The Artist Director Responds to Kim Novak's Outrage Over Vertigo Theme

"I’ve done nothing wrong," director Michel Hazanavicius told CNN when asked his reaction to Kim Novak's recent comments lambasting The Artist for using the Vertigo love theme. "I used music from another movie, but it’s not illegal. We paid for that, we asked for that and we had the permission to do it. For me there is no real controversy...I feel sorry for her, but there’s a lot of movies with music from other movies, directors do that all the time and I’m not sure it’s a big deal." [CNN]



Comments

  • metroville says:

    How come nobody's talking about the fact that Hazanavicius also totally ripped off the silent film genre?

    • HarryLime says:

      How on earth do you see The Artist as rip off of silent movies when it was obviously a tribute to them. One of the most asinine comments I have ever read.

  • Jake says:

    While I understand Novak's complaint, Hazanivicius is totally correct.

    Welcome to the post modern world, Miss Novak.

  • KevyB says:

    While she overplayed her hand, Novak is hinting at truthiness here. It doesn't violate Vertigo; it violates The Artist. You have to watch out what existing songs you use. If people recognize the song, then they're taken right out of the movie. You wouldn't put the theme from Star Wars in a film, would you? It was lazy to put this in The Artist.

    • Edward Wilson says:

      The theme from Star Wars worked pretty well in Ferris Bueller...

      • KevyB says:

        For the post above and the post below: using a famous theme song as a bit of comedy is pretty much the exact opposite of using the famous theme song in pretty similar circumstances. We do understand that, right?

    • Jay Douglas says:

      Kevyb is correct; and so too is Ms Novak; but so to is Mr H; each is correct. Star Wars' theme was unforgettable. So too was Vertigo's, for those of us mature enough to have it hard-wired into our recollection. And that is why it was LAZY, Mr.H., because I enjoyed 'The Artist' until I 'lost the plot' when that 'homage'/'stolen' Music took me away to another place and another time. Newbies wouldn't know or care, but I loved Hitchcock and his use of music. Ave Atque ! JD

  • Steve Belgard says:

    Hazanavicius's film is his love letter to cinema and "Vertigo" is part of cinematic history, and probably very dear to him. How many times has Herrmann's "Psycho" theme played in movies? You didn't see this outcry when Eddie Murphy's "Daddy Daycare" used it. There's plenty of more important issues going on in the world to be pissed off about doncha think?