludovic Bource.
I am not a big fan of blooper reels, but two minutes of outtakes are included.
Also included are trailers for In the Land of Blood & Honey; Salmon Fishing in the Yemen; Tonight You're Mind; Bel Ami; My Week With Marilyn; and The Iron Lady.
The Packaging
The single disc comes in a standard Blu-ray keep case. There also is a sturdy outer sleeve which opens to reveal a few still photos from the film. Also included are instructions for downloading an UltraViolet copy of the film and information about how to enter a sweepstakes for a trip to Hollywood.
The Final Analysis
The Artist is one of the most enjoyable films I have seen in recent memory, and it is inspiring me to take another look at some of the silent films which I have in my collection. If you have avoided it because you believe that you do not like silent films, I encourage you to think again. This film is guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face and some extra spring in your step.
Equipment used for this review:
Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player
Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specification by Gregg Loewen
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: June 26, 2012