Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.
- What does the title of The Artist tell us about its main characters and themes?
- What role do the media—such as newspaper and radio—play in the film?
- Aside from the intertitles, where else do we see the written word in the film, and how do those moments aid in the development of plot or character?
- How does the film approach issues of gender? Is it significant that Peppy (as a woman) surpasses George (a man) in terms of fame and cultural relevance?
- What can the characters' clothing tell us about them?
- What are some of the ways that the film uses lighting to demonstrate mood or theme?
- What does fame mean to the characters in The Artist?
- How do the lines not written in intertitles (the ones we have to lip-read) contribute to the plot and mood of The Artist?
- Would it be possible to shoot a version of The Artist—with the same plot, themes and characters—as a sound film? If you were asked to remake The Artist using sound, how would you do it? What would it look like?