Sunday, January 29, 2012

Jean Dujardin (the silent star of The Artist) Sings

Yesterday Michael and I saw The Artist. I can't recommend a better way of spending an afternoon or an evening. It is a particularly moving experience to see it in a theater. Don't wait until it comes out in DVD, unless you have to.

While looking around the internets for stuff about Ludovic Bource, the film's composer, I found this nifty clip from OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies, which is another collaboration (2006) between Dujardin, Michel Hazanavicius, Bérénice Bejo, and the composer Ludovic Bource. Sure, the instrumental playing is faked, but the spirit is wonderful.

UPDATE: I saw OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies last night, and learned that the music for the above link was not by Bource! It is an Arabic version of "Bambino," a Neopolitan song that was made popular in France in 1956 by the pop singer Dalida:



The original Neopolitan song, called "Guaglione" doesn't have the words "bambino." It was written by Giuseppe Fanciulli (the pseudonym of Mastro Sapone, who lived from 1881-1951), with words by Nicola "Nisa" Salerno.


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Here's the trailer for The Artist:

1 comment:

Janet Lingel Aldrich said...

What's so funny about Bambino in OSS117 (besides Hubert's unbridled glee at being the center of attention -- he's obviously forgotten he's supposed to be a spy!) is that he's not supposed to be able to speak Arabic besides the numbers from 1 to 5, yet here he is singing (and quite well) in flawless Arabic! :)