The Artist (2011)

When I first started watching the film, knowing it was a silent film, I wasn’t too sure what to expect as it was in black and white and silent. I didn’t know whether I’d be able to understand what was going on without dialogue, however it turned out to be quite easy to understand due to Jean Dujardin’s great performance with clear expression. The film is about a famous silent film actor George Valentin (played by Jean Dujardin) who introduces Poppy Millar (played by Bérénice Bejo) to the industry. When “talkies” became more popular George Valentin is now seen as a washed-up silent film actor whilst Poppy thrives as a new face to the industry. George has to navigate his new life with his dog. I didn’t think I would enjoy a silent film, however I did quite enjoy it. It was a good storyline and easy to follow, the characters were very likeable. I felt sympathy for the main character George when things changed for him which made me root for him and Poppy was presented as a friendly loveable character. I liked how it was in black and white and silent surprisingly; I thought it set the film well in the time it was set in, it helped me understand how the films were like then which was good as it showed the types of films George was filming which helped me to connect more to the characters. I enjoyed watching certain significant scenes such as the dream sequence as it was important to see and feel how George felt in that moment. The film was made using powerful techniques with diegetic and non-diegetic sound, the rare use of diegetic sound in a silent film allows the audience to understand the changes throughout the film and connect to the main characters. I would rate this film 4/5 due to my own preference of the types of films I enjoy. However overall, it was a good film, and I would recommend it to others who are interested in films but specifically films that have unique and powerful techniques.