Last Sunday, America watched French director Michel Hazanavicius of The Artist take home the Oscar for Best Picture. Rightfully so, this silent film deserved all of the recognition it received, but there is a question that lies next to this film winning this prestigious award. Did The Artist win Best Picture simply because its the first of its kind in ages?
Without any disrespect to The Artist, this question should be asked. The idea of a silent film seems rather heartwarming, as it brings you back to a classical era, which may be why it is loved by so many Americans. From the Huffington Post Karen Lawrence, a president at Sarah Lawrence college respects this film with an understanding of its purpose.
"What may seem like nostalgia or anachronism in a film made in 2011 is actually a timely parable of the disruptive effects of technology facing art and education today. The movie is at once homage to the expressive power and beauty of silent filmmaking and an exploration of both the anxieties and opportunities created in the face of technological change."
What Karen Lawrence is saying, is that maybe in the case of The Artist, less is more. She feels that there is a certain beauty to a film that uses no dialogue as apposed to a movie like Transformers that is full of technological advancements. Along with Karen Lawrence, viewers that sat in the audience The Artist reviewed the movie, and felt a bit of nostalgia as well.
In opposition to Karen Lawrence, blogger Cory Giger feels as if The Artist less of a "best picture" and more of a "gimmick," due to its lack of originality. "The Academy obviously felt moved by a unique film that brought attention to Hollywood's largely forgotten silent era." Gieger expressed. The Academy should have put is sentimentality aside, however, and viewed "The Artist" for what it really is: A gimmick with too many flaws to be called "Best Picture."
Although there is a question of whether The Artist should have received the award for Best Picture at the Academy awards, there is no question that is pays respects with a tribute to all silent films of the past.