Award show season, is a time recognize the film industry and to praise for the magic of movies. The Oscars especially are a celebration of film as a complex art form, necessitating tens of nomination categories that acknowledge the intricate components of production and post-production. It’s easy to forget that the main award shows, the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards are not people’s choice competition; rather, it is an industry event that recognizes the film aesthetic.
This year, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences chose The Artist and Hugo as their favorite films of the year. Both movies each received ten nominations and took home five wins. The Artist won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Score and Best Costume Design. Hugo won Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing. What did these movies do to deserve such critical acclaim from the Academy?
The Academy’s 5,800 members are all well versed in film knowledge and history. Film as an art medium began at the turn of the 20th century, with silent films meeting their demise as a result of the 1927 advent of sound, or “talkies.” Since then, film has continued to evolve and develop as new waves of filmmakers have entered the industry to bring their visions to life. One aspect of film has never changed: its ability to have a lasting emotional impact on audiences.
The Artistand Hugo are two movies from 2011 that won the hearts of the Academy. Their homage to the origins of film may not have garnered wide popular support, but for those appreciative of the artistic power of movies to move their audiences in unique ways, these movies really hit home.
The Artistis a tale of two actors who find their careers and relationship influenced by the dawn of talking pictures. Popular silent star George Valentin resists the transition to sound and falls out of fame while young Peppy Miller personifies the new wave of film and makes a fortune. Similarly, Hugo pays tribute to film director Georges Melies, whose magical silent films fall out of the limelight with the arrival of sound. These films find common ground by reminding us why we go to the movies and reflecting on how far film has come as an ever-changing medium.
The inherent problem with the film industry is in its oxymoronic structure. Film as an art aesthetic was realized early on as having potential for big profits. Ever since, studios and production companies and talent agencies all compete to make the best and most lucrative movies. The conflicting nature of mixing art with business continues to affect the cultural impact of the Academy Awards. The Artist was by no means a commercially popular film, but the goal of the Academy in gifting it with Best Picture remains clear. Award shows such as the Golden Globes and the Oscars are a night to pay tribute to movies as an art form rather than as commercially popular films.
