When was the last time you saw a silent, black and white, 4:3 aspect ratio film? For most of you, the answer is probably never. When was the last silent, black and white, 4:3 aspect ratio film made? Actually you might be surprised 2011. I just saw The Artist
, a silent, black and white, 4:3 aspect ratio film made in 2011. It went under my radar for the most part, and I'm a movie buff. I found out about it after watching the Grouchies, or the Oscars for those of you who can't get my jokes. Best picture you may know. Well I saw it, and while it didn't really do it for my grandpa who prefers talkies, I really liked it.See I'm not the most buffy of silent movie buffs, nor could I name any by title, but I enjoy watching one when it's on Turner Classic Movie. They're on there every so often, and I enjoy them. Now the Artist follows the formula for silent film perfectly...Yeah perfectly. It has a musical accompaniment, aka it has music in the background so it isn't dead silence. It had it's dead silence points, but that would be like when the orchestra was changing music. No voices or actual set sound until the end and a small nightmare scene. And what really made it so, when important pieces of "dialog" were "said," there would be an old fashion dialog card that would cut the scene. The black and white, 4:3 aspect ratio, and the opening title card with the credits at the beginning like in the old days was a nice touch as well. It would have been really nice if the movie was shot on actual black and white film, but unless HD black and white film exists, this I could tell was a post conversion monochrome. Really, I know my black and white films on big screens, and even on small screens there isn't that much detail. I could be wrong, but that's just me being picky. The filming technique, whatever it was, worked for this throwback to the old days. Quick mention of the sets and costumes, amazing. It looked like the real stuff I see in history stock footage.
Now I would talk about the story, but to do that I first need to talk about the acting, which was phenomenal. To act in silence is incredibly hard. I've done some mime, and it is so much easier to talk. Aside from the dialog cards, which were few and far between, the only way for the actors to get their point across was to basically mime it. A term used in the movie was "mugging the camera," and while I don't fully know what that means, I'm sure it has something to do with the actors of the silent movies basically acting out the entire show with minimal words, and even then there was no feeling of emotion in the words aside from facial expressions. Anyways, the actors carried this amazingly. They didn't need words to tell what was going on. Everything was known by their actions. Sure their lips would move, but that didn't always include a word card, and we didn't always need it. Sometimes it would have been nice to know exactly what they said, but based on the situation, it was easy enough to know what was going on. Plus there were many scenes with just one actor in them, and unless they're like me, they aren't talking to themselves, so dialog isn't necessary. It was just amazing.
Then there was the dog. That dog, was so well trained, it was unbelievable. If there was an academy award for animals, he would get it. It knew where to be at just the right moment and do exactly what it needed to do. The best case to compare to is Lassy. If you know Lassy, think that performance but with a different breed and smaller. There were actually scenes where the dog carried the entire scene, and the humans were just the supporting actors, and not in the "air buddies" way where the dog is talking or some crap like that. The dog was acting in manners similar to a dog but would be almost human like, if that makes seance. Think Lassy is all I have to further explain.
So now finally the story, which fits quite well with the make of this film. It's about a movie actor who is a star of the silent films. He is mister silent film. Then come the talkies. He says he doesn't need sound, the people come to see me, not hear me. All the while, this up and coming actress, who got her start as an extra in one of his films, is the big thing in all the talkies. She is America's sweet heart, and the voice of film. I can't possibly go further into detail because that would spoil it.
Now this movie isn't for everyone. It will definitely not appeal to the lowest common denominators that look for sex and explosions. It won't appeal to kids who can't read or won't stand for reading in entertainment. It will confuse those who must be told what's going on. It won't appeal to people who just can't appreciate silent film. I'm not trying to be rude, but it's the truth. I'm trying to save you money. This film is amazing, but it's not for everyone. If you don't meet any of the above mentioned, you will most likely enjoy this movie, and if nothing else, appreciate it for what it's worth. And don't let the PG-13 rating deter you if you're like that. It would be PG-13 if there were such a thing back in 1929, but aside from 1 damn, a middle finger, and a near but failed suicide, this film has no objectionable content. Maybe something could be interpreted as such, but because it requires interpretation and isn't just told, it can mean many things.
Now before I sign off, I really wish that the main guys one talking line at the end was a little more satisfying. Intrigued? Well go buy it.
This has been Pokematic signing off and bu-bye.
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