Maybe for the first time all year, you’ve got enough free time to get out and see a movie. Over the break, we’ll provide occasional “quick takes” on movies we’ve seen, briefly covering what we liked, what we didn’t like, and whether it’s worth your time and money. Today: The Artist.
The trailer for The Artist shows the movie for what it is: a silent film. No dialogue, no sound effects, no color. It's a story of a debonair Hollywood star, George Valentin, struggling through the transition from silent films to talkies.
There aren't many folks left who grew up watching silent films. For most of us, movies from this era don't resonate the way they did when they were new. The acting looks melodramatic, the onscreen text seems silly, and the quality of film is far worse than what we're used to. It's still possible to enjoy a silent movie, as it's still possible to use a typewriter, but in both cases there's something quaint, something retro about it. Most of us will never watch The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and feel it as freshly as it was felt when it debuted.
