By Spencer Ball
Staff Writer
The Statue of Liberty is often thought of as an American symbol that represents freedom and, as the name suggests, liberty; however, the monumental structure was not even designed by an American, but by Frédéric Bartholdi, a frenchman.
The Academy Awards are also an American tradition, and this year The Artist received the award for Best Motion Picture. Unlike the Statue of Liberty, The Artist is not a physical monument, but a figurative one.
One thing that they both have in common, is they are both of French origin.
The Artist also won Best Actor (Jean Dujardin) and Best Director (Michel Hazanavicious).
What makes The Artist such a great movie? It is the fact that it was able to hold an enthralling story for only 100 minutes, with less than 10 words being spoken.
The film takes place in the late 20s to the early 30s and revolves around the dying silent film industry. George Valentin (Dujardin) is a rich and famous silent film actor who finds himself losing everything.
There is a scene where Dujardin’s character realizes that he is finished in the film industry and he keeps on screaming at a mirror, but no sounds come out. The acting in the scene was outstanding.
Also, in the opening scene, scenes from a fictional silent film in the movie called A Russian Affair are shown at a large amphitheater. When the film ends, Dujardin’s pompous character bursts onto the stage, and the crowd goes wild.
When this happens, you would often expect to hear a roar of applause, but I was caught off guard when the theatre remained silent.
The acting by the supporting cast was phenomenal as well. Even the pet dog that Dujardin’s character owned contributed by saving the actor’s life and career in the film.
The music in the film also helped shape the interactions between characters. Most of the songs were composed by Ludovic Bource, and had a jazzy feel to them. When a person was raging, they would play suspenseful sounds that caused great suspense and feeling in the viewer.
The Artist was a very pleasant surprise. I went into the theaters thinking it would be the most boring thing I have ever seen, but, as I have stated above, it is obvious I had a misconception.
We should give thanks to the French for all of their wonderful gifts, especially the bikini.
