A Voice from the Past

Upon the suggestion of one of my friends, I recently went to see The Artist, the nearly silent film about the transition from silent films to talkies, which came out last year. The movie was stunning from start to finish. It was a compelling story with talented actors and a new twist on the classic conflict between youth and tradition.

My favorite aspect of the movie, though, was watching how much more important movements are in silent films than in regular movies. I have always struggled with using my body on stage and so I was amazed to see how much more specific movement is when doing silent films. How do you say everything you need to say without your voice? Sure, the movements are exaggerated, but it is so much more complicated than that. Each time George Valentin moved his eyes, or adjusted his mouth, it changed every aspect of how his emotion was being perceived. Even the adjusting of a garment can change an entire character. Without words, the focus of the audience is direct towards their expressions and the way they use their body and so it becomes exponentially more important.

I wonder how many times they had to shoot each scene to get each detail just right. Maybe their skill comes from the fact that the stars of the movie are both dancers, but I was captivated by how aware of their bodies they were. I personally aspire to develop this sense of self-awareness and hope to learn more about the techniques of silent films.

~Julie