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| Go see the movie The Artist |
During the year we saw Midnight In Paris and The Help, and yesterday we had a little afternoon delight and stole away too see The Artist. Alberto did not understand why anyone would want to see a silent film (filmed in black and white no less), but I convinced him he would not be disappointed. I had been following the buzz about this film, and it did very well at The Golden Globes a couple of weeks ago.
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| The Artist wins big at the 2012 Golden Globes |
As a young person, I worked in an entry level job at The Museum of Modern Art in the Film Department (now called the Film and Media Dept.). It was my first encounter with silent movies. I didn't LOVE them at first. But as time passed and I was educated under the tutelage of curator Mary Corliss (her husband Richard Corliss is now the film critic for Time Magazine), and the entire Film Dept. staff at MOMA. As a result the genre became dear to me. It was amazing to have great silent film stars like Lillian Gish and Greta Garbo, who were still alive then, sometimes visit the Film Dept.
The Artist is an incredible combination of today's technology juxtaposed with what was then the incredible technology of the early movie making era of the silent film. It is hardly silent, with the evocative acting, the excellent camera work, the fantastic sets and costumes, and extraordinary music scored expertly for this film.
The Artist is a masterful study in black and white, sure to inspire all you visual vamps. The sets are fabulous and Oscar worthy. The costumes equally so.
Homage is paid to so many familiar cinematic touchstones. You will be reminded of Singing In The Rain, the real life story of Greta Garbo and John Gilbert, Sunset Blvd., any 42nd Street style movie musical, A Star Is Born, and the great Astaire Rogers films of the 1930's. Add to that an adorable terrier that reminds one of all the great Hollywood dogs, especially Asta from the Thin Man series.
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| Singing In The Rain |
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| Greta Garbo and John Gilbert, great silent film stars and lovers, with director Clarence Brown - Garbo talked, and Gilbert tanked when sound came to the movies |
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| Gloria Swanson, a super star of silent movies, in Sunset Blvd. in 1950 |
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| Janet Gaynor in A Star Is Born (the 1937 version) |
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| Ginger Rogers in dark shorts in the movie 42nd Street, and in feathers with Fred Astaire |
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| Asta with his co-stars Myrna Loy and William Powell |
Everyone in the theater the afternoon we saw The Artist looked like they were in their 100's, perhaps old enough to have gone to silent movies in their heyday. Alberto and I felt like we were the youngsters in the crowd, even though it was 100 years ago when I worked at MOMA.
So if you are a movie lover, go see The Artist. I think it will win quite a few Oscars. We plan to see The Descendants next. I could pass on the 911 movie (Incredibly Close...). I want to see Hugo because our set designer friend Helen Britten said it is a marvel. We wanted to see Moneyball when it came out, so I hope they put it on the big screen again for Oscar season. War Horse should be interesting, and the tour de force of the genius Terrence Malick, The Tree Of Life, will be a challenge, but I am sure worthwhile.
Do yourself a favor and get out to the movies. See a film on the big screen with a group of people you don't know, who by the end of a good film, become less than strangers by sharing that warm and fuzzy and uplifting feeling that blankets everyone in the audience.
And if you haven't seen the films in the images above, do yourself a favor and find them on DVD, or on Turner Classic Movies, or at an art house showing classic films in your city.
And please do tell us what you think of the movies you see!!!
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Valorie - I haven't seen the artist but want to.
ReplyDeleteI loved The Descendents even though I'm not a huge George Clooney fan - I just really enjoyed every minute of this slow film. The Help was a decent movie but not Oscar-worthy, same goes for Midnight in Paris. I'm really disappointed by the Best Movie Oscar nominees this year - some of the movies on the list, while good, were just average movies. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was a fantastic, complex, involving movie which has almost been completely ignored. I think the Academy have really messed things up this year and may be losing a bit of credibility with some of these questionable Best Movie nominees.
Sunset Boulevard is in my Top Ten all time favourite movies - I didn't know it was based on Garbo/Gilbert.
I saw The Artist this week - great stuff VV.
ReplyDeleteAlso with a very mature audience.
I don't normally go cinemas but made an exception for this one.
Have a good weekend!
xxx
Hi jlonit,
ReplyDeleteThe marvelous movie Sunset Blvd. was not based on the Garbo/Gilbert story (Gilbert not having the voice for sound and losing his stardom and career, and Garbo going onto becoming a super star of "talkies").
In Sunset Blvd. Gloria Swanson played Norma Desmond a once great silent film star, now a recluse, a very wealthy recluse.
Billy Wilder the director leaves it up to us to decide if she left making movies, much like George Valentin did in The Artist, because she abhorred the new medium, or because she was discarded. In Sunset Blvd. she tries for a comeback, with tragic results.
I included a round up images in this post that reminded me of movies about the silent era, and movie stars from that time, and Asta thrown in for good measure :-) The dog Rin Tin Tin was a star of the silent era, who also had a huge career in sound films :-)
The Ginger and Fred images illustrate where movie making was headed after the silent era, just as it did in The Artist.
As ever, thanks for leaving a comment.
xo xo
We have got to get busy & see some of these also. I wanted to share a 15 minute short that is nominated for an Oscar. Two former students from the high school I work at were involved in making this film (mom works at our 9th grade campus). It is a combination of actual sets, digital and claymation (I think). Here is the link: http://www.moonbotstudios.com/ It should come up immediately, it is The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore. I think it is amazing! Just wanted to share.
ReplyDeleteI heard a group of ladies raving about The Artist on Thurs. and as I really don't care for these ladies (they are so unfriendly) I didn't give it much thought as a must see, but I do trust you (and like you, you're friendly) so while I don't really see movies out, my dancing partner and I have such different tastes... I may blackmail him into it.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely on my list! I can't wait - thanks for whetting my appetite!
ReplyDeleteWent to see it last weekend and loved it!
ReplyDeleteWe went to see it last weekend and loved it. It reminded me so much of the Fred Astaire/Gingrr Rodgers films that my parents adored. I read an interesting article in vanity fare about the costume and set design and the philosophy.
ReplyDelete