The Artist (film)

The Artist
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMichel Hazanavicius
Written byMichel Hazanavicius
Produced byThomas Langmann
Starring
CinematographyGuillaume Schiffman
Edited by
Music byLudovic Bource
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • 15 May 2011 (2011-05-15) (Cannes)
  • 12 October 2011 (2011-10-12) (France)
Running time
100 minutes[1]
CountryFrance
Budget$15 million
Box office$133.4 million[2]

The Artist is a 2011 French[nb 1] comedy drama film[nb 2] in the style of a black-and-white silent film or part-talkie.[9][10][11][12] It was written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius, produced by Thomas Langmann and stars Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo.[13] The story takes place in Hollywood, between 1927 and 1932, and focuses on the relationship between a rising young actress and an older silent film star as silent cinema falls out of fashion and is replaced by the "talkies".

The Artist received widespread critical acclaim and won many accolades. Dujardin won Best Actor at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where the film premiered. The film was nominated for six Golden Globes, the most of any 2011 film, and won three: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Original Score, and Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Dujardin. In January 2012, it was nominated for twelve BAFTAs, the most of any film from 2011,[14] and won seven, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor for Dujardin, and Best Original Screenplay for Hazanavicius.

It was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won five,[15] including Best Picture, Best Director for Hazanavicius, and Best Actor for Dujardin, making him the first French actor ever to win in this category. It was also the first French-produced film to win Best Picture,[16] the first mainly silent film to win since 1927's Wings won at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929, the first film presented in the 4:3 aspect ratio to win since 1953's From Here to Eternity, the first black-and-white film to win since 1993's Schindler's List, though the latter contained limited colour sequences; and the first 100% black-and-white film to win since 1960's The Apartment.

In France it was nominated for ten César Awards,[17] winning six, including Best Film, Best Director for Hazanavicius, and Best Actress for Bejo. The Artist has received more awards than any other French film.[18]

  1. ^ "The Artist (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. 20 October 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  2. ^ "The Artist (2011)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  3. ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Artist". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  4. ^ "The Artists' five Oscars prompt joyous reaction in France". Los Angeles Times. 27 February 2012. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  5. ^ Thompson, Nick (27 February 2012). "How a silent, black-and-white French film won big at the Oscars". CNN. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  6. ^ Patel, Tara (27 February 2012). "Oscar Wins for 'The Artist' Mark Record for a French Film". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  7. ^ Pfanner, Eric (27 February 2012). "French Film Industry Celebrates Its Cultural Exception". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  8. ^ "Director Michel Hazanavicius Inspired By Life Of Silent Actor John Gilbert In Writing 'The Artist'". IndieWire. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Nominees & Recipients: ACE Film Editors". American Cinema Editors. Archived from the original on 24 February 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  10. ^ "Golden Globe nominations". Goldenglobes.org. Archived from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  11. ^ "The Artist (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  12. ^ 'The Artist' is artful in the way it wins you over – 3 1/2 stars Archived 23 July 2012 at archive.today Chicago Tribune
  13. ^ Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. p. 117. ISBN 978-1908215017.
  14. ^ "Silent movie The Artist leads Bafta nominations". BBC News. BBC. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  15. ^ "Martin Scorsese's Hugo leads Oscar charge with 11 nods". BBC News. BBC. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  16. ^ "Oscars 2012: Billy Crystal's back and 'The Artist' could make history". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  17. ^ "Kate Winslet to receive honorary Cesar award". BBC News. BBC. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  18. ^ Leffler, Rebecca (24 February 2012). "'The Artist' Wins 6 Cesar Awards, Including Best French Film of the Year". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Retrieved 27 February 2012.


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