Jean Duzharden is still very poorly expressing in English: a translator who is accompanied by a French actor at all events, then it is inclined in a conversation, helping Jean to convey to the meaning of his phrases. "Therefore, a mute film was my only opportunity to get through to Hollywood," Laugh Duzardden, a big star in his homeland, but a little-known outside of it. And this opportunity was presented to him by the French director Michel Khazanavichus, who had long dreamed of paying the tribute to the great dumb and remove the black and white short-sighted picture. And he, in turn, helped Jean Duzharden in this, who played the main role in his comedy militant "Agent 117" (2006). After this picture, the producers believed Khazanavichus, that from his "delusional idea" about a dream film could have a lot, and gave him the green light, that is, money for the shooting of the "artist".
However, at first Duzharden refused the role of George Valentine. "The film seemed to me too experimental. And, honestly, I was frightened, because I did not know and did not understand what I need to do. And I did not want to play Charlie Chaplin, "the actor admits. "But then I decided to just trust Michel, my friend and a colleague." However, one confidence director was little. Jean had to do about five months to do with choreographer to master the chief, which his hero was dancing unlikely. Revise several times the masterpieces of a silent movie so that in your game in the "artist" do not ride in the pantomime. And even live alone in the house on the Hollywood hill × 1920s building to penetrate the spirit of the time.
Duzharden inspiration was added and the fact that the rehearsals of the dance scenes of his hero and Peppi were held in the studio of Gina Kelly and Debbie Reynolds - the legendary Hollywood actors. But especially this fact was inspired by Berenice Bezhko - the executor of the role of Peppi Miller and part-time the spouse of the director. "The culture of those years lives in me from early childhood. My father is a big fan of classical cinema, so my acquaintance with such films has already happened in a very gentle age, "says the actress. - And especially for the "artist" I revised the ribbons with Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford and Clara Bow - these elegant women of black and white cinema. "
"To take a mute black and white film today was a challenge because it breaks most of the stereotypes of modern cinema. However, ten nominations for Oscar say that the game cost the candle. Therefore, I am probably the happiest director on earth. I will not say that a person, but the director - for sure, says Michel Khazanavichus. "Of course, I doubt that our picture will be able to do for silent films what" avatar "made for 3D. But who knows?".