Academy Award for Best Picture

2011

The Artist

Release dates

May 15, 2011 

(Cannes)

October 12, 2011 

(France)

Starring

Jean Dujardin

Bérénice Bejo

The Artist is a 2011 French romantic comedy-drama film in the style of a black-and-white silent film. It was written, directed, and co-edited by Michel Hazanavicius, produced by Thomas Langmann and starred Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo. The story takes place in Hollywood, between 1927 and 1932, and focuses on the relationship of an older silent film star and a rising young actress as silent cinema falls out of fashion and is replaced by the "talkies".

The Artist received highly positive reviews from critics and won many accolades. Dujardin won the Best Actor Award 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, the film was nominated for twelve BAFTAs, also the most of any film from 2011,] and won seven, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Hazanavicius, and Best Actor for Dujardin.

It was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture for Langmann, Best Director for Hazanavicius, and Best Actor for Dujardin, making him the first French actor ever to win for Best Actor. It was also the first French film to ever win Best Picture, and the first mainly silent film to win since 1927's Wings won at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929. It was also the first film presented in the 4:3 aspect ratio to win since 1955's Marty. Additionally, it was the first black-and-white film to win since 1993's Schindler's List, though that film contained limited color sequences; it was the first 100% black-and-white film to win since 1960's The Apartment.

In France it was nominated for ten César Awards, winning six, including Best Film, Best Director for Hazanavicius and Best Actress for Bejo. The Artist became the most awarded French film in history.