The Artist sweeps board at Oscars

The Artist has swept the board at the Oscars, taking home a total of five statuettes including best film and best actor for Jean Dujardin.

Dujardin was so delighted he swore as he accepted the award. He is the first Frenchman to win the best actor Oscar and beat strong competition from George Clooney, in The Descendants.

Silent, in black and white and in French, The Artist was a triumph for director, Michel Hazanavicius, who also took the Oscar for best director. It also won best original score and best costume design.

As he accepted his award, Hazanavicius said: "I am the happiest director in the world right now."

The Martin Scorsese 3D film Hugo, which follows the adventures of a young boy living in a Paris train station in the 1930s, also won five awards for best cinematography, art direction, visual effects, sound editing and sound mixing.

Writer/Director Woody Allen took the Oscar for best original screenplay for Midnight in Paris, losing out to Michel Hazanavicius in the top directing prize.

The full list:

Best Picture: The Artist

Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help

Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Cinematography: Hugo

Art Direction: Hugo

Costume Design: The Artist

Make-up: The Iron Lady (J. Roy Helland and Mark Coulier)

Foreign Language Film: A Separation, Iran.

Film Editing: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Sound Editing: Hugo

Sound Mixing: Hugo

Documentary Feature: Undefeated

Animated Feature Film: Rango

Visual Effects: Hugo

Original Score: The Artist

Original Song: Man or Muppet from The Muppets

Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants

Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Live Action Short Film: The Shore

Documentary (short subject): Saving Face

Animated Short Film: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore