Silence is not golden: philistines: 1 - The Artist: 0

As difficult as it may be to believe, a number of cinema patrons have demanded their money back after discovering that the Oscar-nominated silent film The Artist is, you’ve guessed it, a silent film.

Precisely at which point in the film the realisation kicked in is unclear, but what is clear is that a number did indeed ask to be reimbursed whilst expressing their disappointment at finding themselves in the midst of a film without sound and to add insult to injury, was in black and white too.

Although at first reluctant to admit that customers had got their money back, staff at the cinema in question, the Odeon Liverpool One, have since confirmed that this was the case.

Since the embarrassing news broke, cinemas around the country have been quiet as to whether such behaviour has manifested itself elsewhere in the UK. 

The Artist, starring award-winning actor Jean Dujardin alongside Berenice Bejo, tells the story of a silent film star as he faces up to the fact that the coming of sound may signal the end of his career.

Historically, the era of silent film was all but over by 1930. Three years previously, Al Jolson had uttered the first words heard on screen during the Jazz Singer.

A major success thus far, The Artist is expected to do well at the forthcoming Oscars awards ceremony.