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The Artist sweeps board at Oscars
Five statuettes for silent movie, including best actor for Jean Dujardin
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