On Friday night I went to see 'The Artist'. I was very excited last year when I first heard about the film as for a long time I had wondered why no one made a silent film these days. I have seen many of the old ones and they can be breathtaking, funny and soul-stirring. It is a very powerful way to tell a story.
I wasn't sure what exactly to expect from the film but WOW. It completely blew me away. The film managed to capture the spirit of the original 1920s films perfectly. Let's start off with the 'leading man' who has been absent from the screen for many, many years. George Valentin (played by Jean Dujardin) stole my heart. He was dashing, debonair and posseses the most winning smile imaginable. He was the type of man who had ladies swooning around him. There is a particularly funny scene involving a female fan and his coat jacket.
Jean Dujardin, however, can play much more than charming. The film shows what happens to a silent film star when the 'talkies' come in and the market crashes in 1929. Let's just say, I wish I had had a box of tissues handy as he captured the pathos of a man struggling and still trying to put up a brave front. Oh and let's not forget the love he has for his dog.
Parallel to George Valentin's inability to handle the new world of talkies we see Peppy Miller thrive and rise to stardom. She is a gorgeous girl and I loved looking and swooning over her outfits as well.
This was in addition to my swooning over the buildings, houses, the tap dancing and generally everything 1920s art deco.
When I arrived home I was inspired to look for 1920s/1930s patterns and found a designer called Susan Crawford who designs knitwear inspired by the 1920s to 1950s. She has a designer page on Ravelry at Susan Crawford. Some of my favourite designs are Jersey With A Soft Bow, A Swagger Coat, Tri-Cable Stitch Jumper and the Bobble Topper
As many of the designs in the books are actually things I would like to wear and I can't find in stores, I've ordered both books. It was a little bit of a splurge but I think it will be well worth it.
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