The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius’ deeply charming ode to old movies, is drawing an incredible amount of praise, even early on in this award season. The silent romance, which co-stars Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo, is currently leading the nominations race for the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and Indie Spirit Awards, and has already been named the Best Film of 2011 by the New York Film Critics Circle. Now, as The Weinstein Company aims to prep the picture for its Oscar campaign, they’ve announced a curious new strategy to draw in audiences: a special tour in which The Artist would screen in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Brussels, London and Geneva with the accompaniment of a live orchestra led by the film’s composer Ludovic Bource. [Billboard via The Playlist]
While there’s no word on the when this tour would occur, it’s an exciting opportunity for movie fans to get a taste of movie-going as it once was. In the age of silent cinema, there was obviously no accompanying soundtrack on the film print. So, movie theaters employed an in-house accompanist, often an organist or pianist, to play corresponding music to the screened pictures. Early on, this meant the scores for new films were improvised; meaning audiences seeing the same film at different showtimes could experience it differently depending on the whims of the accompanist. But as the form developed, studios began to send sheet music along with cues, so the viewing experience would become more uniform. Of course, there are some corners of the U.S. where screenings like this occasionally take place, and should you ever get the chance to go, I urge you do so. There’s something about having live music in a movie theater that brings a new (to us) and thrilling element to a movie-going experience you might otherwise take for granted.
While last year I railed at the Weinsteins’ plan to market The King’s Speech to a wider audience by re-cutting the released R-rated version to get a more family-friendly PG-13 rating, I find this particular marketing method ingenious. Perhaps because it’s not an attempt to tone something down, but rather an ambitious effort to make The Artist and even more evocative homage to cinema’s earliest successes. The Artist is a magnificent film peppered with musical influences from Alfred Newman, Cole Porter and George Gershwin, and the idea of seeing it again with the full force of a live orchestra is something that’s sure to attract ardent crowds.
If I could buy a ticket now, I would.
Do you share Kristy’s excitement for The Arist and it’s upcoming tour?