The Artist Film Analysis

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The Artist is a delicately crafted love letter to the era of silent film. Hazanavicius managed to blend the traditional and the contemporary, a challenging endeavor, which the lead character of the film himself struggles with. In the ever-evolving world of art, creators are forced to adapt, or risk fading into obscurity. Technology may seem to be the antithesis of tradition, but as proven both by the plot of the movie and its technical execution, they are both necessary in creating a truly revolutionary work of art. In this film, George represents the traditional. He is the beloved silent film star, a household name, who resists change and loses everything. Peppy, his counterpart, embraces the “talkies”. It’s this modern open-mindedness that …show more content…

To begin with, the opening shot of the film is George’s mouth, agape in a silent scream. In fact, the majority of screaming mouths shown belong to George. Given the format of the film, we never actually hear him (or anyone) exclaim throughout the entirety of the movie. However, when you take into account George’s obscurity as a result of his resistance to the technological advancements of his time, it becomes clear that this is a metaphor for his emotional state. He feels that he is not heard, and before his attempted suicide, he is haunted by visions of disembodied mouths. Another common theme is the filmmakers use of mirrors. Mirrors may be intended for reflecting on your physical appearance, but the characters in The Artist use them to reflect on more internal issues. Every time Peppy looks in a mirror to apply her beauty mark, she is forced to acknowledge where she got her start. She can’t get ready without being reminded of George. During George’s decline, after he sells all of his belongings, we see him drinking at a bar. He looks down onto a mirror-top bar counter, and pours his drink onto it, obscuring his reflection. He can no longer stand to see his own reflection, not because of his appearance, but because he feels that he has failed. This is George at his lowest, without his career, wife, belongings, or friends (aside from Uggy). By destroying this image of him, George is saying that he does not recognize

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