The Oscars 2012: silent film The Artist wins best picture - first in 83 years

[wfgodot]

Okay, first, I don't own a TV so I'm just following tweets on this. And, second, I have never seen any of the films nominated this year. But I am glad Meryl Streep did win Best Actress!

'The Artist' earns best-picture, lead-actor Oscars

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Academy Awards voters have spoken up for "The Artist," the first silent film to triumph at Hollywood's highest honors since the original Oscar ceremony 83 years ago.

The black-and-white comic melodrama took four prizes Sunday, including best picture, actor for Jean Dujardin and director for Michel Hazanavicius. Not since the World War I saga "Wings" was named outstanding picture at the first Oscars in 1929 had a silent film earned the top prize.
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Thoughts about this year's winners, from anyone more qualified than me to give them? (That would include any- and everyone here, lol.)

 

[shana]

I'm no more qualified than you, except to say that my sister told me about the two main wins well before they were awarded: Meryl Streep for Best Actress and The Artist for Best Picture. She's just so smart...or psychic! <g>

Seriously, I do believe these were not surprise wins.

Glad for Streep too...she's the best!

~jmo~

 

[wfgodot]

Just from reading, I kinda-sorta figured a snob appeal pic like "The Artist" might well win. (Not saying it shouldn't have; haven't seen it, after all! I do know that, in a theater, silent films can be hugely powerful - while the town I live in is generally neither fit for man nor beast, it does have an old, lovingly reclaimed-and-maintained, movie theater, where I saw Buster Keaton's great silent comedy, "The General," along with live musical accompaniment. Great stuff. So maybe "snob appeal" isn't quite the right term.)

 

[foryourwine]

Saw The Artist. Didn't like it, really. I think it won simply because it's the first silent film in so long. JMO

 

[Nova]

Saw The Artist. Didn't like it, really. I think it won simply because it's the first silent film in so long. JMO

I am really happy for Streep. After she won two Oscars at such a young age, I think there was a feeling of "Hey, let's pass these around a little", a sentiment I'm sure she shared.

But 29 years later, after additional nominations but no wins, the non-wins had become a bigger story than her two Oscars in her 20s. I'm glad she has another Oscar now and we won't have to hear that she has set some sort of record for most consecutive nominations without a victory.