George Valentin (Jean Dujardin)’s Timeline and Summary
- George, one of Hollywood's biggest stars, attends the premiere of his film, A Russian Affair, and meets a young, unknown actress named Peppy Miller.
- While filming the sequel to A Russian Affair, George becomes distracted by Peppy, who is on set as an extra.
- When Zimmer shows him some footage of an early talkie film, George scoffs and refuses to believe that it's the way of the future.
- George has a dream that everything around him is making sound but he can't be heard.
- Zimmer fires George.
- George begins to write, produce and star in a silent film of his own. It's called Tears of Love.
- George's wife leaves him.
- Tears of Love doesn't do well at the box office, especially since it has the same premiere date as Peppy Miller's new film, Beauty Spot.
- George overhears Peppy putting down silent films.
- Poor and depressed, George is forced to move to a smaller house and let his chauffeur go.
- There's an auction, where all George's fancy things are sold off.
- In a drunken stupor, George unravels his film reels and sets everything on fire.
- George's dog saves him from dying in the fire.
- Peppy takes him home from the hospital so that he can heal in the comfort of her mansion.
- Upon wandering into a room in Peppy's house, George discovers that she's bought all his prized possessions that were auctioned off.
- George tries to talk to a policeman but he can't understand anything the cop is saying.
- Back at home, George has reached rock bottom. He puts a gun in his mouth and debates pulling the trigger.
- Peppy startles him by crashing her car outside his house, causing George to snap out of it.
- George and Peppy finally make a film together, a dance number, and suddenly, there's sound.
- George utters his first words of the film, "With pleasure."