Member review

When first watching the film, my initial pre-assumption was that it would be extremely slapstick and comedic likewise to Charlie Chaplin films however I was surprised to find that the film had a deeper meaning to the narrative other than slapstick comedy. The Artist explored the world of silent film in a completely un-presidented way and used a range of non-diegetic and diegetic sound techniques to present this deeper meaning. Sound being a clear focus of the film for the narrative alongside the character development like Peppy’s becoming rich quickly and effectively and the main character’s progression in the eventual discovery of diegetic sound rather than the usual non diegetic sound in silent films.

The plot follows the character development of a film maker with many fans who falls in love with a normal girl named Peppy who experiences the life of fame and fortune in an abbreviated time span. In some parts of the narrative, it was hard to follow due to the lack of sound therefore the narrative can be hard to follow in times where diegetic sound could complete the sequence in a non-complicated fashion however it does stick to silent film conventions throughout the film.

In summary I did not enjoy the film. However, this is not because the production of the film or plot was not well thought out it was mainly because I do not enjoy silent films personally, I prefer the modern style of filmmaking and am not a fan of slapstick comedy as a whole

One of my favorite scenes in the whole film was the dream sequence where the main character begins to discover sound and begins to physically start panicking in a sequence of camera shots and emotions being thrown at the audience to reflect the Panic of the main character when hearing diegetic sound for the first time.

In conclusion I would recommend this silent media product to others because I feel like it is important for everyone interested in film to understand and analyse where it all started, and the origin of crucial techniques used in the industry today. Although I do not like the film necessarily, I would personally recommend the film to people who are interested in the conventions and connotations of film techniques and other aspects which convey emotion and information to the audience silently and how. I know that there is a certain group of people who would certainly enjoy silent films therefore it is important ot experience one of the most influential and well-known silent films in the history of film.